After the sun sets, head for place Jean-Jaurès, rue de Verdun, and rue des Ecoles Laïques, or walk down rue de la Loge and soak up its carnival atmosphere, watching talented jugglers, mimes, and musicians.
Le Corum (tel. 04-67-61-67-61), the most up-to-date theater in town, books plays, dance recitals, operas, and symphonic presentations. It's in the Palais des Congrès, esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle. For ticket information and schedules, contact the Corum or the Opéra Comédie, place de la Comédie (tel. 04-67-60-19-99).
Rockstore, 20 rue de Verdun (tel. 04-67-06-80-00; www.rockstore.fr), draws lots of students with 1950s rock memorabilia and live concerts. Up a flight of stairs is its disco, which pounds out techno and rock. There is no cover, except on concert nights. For the best jazz and blues in town, check out JAM, 100 rue Ferdinand-de-Lesseps (tel. 04-67-58-30-30; www.lejam.com). In a noisy, smoky, and even gritty space, its regular concerts attract jazz enthusiasts from miles around. Concert tickets average 10€ to 25€ ($13-$33).
A modern, convivial disco, known throughout the region, is Le Pacha, route des Plages, in the hamlet of Lattes (tel. 04-99-52-97-06), 4km (2 1/2 miles) south of Montpellier. It attracts drinkers and dancers ages 23 to 40. Le Pacha is open Thursday to Saturday beginning around 11pm; on Friday and Saturday it charges a 10€ to 15€ ($13-$20) cover, including a drink. Gays and lesbians in Lattes gather at the animated bar and disco, La Villa Rouge, route de Palavas (tel. 04-67-06-50-54).
