Goa Nightlife
Entertainment and Parties in Goa

Explore Goa after Sunset

With the beach stretch in North Goa lit up with lights and fireworks, there is a party happening everywhere during the season, between November and March. With foot-lapping frenzy being the norm, there is always something to set your nights on fire. From discos to lounge bars to restaurants to beach shacks to informal parties on the beach, there is plenty of partying to keep you rocking.

Goa has come a long way from the Hippi culture. However, beach parties happen at Anjuna, Morjim and Palolem with just music and drinks. As the sun goes down, you can hitch a ride on a boat to chill out with friends or enjoy a party and cultural show on a river cruise, or boogie the night away at Goa’s many nightclubs.

Club Cubana, a nightclub atop a hill in Arpora, is a must-see. It is a place where the crème da la crème of society let their hair down. Friday, Saturday and Sunday have different theme nights, so call and confirm. Entry is around Rs. 800 per couple, with drinks included. The relaxed atmosphere, with a pool gleaming on the hill, and a quaint tiled discotheque with different bars on either side will help you unwind. Order a Souvlaki and saunter towards the comfortable balcaos, beanbags and sofas.

Tito’s, a legend that started the party fever in Goa, is usually jam-packed with people. The disco at Baga plays hip-hop rock, pop, R and B and lots more. A cover charge will get you in. Ask for the menu to get the prices right. If you prefer open spaces, there is always Tito’s restaurant, where you can chill out with a martini.

Mambo’s the shack next door, also gives you enough music and dancing that carries on till the early hours. You might run into local and national celebrities here too.

Kamaki, just down Tito’s lane, is a bar usually filled with stags, so stay away, if you aren’t feeling overly sociable.

On the Rocks, also at Baga, is a lounge bar with quaint tents, plush sofas and an AC disco. La Calypso’s Club Blue, at Baga, is the scene of much action, though the crowd might get a little on the wild side. The cover charge is usually Rs. 150 per couple.

In Candolim-Sinquerim, Vanilla Lounge is where the music and spirits never cease. Retro is what the nights are all about. Live music and acclaimed DJs are its forte. Laser lights dance on the barge run aground, making it quite a setting! Though there have been many attempts to dismantle the ship, the government’s lackadaisical attitude coupled with endemic corruption have led to no action being taken. Incidentally, the ship has become quite a landmark even though protests rage on in many quarters. Thus, the ship remains an eyesore for locals and tourist attractions for others.

The lounge bar at KamaSutra, in Baga, is known for its weekend theme evenings and delicious cuisine. There is also Sweet Chilli near Fort Aguada that overlooks the backwaters and has live music throughout the week.

To get a feel of other places to party, check out Matrix, a disco underwater at Arpora, or Club West End at Saligao and Fahrenheit at Calangute (not highly recommended).

Nine Bar at Vagator is worth a mention as it is the place to see a perfect sunset. The flip side is that it closes early. Each discotheque has a special day set aside for ladies night, so check out what’s convenient and hop in.

The Boomerang Bar at Club City in Calangute is open 24-hours and gives you space to relax, enjoy food from a well-stacked food court, a pool table and great company.

In Goa, the beach is where the festivities get louder! Shacks like the Boat Shack, Big Zappa, Claudina’s (one of the only shacks that play live music) and Spotty’s at Candolim Beach, down the main Candolim Road, always have something interesting on the cards.

Club 21, known for its food and atmosphere, also rocks during the season with the owner, Pele, a football fanatic, who regales you with English League highlights!

Calamiri’s at Sinquerim also deserves a mention.

If you want the atmosphere of a shack in a classy setup, Ceumar on Candolim beach is the place for you. Known for its sensational cocktails, this shack-restaurant is set on stilts and has a wooden deck for those who don’t want to get their feet dirty.

Bosco’s and Big Banana, down CSM Road, are filled with tourists soaking in the sun.

And down Tito’s lane are Zanzibar, Marine Shack (with a Foosball table) and Lucky Star for a night under the stars.

Restaurants like Britto’s at Baga, Souza Lobo at Calangute and Palm and Sands at Sinquerim have live music on specific nights in a family atmosphere.

Most shacks have barbecue nights, an amazing array of fireworks, limbo dancers and fire-eaters, so each shack has its own special evening.

Your holiday in Goa is incomplete if you have not seen Ingo’s Saturday Night Market at Arpora. The market has hundreds of stalls, with all kinds of accessories and is abuzz with music and food.

If you are a shopaholic, you can shop till you drop. If shopping is not your scene, you can sit on a bench and watch the world go by. You’ll see the most outlandish sights and some interesting people walking along with a drink in one hand and a shopping list in the other!

The Indian part of the market has Kashmiri items, wooden articles, silks, pashminas, masks, antiques and home accessories.

The part of the market run by foreigners has leather masks, clothes popularized by hippies, amazing hand-made shoes, furniture, paintings, CDs and clothes galore.

There is something for everyone. And as a touch of exotica, there are fortune-tellers and tarot car readers. There are all sorts of cuisines available to choose from. Name the cuisine and it is there: Greek, English, South Indian, Thai, Italian, Goan, Nepali, Indian, Indian-Chinese and desserts. All these are available in quaint rows to tantalize your taste buds. The environment is clean and the food delicious.

The market is the brainchild of a foreigner, Ingo. He has been having problems on issues regarding the placement of the market. On any given day, the market sees at least 20,000 people come in. There is no dearth of entertainment and games throughout the evening.