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Antalya Nightlife, Turkey

Antalya is as lively as Turkey gets after dark, which is quite active indeed, with a seemingly endless array of clubs and bars to choose from.

Most of the bars are also discos, or attached to discos, packed with plenty of people dancing to lively soundtracks, and if a club is not open around the clock, at least it offers an opportunity to greet the day. Most of these are located in the Konyaalti Beach Park and Lara Beach area and.

Also, these beach clubs, which offer daytime sunning and swimming, become night clubs at dusk. The current most popular place for all night dancing is Club Ally. It may be a bit too popular, as there will certainly be a queue and short wait before entering, especially on weekend nights when it is packed. Dress ranges from informal, but should be showy enough to catch attention, to quite formal. Anything goes, as long as you look your best and want to dance.

The Jest is another dance club that is open all hours and generally packed, as is the World 66, which has quite a good décor but is informal and popular. The Club Arma and the Club Ceila are other good choices for a lively evening and they are open until sunrise. If you would rather watch than participate in the dancing, many of the hotels offer belly-dancing floor shows in there lounges that are open to the general public.

If your mood is for a drink and some quiet conversation, the many waterfront bars in the Kaleiçi area are a good destination. O’Neil’s Irish Pub may seem a bit out of place in Antalya but it has a good pub atmosphere and English satellite TV. It is open 24 hours, daily. The North Shield Pub is another place for a drink and conversation with English speaking tourists and ex-pats, as well as lots of locals.

Antalya offers some annual cultural festivals such as the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, which is the largest film festival in Turkey. Plan to attend it if you are in Turkey during the last week of September. During the next month, October, the Mediterranean International Music Festival runs for 6 days, and features International Music, both contemporary and traditional. During June and July, there is the Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival and toward the end of August, the Antalya International Folk Music and Dance Festival Competition is on tap.