Entertainment In Genoa

Genoa is a beautiful city that can also be an immense amount of fun. Far removed from the trendy, overwhelming Milan scene and different from the atmosphere of Rome, it offers its visitors a more underground scene, where they have to make an effort to enter into the fun.

Nightlife

Genoa has an excellent nightlife, with many nightclubs and bars being located in and around the city centre area. The nightlife is concentrated in three areas: behind Piazza de Ferrari, off via XX Settembre; in Foce, the seafront area past the Fiera International; and around the Lido, near Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi.

Most of the night-time haunts are concentrated in the area between Piazza Sarzana and via San Lorenzo. There are some sophisticated wine bars to be discovered here such as Le Cantine Squarciafico, and tapas bars that are open until late such as La Lepre. The scene changes on the weekends, when the usually peaceful alleyways are taken over by lively crowds on their way to Cafè Latino in Piazza Delle Erbe; Le Corbousier in Piazza San Donato and the Moretti Inn on via San Bernardo.

These places are always packed and the neighbouring areas are full of cocktail and wine bars. This is a veritable epicentre of nightlife, where you can bar-hop all night or go on to one of the clubs in the area such as Dueseiuno or Lukrezia, or head to one of the discos, which are usually full on Saturday nights, with the likes of DLF, Eccentrica and Coccodrillo being very popular.

Theatre and music

The Carlo Felice Theatre offers a varied programme of opera as well as jazz and rock concerts. For prose theatre, the most classic offerings can be found in the Teatro della Corte, being famous for its school that has produced many well-known actors.

The Duse and Genovese halls offer a programme of successful musicals. As for alternative theatre, the Teatro della Tosse, organises surprising events in old factories and abandoned forts during the summer months. There is also the Modena, a 19th century theatre that offers various productions from Brazilian music and culture festivals to acrobatic dance performances.

The Carlo Felice Theatre is the place to go to hear opera and classical music concerts as well as high quality jazz. The recently opened DLF plays international music, with a strong emphasis on sounds from the London club scene, and is one of the best places in the city to hear live music.
 
The smaller club circuit centres on the historic district. Quaalude was the first place in Genoa to open the way for underground music. Fitzcarraldo hosts sought after artists, even if the small location is not great for larger crowds, and Mascherona and the Palace offer a chance to hear live music as well, usually punk or rock. La Cittadella offers alternative music evenings, ranging from flamenco to Celtic music and the Lousiana Jazz Club alternates jam sessions by local artists, with concerts by famous, international musicians.

Festivals

Genoa has a lively selection of festivals, many of which are connected to its fascinating past as a maritime power. Among the most noteworthy events are:

• The Historic Regatta is one of Italy’s most exciting, held the first weekend in June every fourth year. Boatmen from the ancient maritime republics of Amalfi, Genoa, Pisa and Venice compete. The regatta occurs every four years in Genoa.
• The statue ‘Christ of the Depths’, which stands underwater at the bay’s entrance, is celebrated at the end of July with a Mass, the illumination of the reefs and a line of underwater torches to show the way to the statue.
• The Giornate Mameliane is held from the 5th to 10th December and celebrates the patriot who wrote Italy’s national anthem with a series of concerts, museum guided tours and traditional parades.
• Genoa’s naval past takes centre stage in mid April, when the Millevele Regatta is held in the Porto Antico Bay, bringing in thousands of sailing enthusiasts from all over the Tyrrhenian Sea and France.