Istanbul Entertainment

When the sun has set over the city, youll probably be wondering what Istanbul has to offer in the way of evening entertainment. Worry not, for the onset of dusk brings with it a plethora of options with venues across the city opening their doors for both party-goers and those looking for sedate forms of entertainment. Everything from a romantic meal in a fine restaurant to a night of dancing until the small hours can be found in the city of Istanbul.

Nightlife

In spite of Turkey being a Muslim country, Istanbul offers plenty of opportunities for visitors to go drinking and revelling of an evening, with areas such as Beyoglu and Ortaky offering busy bars and live music venues. Nightclubs are also a popular feature and are by no means conservative, with many staying open until 06:00. As a general rule, the regular pubs, known as meyhanes, stay open until midnight, while the bars close at 01:00 or 02:00. The live music venues are popular with residents and visitors alike, some of which charge an entry fee as a result, but the fee is generally not an exorbitant amount.

Theatre and music

Istanbul offers a variety of live music venues with local musical artists demonstrating their talents in traditional Turkish music styles as well as performing covers of popular British and American artists. A live music venue is a good filler between a pub and a nightclub if you intend on staying out late.

Festivals

There are a number of annual summer festivals that are unique to the city, with highlights including:

• Gay Film Festival is held every year in the city and is a chance for Istanbuls gay community to come together and examine some of the worlds best contemporary contributions to the genre of gay-themed movies (January).
• Istanbul International Film Festival is held annually and sees screenings of independent films, shorts and documentaries from around the world (April).
• Festival of Gypsy Music in Istanbul is a chance to celebrate the unique contribution made to Turkish culture by the traditional music of the countrys ethnic minorities (May).
• International Jazz Festival in Istanbul sees jazz artists from around the world assemble to showcase their talents at the citys Aik Hava Tiyatrosu open-air theatre (July).