Nightlife is at its best in summer, with a range of outdoor cultural events and coastal bars staying open until the small hours. Within the palace, bars tend to close at around midnight.

Ease into the evening with a drink at a one of the fairly uniform cafes that line the Riva, before mingling with the in-crowd at Puls 2, Buvinova 1, or at the Bohemian Ghetto Club, Dosud 10. For a tipple with a view, head up Marjan Hill to the Vidilica Café, Nazorov prilaz 1, or pop along to Ovčice, Put Firula 4, whose outdoor tables overlook the sea near Bačvice.

Split's clubbing scene is decidedly tame, with the main clubs like Discovery, Kupaliste Bačvice, and O'Hara, Cvjetna 1, attracting a local 20-something crowd.

Live music comes into its own during the Summer Festival (see Special Events), with former-Yugoslav rock bands performing in the open-air cinema space above Bačvice Bay. Throughout the year, the main venue for Croatian bands is Metropolis, Matice Hrvatska 1.