Auckland Nightlife
Auckland really is the city that has something for everyone from the young and adventurous to the older, more mature crowd. With its 24-hour casinos, live theatre venues, pubs and clubs, visitors to this New Zealand party city will never run out of things to do.
The Auckland bar scene is split across four distinct areas of the city, with the centre acting as a common ground between the Parnell and Posonby crowds. The Parnell area has a number of restaurants and trendy bars, which are frequented by a richer, more sophisticated clientele.
A younger, student crowd usually heads to the Posonby Road area of Auckland, which is located just west of the city centre. This is home to a host of more bohemian cafes and smaller, packed-out side-street bars and restaurants.
Visitors are advised to visit the Viaduct area of the city particularly in the summer, as there are a number of vibrant bars, shops, cafes and nightspots. Many of the pubs and clubs here are open until the small hours. Honey is one of the newest and most sophisticated bars in Auckland and offers 30 different varieties of champagne, as well as New Zealand's own vodka label, 42-Below.
From Sunday through to Tuesday, many bars in Auckland shut at around midnight and nightclubs tend to close at around 1am. However, from Thursday to Saturday, most bars stay open until 2 or 3am and nightclubs keep their doors open until at least 4am. Dress codes are generally lax, although some smarter clubs may refuse entry if visitors are wearing trainers or jeans.
Auckland is famous for its live music scene and all music lovers will be sure to find something to their taste in this city. The London Bar of Wellesley and Queen streets regularly offer jazz and rhythm & blues gigs. The Alto Casino & Bar at Skycity also offers live jazz performances. The Posonby Road presents a number of rock and blues bars and the Temple Bar on nearby Queen Street regularly holds an open mic night. Irish music is popular in Auckland and the Claddagh Irish Pub in the Newmarket area has live Irish music every night.
Auckland has an active gay scene and The Kase is one of the most popular venues. The Posonby Road also plays host to a clutch of gay bars and clubs. Legend The Bar is the main gay bar in the city, which offers quality music and a disco on every night of the week. There is also a world-renowned G.A.Y club on the High Street, which is open from Wednesdays to Saturdays only and has a drag revue on a Friday and Saturday night.
For those who fancy a flutter, Auckland has a lively casino culture and its Sky City Casino receives over 12,000 visitors per day. The Sky City Casino is the largest in New Zealand and operates 24 hours a day. It consists of 88 gaming tables, an 80-seat keno lounge and over 1,200 fruit machines. There is also a more upmarket Alto Casino and Bar on the third floor of the Sky City complex, which is more intimate and provides live music and requires a strict dress code.
After a long night out, the White Lady has become somewhat of an institution in Auckland. This fast food caravan that is located on the corner of Shortland Street and Queen Street serves up the world's largest and greasiest burgers, packed with a host of added extras such as beetroot, fried eggs and onions. Open until 4am, it is sure to quell the appetite of even the most hardened clubbers.
Auckland is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city that offers both lively and exciting bars and restaurants, quieter more sophisticated lounges and cafes and buzzing casinos. This 24-hour party city is sure to keep even the most energetic night owls entertained.
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Nightlife
