Entertainment In Corsica

Corsicans themselves are sedate when it comes to entertainment and have a penchant for long evenings of wine and food, possibly influenced by the French. Still, faster rhythms of the clubs cater to the university students and tourists, especially around the college and beach areas.

Theatre and music

The island is known mainly for its polyphonies, cappella songs sung by groups or choirs. The style is a local tradition that is now closely associated with the island’s identity, although popular modern groups have adapted to modern times. Try to catch a spiritual version, with choirs often performing these songs in village churches.

Festivals

A seemingly continuous string of celebrations and festivals line the calendar in Corsica. Many fairs centre on food, although the islands have several musical festivals as well as celebrations marking the birth of its most famous son, Napoleon Bonaparte.

• A Tumbera (Foire du Porc Coureur): in February, Renno, in West Corsica, celebrates the place of pork in the region’s dishes with a festival that features cooking contests and demonstrations.
• Fêtes Napoléoniennes d'Ajaccio: period costumes fill the streets of Ajaccio to celebrate the birthday of Napoleon Bonaparte, with a grand parade. Festival activities run throughout the city including a symphony and pyrotechnic show over the bay. Events begin 15 August.
• Fiera di a Castagna: Corsica’s oldest fair and heralded as the largest regional celebration, this December festival toasts the chestnut, which was once a staple in the Corsican diet and is still used in a variety of local dishes.
• Festa Antica: held in August, the 8,000-year-old town of Aleria relives its Roman past as the capital of Corsica. Townspeople dress up as Romans, restaurants change menus and the town holds Olympic contests and jousting bouts.
• Les Nuits de la Guitare: July in Patrimonio brings together an eclectic mix of guitar masters who gather to play in an open-air theatre, in what has come to be known as one of the great guitar festivals in Europe.
  

Nightlife

Nightlife in Corsica can run from sedate evenings at pubs throughout the country to all-night summer clubbing at discos on the coast. In general, Corsicans are reserved and little cafés and bars are the most popular form of nightlife. To relax and take in the night, try Place St-Nicolas in Bastia. The quaint 19th century square is lined with cafés and hosts summer concerts. For a more lively night in the summertime, the numerous discos along the beaches can reach peak crowds at midnight, with dancing and drinking until dawn.