Even though Bristol has become a fashionable and chic city it is still possible to find the traditional British pub amongst the stylish wine bars and trendy nightspots. The most well known in Bristol is The Llandoger Trow located in the Old City, a historical building dating back to the 17th century it is said to have underground passages for the use of smugglers and the top floor is haunted by the ghost of a young child. Opposite here is The Old Duke on King Street with a good selection of locally produced ales, a well-known jazz and blues venue with acts appearing nearly every night.

Bristol is a big university town and has a large population under the age of 30 that is accommodated for with lively bars and clubs. There is a great clubbing scene in Bristol and the weekends are buzzing as people come from all over to catch some major DJ’s who play regularly at the clubs around the city.

Bristol's waterfront is packed at weekends and many of the bars and clubs are located in this area. Oceana is a recently opened venue that can hold 2500 people; it has 5 bars, 2 clubs and restaurant all in the one building and has themed nights with something different every night of the week. Shore Cafe Bar on Bristol's waterfront hosts themed music nights throughout the week with live acoustic guitar sessions, laid back DJ sets and soulful singer/performers on various nights. Timbuk 2 is Bristol's newest underground venue that has a nightclub, restaurant and 24 hour cafe and is situated in the city centre. The club offers a varied mix of events that demonstrate how diverse the music scene is in Bristol, anything from drum'n'bass to Bhangra goes here. Other popular areas are Whiteladies Road, otherwise known as the 'Golden Mile' due to the number of bars and clubs here, Park Street and the Clifton Triangle.

If your taste is geared more towards watching a live band then you won’t be short of finding a venue that has some new talent to offer.  The Louisiana claims to have been hosting music for the past hundred years and promotes up and coming local bands with someone different playing most nights. Some of the big names also make an appearance here, including Coldplay and The White Stripes, Keane, Travis and The Strokes. Joe Public's is one of a kind, an underground bar and club, restaurant and music lounge in one. They have a diverse range of entertainment every night of the week with live acts and DJ’s. Carling Academy Bristol plays host to club nights and live gigs, with bands and artists appearing from all over the world. It’s a popular music venue that has seen some big acts such as Basement Jaxx, Supergrass, Travis, Stereophonics, The Charlatans and the Sugababes.

Most of the well-known groups play at Colston Hall due to its sheer size, The Rolling Stones and the Beatles both made an appearance here and upcoming gigs feature Elbow, Jackson Browne, David Byrne and the Zombies.  St George's Bristol is in the West End and features a programme of jazz, world music, opera and classical concerts.

The Bristol Hippodrome is the place to go for West End shows and Broadway musicals; it also holds ballet performances throughout the year. A theatre with a difference, the Tobacco Factory is so called because the building was originally a factory that made tobacco and now produces independent performances and attracts popular touring productions from all over the UK. The Bristol Old Vic, Britain's oldest working theatre, is located in the Old City and puts on celebrated classics and new productions.

For something a little different and daring why not visit one of Bristol's 3 land based casinos? The Gala Casino, Grosvenor Casino, Triangle Casino (now closed) and Mint Casino are all centrally located in the city and offer a fun and exciting gaming experience whether you have experienced a casino before or if it is a completely new experience to you.

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