Daytona Beach Entertainment

Sitting so close to the sea, Daytona Beach maintains a distinct holiday environment and this is very much reflected in its entertainment scene. Residents of Daytona Beach love to kick back after work and enjoy the beach atmosphere. The city is famous for its Spring Break celebrations which see its younger residents really get into the party spirit. Daytona’s close association with vehicle racing also contributes to its reputation as a city where fun is high up on the agenda. With beach bars, nightclubs, live music venues and a huge selection of great restaurants, visitors to the city won’t struggle to find something to do once the sun’s gone down.

Nightlife

Daytona Beach gets lively after dusk and a wide variety of evening entertainments are on offer throughout the city. The Atlantic Avenue area is a good place to head towards if you are looking for somewhere with live entertainment as it is home to venues such as the Clocktower Lounge and the Green Parrot among others. For drinking, there are a variety of bars across the length of the city with Atlantic Avenue again a good place to head for.  North Beach Street and Main Street are also home to a good selection of drinking venues. Visitors looking to dance the night away will find nightclubs on these streets as well as on Seabreeze Boulevard and Nova Road. For evening dining, there are plenty of lively venues where you can enjoy good food while listening to live music, watching a show or just appreciating the beach atmosphere. Venues such as Teauila's Hawaii Dinner Theatre and Oceanside Inn Music Theatre and Atlantic Avenue are typical of the scene.

Theatre and Music

Traditional theatre is somewhat lacking in Daytona Beach, but since there is such a varied selection of other live entertainments, visitors won’t be too aware of its absence. The live music scene is huge and venues on Seabreeze Boulevard, North US 1, North Atlantic Avenue and Main Street regularly pack in the punters for evenings with bands playing music from a wide selection of genres. Karaoke lovers will find venues around Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores and Ormond Beach; many of them being restaurants where diners can hop up to the microphone during dinner and give their vocal chords a little exercise.

Festivals

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

• The Daytona 500 is the city’s most prestigious motor racing event and sees some of the world’s best stock car racers assembled to compete for the highly revered title on offer. (February)
• The Daytona Bike Week is a must for motorbike lovers and sees exhibits, shows and various biked-related events. (March)
• At the Florida International Festival, dancers and musicians from around the world gather and treat viewers to displays of their talents. The London Symphony Orchestra regularly features at this event. (July)
• Down at the beach, the Daytona Beach Boat Show sees boat enthusiasts assemble to view some of the best modern vessels available as well as some classics. Over 400 boats are on show at the Ocean Centre and at Caribbean Jack's Marina. (September)
• Biketoberfest is another highly popular bike related event and one of the calendar’s most significant. Literally hoards of bike enthusiasts descend on the city to enjoy displays, shows, music and exhibitions, all with bike themes. (October).