Lisbon Nightlife

With whole areas of the city being turned over to the pursuit of pleasure and traffic jams from 0400-0500 at the weekend (and increasingly during the week as well), it is obvious that Lisbon is a city that takes its nightlife seriously.

Traditionally, the Lisbon nightlife centre has been Bairro Alto, with its fado clubs, traditional, canteen-style bars and upscale discos. The bars are often open as late as 0400. Much of the action has moved on to the Docas (Docks) district, situated just to the east of Ponte 25 de Abril. One bar after another occupies a row of converted warehouses at the Doca de Santo Amaro. Back towards the city, the Doca de Alcântara is another favourite with Lisbon's 'in' crowd.

Culture in Lisbon consists of a vibrant collage of old and new, as the ghosts of Lisbon's grand past echo evocatively around the city's contemporary venues. Lisbon offers a formidable number of venues and companies can often be found performing in a wide variety of sites, such as outdoor parks and national palaces.

The fortnightly Follow me Lisboa publishes cultural listings. Event tickets are available for purchase from the Agência de Billetes para Espectáculos Públicos (ABEP); there is a kiosk in the southeast corner of Praça dos Restauradores. Ticket Line (tel: 707 234 234; www.ticketline.pt) also offers tickets to many popular shows.