In Bilbao there are not residents, there are txikiteros. Txikiteros are names given to those who drink txikitos, small glasses of wine served in the bars.
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We agree that Bilbao is an example of urban evolution, avant-gardism and both modern and contemporary art.
To this we have to add that it is an absolute mecca of flavour with a cuisine that transcends concepts and that fuses, in a single mouthful, top quality local products with innovative techniques and traditional recipes.
Is that clear to everyone? Well, now the question is clear and obvious. But where can you go out in Bilbao?
Bilbao has a very lively nightlife and proof of this are the numerous nightclubs where you can spend the night dancing from one to another. But before going to the city's most atmospheric clubs, which is the best area?
Although we will name the best nightclubs in town, we would also like to highlight some areas that are completely transformed when night falls.
As is the case in many Spanish cities, the old town usually hides corners with many stories of the locality as well as the most emblematic buildings, although everything is bathed in a special light to the sound of night-time music. The Siete Calles take on a new life and the influx of people looking to party and have a good time fills the streets.
San Mamés is not only a temple of football, it is also a symbol of Bilbao's nightlife. The street that leads to the stadium is full of bars and terraces where you can relax and get your strength back for the night ahead.
Two areas that move a lot at night, providing different music profiles, but sharing the same desire to have a good time. Rock and commercial music are equally distributed in these two music areas.
Calle Ripa, 3
Muelle Bilbao has everything you could ask for at night. It has a great atmosphere, both inside and outside, and inside you can watch a live concert or a DJ, dance while you have a drink, sit and enjoy a cocktail or spend a few hours before all this and have a coffee chatting with your friends. Literally the place for everything.
Calle San Vicente, 2-4
Perhaps the word that best defines this place is emblematic. And everything proves it right. Its location is perfect, you'll have it close at hand whatever your route through Bilbao. What's more, its opening hours are truly crazy. You can go for breakfast, have a beer and a pintxo at lunchtime or enjoy the liveliest night thanks to its DJs at weekends.
You could make a day out of Kafe Antzokia and spend the hours there watching the atmosphere evolve, how the place transforms as the day progresses, and it would be one of the best days of your trip to Bilbao. You must feel the Kafe Antzokia.
Alameda Urquijo, 88
Discotheque and nightclub with capital letters, where you can enjoy the best live DJs who will make you dance until dawn. It has an atmosphere that matches its modern decoration. Also, if you are going to travel to Bilbao with a few friends, you should know that you can organise your event there. Now that's an unforgettable night out.
Alameda Gregorio de la Revilla, 25
Music and dancing, dancing and more music. The Cotton Club Bilbao is here to make you spend an incredible night and for that it has a clear formula; quality drinks and cocktails and music of all kinds.
All kinds because you can find everything from DJs to singer-songwriter concerts or performances by local artists. Join the club of the good night, good vibes and good music, come to the Cotton Club.
Calle Uribitarte, 8
The heart of Bilbao beats next to the Back and Stage, where the atmosphere changes as the week goes by. The youngest profile is on Thursdays and Fridays, where students take over the dance area and the bar. As we enter the weekend, the commercial hits hit the dance floor and the average age of the audience increases.
Concert hall, discotheque, pub, all together in two rooms; Backroom and Stage Live. In the first is where the commercial hits are played and in the second, as its name suggests, you will have the best live performances in the centre of Bilbao.
Gran Vía de Don Diego López de Haro, 89
If we're talking about well-located venues with quality music, Rock Star is a must on our list. In the heart of Gran Vía, it has the perfect music profile for non-stop dancing all night long, mainly commercial pop and reggaeton hits.
If that's not your thing, don't worry because in the evenings they play hits from the 80s and 90s. If you don't have fun here, it's because you don't want to.
Calle Ibáñez de Bilbao, 26
We know, we're talking about nightclubs, so why name Azkena? This concert hall is also a pub and its mix of atmosphere, its incredible facilities, decoration and performances obliges us to name it in this list. One of the best of Bilbao's nightlife, here the weekends start with dancing on Thursdays.
