Douglas Entertainment

A range of nightlife is available all over the island, but especially in Douglas, which is home to the greatest number of residents on the island. The many pubs in Douglas and on the rest of the island are great spots for traditional entertainment and food. For more modern entertainment, try one of the many nightclubs, wine bars or the casino. Shows, productions and special events are held nightly at Douglas theatres.

Nightlife

The Douglas nightlife scene is not exactly huge, but theres a good selection of decent establishments in and around the town. Cest La Vie bar is a very popular place, as is the Hilton nightclub, which is usually jam-packed with good music including a variety of pop and rock hits from different decades.

Jaks is a great place to sit down with a pint and a plate of chips and watch sport on the TV. There are even tiny TVs perched on the beer-pumps so that you dont miss a thing while youre at the bar. The bright, airy pub is popular with the late 20s to 30s crowd. Strand 58 is a good little bar with a small dance floor. Drink prices are reasonable, and they play mainly chart music. Quids Inn has the distinction of selling the cheapest drinks on the island; however, there is an entry fee at weekends.

Theatre and music

The newly renovated Villa Marina reopened in 2004, and now serves as a venue for the performing arts, conferences and functions. It is also home to the Broadway Cinema and Dragons Castle childrens play area. Opened in 1900, the Gaiety Theatre was designed by architect Frank Matcham and is a magnificent example of a Victorian opera house. Having been faithfully restored, the theatre is currently a thriving centre for the performing arts on the Isle of Man and hosts all sorts of events, both professional and amateur, including variety shows, plays, opera, musicals, visiting magicians, international stage shows and stand-up comedians.

Tribute bands covering everything from Abba to Meatloaf and Queen are very popular and attract enthusiastic crowds, and usually feature high quality performers in their own right. Many of them play at the beautifully-restored Victorian Gaiety Theatre.

Clubs for dance music and music bars in Douglas include The Venue, which typically hosts a variety of acts targeted at a young crowd including live music concerts, guest DJs, exotic dancers and more. Among the live music venues are The Douglas, which always has a good band on at the weekends. The Traf and the Douglas Hotel often hosts bands, while many pubs also play regular host to local musicians, although the promotion of gigs is generally low-key and mainly reliant on local billboards and word-of-mouth.

Festivals

There are several annual festivals that are unique to the town, with highlights including:

• Isle of Man TT Races sees bike enthusiasts from all over the world descend on the island for two weeks for all things motorcycle-related. The festivities culminate in the actual race, for which the TT Grandstand in Douglas is a prime lookout venue (May to June).
• Manx Heritage Flower Festival is a week-long event, during which chapels and churches around the island put up floral displays. It is an excellent opportunity to explore many of these matchless heritage buildings as well as to visit a concert or exhibition (July).
• Rock The Rock features bands from all over the UK as well as support from local talent, who are selected in a prior competition (July).
• The Isle of Man International Jazz Festival presents local as well as international talent at venues in Douglas including the Cotton Club and Harlem Club at the Hilton Hotel (August).