Bruges Entertainment

Once youre done with a day of sightseeing, youll be wondering what Bruges has to offer for the evening. The city tends towards the sedate side with regards to evening entertainment and few visitors come to Bruges on the strength of the reputation of its nightlife. That said, Belgians are certainly fond of a tipple or two, and beer-drinking is something of a national pastime.

Nightlife

Bars, cafs and taverns constitute the main focus of nightlife in Bruges and its fair to say that the scene is a relatively quiet one, with nights of debauchery and hedonism being far from the agenda. Bruges residents favour evenings in restaurants, enjoying good food or appreciating any of the countrys 500 different beers in the citys bars.

Indeed, beer and other alcoholic drinks can be enjoyed pretty much anywhere and most restaurants double as bars, so you need not be sitting down for a meal in order to have a drink or two. Nightclubs can be found, but are not as prevalent as in other large European cities; look out for venues such as Ambiorix, Coolcats, Cheek to Cheek and Kant, if you are in the mood for a spot of dancing.

Theatre and music

Traditional theatre, opera and classical music performances can be found at the Concertgebouw, a modern venue that is the citys main venue for the performing arts. For live music with a little more edge, the Cactus Club at Sint-Sebastiaan 4 is a popular venue, while De Vuurmolen at Kraanplein 5 also has live bands and is the place to head if youre looking for something on the raucous side.

Festivals

Bruges has a number of events and festivals, some that are unique to the city. Below are some of the most popular:

• Festival Musica Antiqua consists of eight days of classical music concerts, held at various venues across the city (July).
• Art Nocturne in Bruges is an event offering residents and visitors the chance to view art and antiques at a pleasant, seaside setting (August).
• The annual Summer Canalside festival sees performances by hundreds of dancers, singers and musicians in an event aimed at demonstrating aspects of the citys fascinating history (August).
• Jazz Brugge is held at the Concertgebouw and sees top Belgian and international jazz musicians come together to perform pieces from the gamut of jazz genres (October).
• Bruges has Music in Mind is a festival that gives up-and-coming fringe musical acts the chance to showcase their talents (October/November).