St Petersburg Nightlife

St Petersburg has a vibrant, varied nightlife. Depending on your tastes, you can visit the ballet or opera, take in a play at the theatre or dance the night away at bars, clubs, music venues and dance parties. However, the scene is constantly changing, so check the weekly events listings in the St Petersburg Times (www.sptimes.ru).

Most of the nightlife is concentrated in the city centre. Bars open from 1100 and start closing around midnight, although some remain open until 0200 or 0400. Drinking regulations are strict, with the minimum drinking age set at 21 years.

Although many nightspots in St Petersburg are controlled by the so-called Russian mafia, most visitors will have no contact with this undesirable aspect of Russian life. Most clubs, bars and venues are indistinguishable from similar places in the west.

Tickets and programmes for cultural venues are available from the box offices at the venues, but you can buy discounted tickets from the theatre ticket kiosks or kassas located throughout the city (open 1000-1900). The largest are along Nevsky prospekt, around the junction with Mikhailovskaya ulitsa. Foreign visitors are officially charged higher rates than Russians and ticket collectors are reluctant to admit foreigners with Russian-price tickets.

The St Petersburg Times (www.sptimes.ru) provides up-to-date cultural listings in English. Casual dress is the norm for bars and clubs, but you should smarten up if you plan a visit to the theatre, ballet or to a classical concert. Men will be expected to wear a shirt, tie and trousers.