Penang Entertainment

Although Georgetown isn't exactly a city that does not sleep, nightlife on the island offers plenty of excitement until the early hours, and longer at weekends. All hotels offer at least some form of entertainment. There are also numerous colourful bars, nightclubs, discotheques, all-night coffeehouses and restaurants.

Nightlife

Much of Penang's nightlife can be found in the area between the E&O Hotel and the Cititel. Here you'll find smoky English pubs with darts and working class accents, bars, discos and small eateries. Next to Cititel is a string of karaoke parlours, where crooning companions charge exorbitant fees per half hour. KTV economics is simple, the fewer the tourists, the higher the prices. Fortunately, right next door is the morally-uplifting Catholic Information Service and a decent wine bar.

If you're looking for a bar that's a little out of the ordinary, 20 Leith Street may fit the bill. Set in an old 1930s house, the joint has seating areas fitted with traditional antique furniture in each room. Possibly Penang’s most notorious bar is the Hong Kong Bar, which opened in 1920 and was a regular hangout for military personnel based in Butterworth. It has an amazing collection of photos of  servicemen who have frequented the place throughout the years, plus an assortment of medals, plaques and buoys from ships.

Theatre and music

Penang is home to several theatres, many influenced by the Chinese. Among these are the North Theatre, Young Theatre, Zao Xin Chang and Dramatic Boundary.

Not really a theatre as such, a quirky and passionate performance in a home setting can be enjoyed at Dr Sun Yat Sen Penang Base, the historic venue where the Chinese Revolution was planned and which is now a traditional house museum. This is where Bibik Hitam, the 120-year old matriarch of 120 Armenian Street will give you the benefit of her wit and wisdom. The romance of the Straits Chinese through the ages, the beauty secrets of the Nyonyas, whimsical songs from the heyday of Bangsawan, Dondang Sayang, Ronggeng and more.

Georgetown offers numerous bars and nightspots where you can have a drink while being entertained with performances by live bands. Nightspots and 24-hour cafés are also found at the international hotels situated along the Tanjung Bungah-Batu Ferringhi-Teluk Bahang belt. Live musical performances range from local entertainers to overseas musicians performing in the bars, lounges, restaurants and nightclubs throughout the island.

Festivals

There are a number of annual festivals that are celebrated on the island, with highlights including:

• Chap Goh Meh is celebrated on the 15th night of the first month of the Chinese Lunar calendar. The festival’s highlight is the orange-throwing ritual in which local girls throw oranges into the sea for would-be suitors to catch (February/March).
• The Penang International Dragon Boat Festival is gaining worldwide fame, as seen from the growing number of international teams taking part every year in the sea off Batu Uban (June).
• The Penang Flora Festival features lots of flowers and a bright display of flora at the KOMTAR Mall (July).
• City on Parade is a week-long celebration with food fairs, handicraft exhibitions, street concerts, cultural shows and parades (July).
• The Penang Beach Carnival is a one-week carnival featuring food promotions, inter-hotel competitions, seaside festivities, cultural shows, fashion parades and parties (July).
• The Penang Food Festival gives visitors the chance to try the best of Penang cuisine, learn a bit about its history and watch different dishes being cooked (August).
• Loy Krathong is a Thai water festival where krathong (leaf-cups) with lighted candles are floated out to sea. A wish is made and it is believed that the further the lotuses drift, the more likely it is that one's wish will come true (November).