Avignon Nightlife

The lively nightspots are situated around place de l'Horloge, place du Palais, trendy rue Carnot and place des Corps-Saints and all become frenetic during the Avignon Festival. Licensing hours are not strict in France and bars stay open quite late, some past midnight, while some clubs are open well into the small hours. Dress codes and admission requirements to clubs are not an issue in Avignon, where smart-casual rules the day.

The Avignon Tourist Office distributes the free monthly arts, events and music listings magazine, Rendez-Vous (also available in arts centres). This is well worth getting, as it provides up-to-the-minute information about what is on in Avignon.

Bars: Bars with a buzz include Pub Z, 58 rue de la Bonneterie. Open until 0130, the bar is owned by a rocker, enamoured of zebras, which dominate the décor. A medley of arty types hang out amid the mirror-lined walls and modern sculptures of Le Grand Café, located at cultural hub La Manutention, 4 rue escalier Ste Anne, where decent food is served. Le Cid Café, 11 place de l'Horloge, is a popular gay bar.

Clubs: Avignon is not a clubbing centre, although there are some small venues, such as the eclectic Red Zone, 25 rue Carnot (website: www.redzonebar.com), which plays anything from salsa to house and is open until 0300. Bokao's, 9 bis boulevard quai St Lazare (website: www.bokaos.fr), has a chill-out cafe as well as a dancefloor and VIP area. The biggest clubs are located around a 10-minute drive from Avignon and include Le Privé Club, route de Tavel in Les Angles (website: www.leprive.fr), a techno and house venue in an old quarry.

Live Music: AJMI Jazz Club at La Manutention, 4 rue escalier Ste Anne (website: www.jazzalajmi.com), is a popular jazz venue on Thursday night. Rock is played at Le Bistroquet bar, Quartier du Mouton, on Ile de la Barthelasse, while regular concerts are held at Les Passagers du Zinc, 23 route de Montfavet (website: www.passagersduzinc.com).

Avignon's cultural scene hits the headlines each July, with the Avignon Festival, created by Jean Vilar in 1947. It is the oldest and most famous of the festivals in France. Originally pure theatre, the event now includes contemporary and religious music, dance, poetry, circus, films, exhibitions and debates involving up to 600 separate organisations. The most prestigious productions are performed in the vast Palais des Papes courtyard, others within theatres, churches and sports halls. The Chartreuse, at Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, showcases the contemporary theatre of the Avignon Festival, as well as a separate musical theatre festival, Villeneuve en Scène. 2008 saw the 62nd version of the festival, and it was a big success, attracting a total audience of some 150,000 people to the various performances.

The Bureau du Festival d'Avignon (and box office) is located at the Cloître St Louis, 20 rue du Portail Boquier (tel: (04) 9014 1414; website: www.festival-avignon.com). Booking for the official festival (locally known as the 'In') starts in June. Alongside the main festival, the 'Off' fringe festival enlivens city streets and courtyards with a carnival atmosphere. Avignon Festival Off has its offices at 5 rue Ninon Vallin (tel: (04) 9085 1308; website: www.avignonleoff.com), and tickets are available from mid June.

Tickets to all other performances and cultural events in the city are available for purchase from the individual venue box offices, in advance or on the day. The tourist office publishes a monthly calendar of events (French only) in Rendez-Vous.

Classical Music: The gracious Opéra d'Avignon (tel: (04) 9082 4242), built in 1847, overlooks place de l'Horloge. The season runs from October to June and includes operas, operettas and symphonic and chamber music concerts, as well as theatre and ballet. The Musique Sacrée en Avignon, 49 rue Portail Magnanen (tel: (04) 9082 2175; website: www.musique-sacree-en-avignon.org), organises free concerts in churches (October to May). The concert series celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2006.

Theatre: Avignon has about 10 permanent theatres, as well as the opera house (see above). The Théâtre du Chêne Noir, 8 rue Ste-Catherine (tel: (04) 9082 4057; website: www.chenenoir.fr), draws well-known actors and directors, while the Théâtre du Chien qui Fume, 75 rue des Teinturiers (tel: (04) 9085 2587; website: www.chienquifume.com), puts on a varied programme of theatre, music and improvisation evenings. The Théâtre des Halles, 4 rue Noël Biret (tel: (04) 9085 5257; website: www.theatredeshalles.com), excels in contemporary theatre, while cutting-edge Théâtre des Carmes, 6 place des Carmes (tel: (04) 9082 2047), is run by the André Benedetto company - one of the founders of the Festival 'Off'. Theatre tickets tend to be cheaper than the Festival 'On' and the season runs from October to May.

Dance: Dance has its own moment of glory in February, when Les Hivernales contemporary dance festival takes place at La Manutention, 4 rue escalier Ste Anne (tel: (04) 9082 3312; website: www.hivernales-avignon.com). The Théâtre Golovine, 1 rue Ste Catherine (tel: (04) 9086 0127) offers courses and performances year round.