From opera to house music, Lyon has an eclectic nightlife to suit all tastes. A good start is to browse Le Petit Bulletin website for up-to-date listings.

The most established haunt for young Lyonnais is the mini-chain of microbreweries Ninkasi (www.ninkasi.fr), which now has nighttime venues where you’ll find live music, fresh beer, and burgers. Most live concerts are free, although there is sometimes a cover charge for well-known bands playing at the brewery headquarters, Ninkasi Gerland (267 rue Marcel Mérieux; tel. 04-72-76-89-00).

Wine lovers can start the evening with a glass or two at one of the city’s oldest wine bars in Vieux Lyon, La Cave des Voyageurs, 7 pl. Saint-Paul (www.lacavedesvoyageurs.fr; tel. 04-78-28-92-28; Tues–Sat 5pm–1am). 

If you’re feeling homesick, you can head to the Anglophone pub Smoking Dog, 16 rue Lainerie (tel. 04-78-28-38-27), with its bookshelf-lined walls, billiard table, and eight beers on tap. It’s a popular place to watch international sports matches on T.V. Open daily from 5pm to 1am (from 2pm on weekends).

Near place des Terreaux, La Maison M., 21 pl. Gabriel Rambaud (www.mmlyon.com; tel. 04-72-00-87-67; Métro: Hôtel de Ville), has become a popular nighttime fixture. This bar and late-night club (Wed–Sat 7:30pm–4am) offers an eclectic musical program from soul to rock and hip-hop including live concerts. Another live music and arts venue is Le Sucre, 50 quai Rambaud (www.le-sucre.eu; Métro: Perrache), on the rooftop of a 1930s warehouse in the fashionable Confluence district. It’s open Friday to Sunday 11pm to 5am.

In summertime, locals flock to the quays along the Rhône. The best of the former cargo boats parked on the Rhône is Péniche Le Sirius, Berges du Rhône, 4 quai Victor Augagneur (www.lesirius.com; tel. 04-78-71-78-71; Métro: Guillotière). The ship is packed with an under-35 crowd sipping Belgian beers and dancing to the sounds of Lyon’s best DJs on the lower-level floor. It’s open daily from 2pm to 3am. 

One of Lyon’s largest nightclubs is the renamed F&K Bistroclub, 13/14 pl. Jules Ferry (www.f-and-k.fr; Métro: Brotteaux), whose house music and chic decor attract a young, kitten-heeled 20s to 30s crowd. Housed in the Brotteaux old railway station, the club has room for 500 people, yet you should expect a strict door policy. It’s open Wednesday to Saturday from 6:30pm until 6am (it shutters at 4am on Wednesdays; the restaurant is open from 6:30–11pm). At 73 rue du Bourbonnais, the Sound Club (www.thesoundclub.fr; tel. 06-75-94-97-99), gets people dancing to hip-hop, Afro-Caribbean, Amapiano and Bouyon music. The club is open at weekends (Fri and Sat 11:30pm-6am).

Rainbow lights set the scene at La Chapelle Café (www.la-chapelle-cafe-lyon.eatbu.com; tel. 04-72-56-11-92; Mon-Thurs 4pm-1am; Fri and Sat 4pm-4am; Sun 10am-1am), 8 quai des Célestins. This riverside gay bar has a party ambience with live DJs and themed music nights. It’s also a place for low-key cocktails with sunset views towards Fourvière Hill.

The oldest gay club in Lyon is United Café (www.united-cafe.fr; Impasse de la Pêcherie; tel. 04-78-29-93-18). Open Tuesday to Sunday 12am to 5am, it’s busy almost every evening with themed events, drag and karaoke nights. For those who like 80s music, It Bar (20 bis Mnt Saint-Sébastien; [tel] 06-30-10-89-69) is a popular gay dance club that’s open weekends only 11:45pm to 4am. 

Opera buffs head to the Opéra National de Lyon, pl. de la Comédie (www.opera-lyon.com; tel. 04-69-85-54-54; Métro: Hôtel de Ville-Louis Pradel; ticket office open Tues–Sat 12–7pm and Mon during performances), while La Halle Tony Garnier, 20 pl. des Docteurs Charles et Christophe Mérieux (www.halle-tony-garnier.com; tel. 04-72-76-85-85; Métro: Perrache or Debourg), is a popular venue for international pop concerts and dance shows as it seats up to 17,000 visitors. 

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.