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Vancouver Nightlife

Vancouver's diverse nightlife is a low-key mix of stylish cocktail lounges, neighbourhood pubs and hip live-music venues. Vancouverites are just as likely to hang out in a late-night coffee bar or cool art gallery. You can taste the latest brews and spirits at tasting rooms in many of the city's microbreweries and small-batch distilleries.

Popular areas for going out include Gastown, Yaletown, around Granville Street and along South Main Street. The largest cluster of Vancouver's gay bars is on Davie Street west of Burrard Street.

You can find entertainment listings in the free weekly paper, The Georgia Straight (www.straight.com). Information on the city's gay and lesbian scene is available from DailyXtra (www.dailyxtra.com).

Tickets are available directly from the venues or from Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.ca) and Show Time Tickets (tel: +1 604 688 5000; www.showtimetickets.com). You can buy half-price tickets on the day of the performance from Tickets Tonight, at the booth in the Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre, 200 Burrard Street (tel: +1 604 684 2787 for recorded information; www.ticketstonight.ca).

Bars in Vancouver

Grapes & Soda

Natural wines are the stars of the menu at this chic 25-seat bar in stylish South Granville. There's a good choice of still and sparkling vintages from both BC's Okanagan Valley and European vineyards. Small, seasonal plates might feature seared octopus with pumpkin seeds or poached apple and custard. You can't book ahead, so arrive early.

Address: South Granville, 1541 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver, V6J 1R1
Telephone: +1 604 336 2456.

Keefer Bar

On sultry summer evenings, the patio of this hipster hangout is a great spot for gawping at the eclectic range of passers-by. You can slurp on inventive apothecary-style cocktails and nibble on green onion pancake pizza, duck sliders or Chinese churros. Cocktail ingredients sourced in Chinatown markets include magnolia bark, ginseng and ling zhi, known as 'supernatural mushrooms'.

Address: Chinatown, 135 Keefer Street, Vancouver, V6A 1X3
Telephone: +1 604 688 1961.
Website: http://www.thekeeferbar.com

Prohibition

A 1920s-inspired basement bar, this swanky spot comes with sleek furnishings, old-school cocktails, an absinthe-tasting fountain and a wallet-busting Champagne menu. Small bites include vodka-battered halibut cheeks and truffle fries. Live music entertains drinkers most nights. A green light outside the door lets you know whether the bar is open.

Address: Downtown, 801 West Georgia Street (entrance on Howe Street), Vancouver, V6C 1P7
Telephone: +1 604 673 7089.
Website: http://prohibitionrhg.com

Clubs in Vancouver

Celebrities Nightclub

At the heart of Vancouver's gay district in the West End, Celebrities has been one of the city's top gay dance clubs since the 1980s, pumping out house anthems and electronic hits and hosting big-name acts including Tiesto and Boy George. Clubbers enjoy luxury VIP areas plus a state-of-the-art sound system and glitzy light show.

Address: West End, 1022 Davie Street, Vancouver, V6E 1M3
Telephone: +1 604 681 6180.
Website: http://www.celebritiesnightclub.com

The Roxy

A Granville Street institution, this cheesy spot pulls in clubbers for chart dance hits. On Tuesdays, in-house band The Bulge blasts out rock tunes. Sunday night is Country and Western night, so dress up in your checked shirt and don your cowboy hat. Arrive early at the weekend, unless you enjoy spending a long time outside.

Address: Downtown, 932 Granville Street, Vancouver, V6Z 1L2
Telephone: +1 604 331 7999.
Website: http://www.roxyvan.com

Venue

Doubling up as a club and a live-music venue, this spot draws huge crowds to its two-level space. Well-known artists, plus an impressive line-up of local and international DJs (including the likes of David Guetta and Major Lazer) keep the dance floor packed. For special occasions, book yourself a VIP area.

Address: , 881 Granville Street, Vancouver, V6Z 1K7
Telephone: +1 604 646 0064.
Website: http://venuelive.ca

Live music in Vancouver

Commodore Ballroom

This art deco music venue has been a favourite among Vancouverites since opening in 1929. It began life as a traditional ballroom, and by the 1970s and 1980s, was hosting the likes of David Bowie, Tina Turner, The Police and The Clash's first North American show. More recent acts have ranged from The Killers to Katy Perry to St Germain.

Address: Downtown, 868 Granville Street, Vancouver, V6Z 1K3
Telephone: +1 604 739 4550.

Guilt & Company

Tucked beneath Chill Winston restaurant in Gastown, this intimate venue lines up an eclectic mix of artists performing everything from jazz and swing to hip hop and Latin-infused tunes. You might enjoy a vaudevillian-inspired cabaret show or hear every music genre imaginable during live improvisation nights.

Address: Gastown, 1 Alexander Street, Vancouver, V6A 1B2
Telephone: +1 604 288 1704.
Website: http://www.cellarjazz.com

The Biltmore Cabaret

The Biltmore brings a New Orleans/gothic bordello/1940s Shanghai show lounge together in a modern fusion of cabaret. Choose from a wide variety of live acts performing throughout the week (from hip hop to instrumental indie rock), and check the calendar for special 'Kitty Nights', a burlesque show hosted by the 'Purrrfessor', who is as charming as he is hilarious.

Address: Mount Pleasant, 2755 Prince Edward Street, Vancouver, V5T 0A9
Telephone: +1 604 676 0541.
Website: http://www.biltmorecabaret.com

Classical music in Vancouver

Dance in Vancouver

Theatres in Vancouver

Music and Dance in Vancouver

Culture in Vancouver

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Skwachàys Lodge

A boutique hotel, fair trade gallery and aboriginal artist residence in one, this lodge is a social enterprise which also provides affordable shelter to aboriginal people. Each smartly kitted-out suite has been uniquely decorated by artists and designers, so you might find yourself sleeping beneath a beaded bear sculpture or a painting of salmon swimming upstream.

Moda Hotel

This 1908 heritage hotel in the heart of Downtown has been transformed into a chic contemporary boutique hotel. While the rooms and décor are very much of the 21st century, many of the building's original features remain, including the lobby's mosaic tiles and 80-year-old hardwood floors in some guest rooms. Uva Wine Bar serves espresso and wine downstairs.

Rosewood Hotel Georgia

Meticulously restored Rosewood Hotel Georgia once hosted Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Today's guests are treated to elegant rooms and suites, with delicious nods to the 1920s and 1930s and vast, decadently luxurious bathrooms. You can nip down to dinner at upscale Hawksworth Restaurant, plunge into the saltwater pool, or sip cocktails on the laid-back garden terrace.

Fairmont Pacific Rim

Lavish rooms in this Coal Harbour hotel feature luxurious Stearns & Foster beds, plush linens and roomy marble bathrooms with TV mirrors. The Willow Stream Spa offers nine treatment rooms, a massive fitness centre and an outside deck with meditation pods and private hot tubs. Or you can lounge by outdoor firepits next to the open-air rooftop pool.

Sandman Suites Vancouver - Davie Street

Sitting on vibrant Davie Street in the West End, the Sandman Suites are just a few minutes' walk from the beach and within strolling distance of trendy Yaletown. One-bedroom and studio suites come with fully equipped kitchens and private balconies. Many higher rooms have city or ocean views. In summer, take a dip in the heated outdoor pool.

The Sylvia Hotel

Overlooking English Bay and Stanley Park, this ivy-clad 1912 hotel offers good value for budget-minded travellers. The designated heritage building has been a hotel since 1936 and can lay claim to Vancouver's first cocktail bar, which opened here in 1954. Perfectly situated for exploring the West End, Granville Island and Stanley Park or hanging out on the beach.