Entertainment in Kazakhstan
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A
Soho
Expats and local friends and colleagues pack Soho every night for tankards of beer, international food and crowded dancing to the excellent resident rock/blues band. It's got a sort of urban/global theme, with lots of pictures of New York mixed in with flags for every nationality - one place that never lacks atmosphere.
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B
Cuba
This Mexican/Russian restaurant is Almaty's Latin music hotspot with live bands whipping up a great atmosphere from 22:00 to 01:00 Thursday and midnight to 03:00 Friday and Saturday. For Friday and Saturday you need to book a table by about 18:00.
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C
Da Freak
The best electronic club in town, Freak has two dance floors, the country's top DJs and sometimes guests from Moscow or Western Europe. The clientele is mostly a cool, 20ish, local crowd but there's a smattering of international 20s-to-35s in there too. The entrance is round the back of the Zhuldyz restaurant in Panfilov Park.
reviewed
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D
Crystal
An 'elite' New York-style club popular with the Range Rover crowd, Crystal has DJs playing mostly European and American house and R&B (in separate rooms). The entrance is on Timiryazev. Downstairs is Nice Bar (292 38 25; Volodarskogo 29), with sink-into sofas and velvet-curtained private alcoves.
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E
Tinkoff
This trendy, modern, three-floor bar/restaurant brews its own draught beer in six varieties, and the open roof terrace is great in summer. The 2nd-floor, with ceiling-to-floor windows, serves sausages, shashlyk and pizzas (around T800 to around T1600) and has occasional live music.
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F
Mostafterpartyclub
This late club is big with a nouveau-riche and expat crowd. There's deep tech and tribal on the big dance floor, plus an oriental-style hookah room and a lounge-bar also with DJs. On Fridays and Saturdays retro 80s sessions start at 23:00; the afterparty begins at 03:00.
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G
Abay State Opera & Ballet Theatre
Almaty's top cultural venue; three or four performances a week at 18:30. Classics like Swan Lake, La Bohème, Aida and Carmen are a few of the regular shows. Also look out for Kazakh operas such as Abay and Abylay Khan.
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H
Line Brew
You can't miss Line Brew's extraordinary, red-brick castle building. And the interior is, well, like the inside of a castle, with a tavern atmosphere. The beers are Belgian, and there's good food too.
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I
Petroleum
Upstairs from Gas, this flashy DJ dance club pumps out hip hop and techno to an older crowd including foreign business chaps and local working girls. This is a place where you may want to dress up.
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J
Tyan Shan
From 17:00 to 20:00 Wednesday the matrons serve all-you-can-drink beer at this expat hangout, as long as you buy around T1000 worth of food (and can put up with the ear-battering live music).
reviewed
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K
San Siro
Almaty's temple of TV football - they have different soccer matches on different screens and can even show you a programme of upcoming games. They serve a good range of food too.
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Shtab
Tiny local beer bar opposite Hotel Ambassador, with half a dozen tables and a big selection of local and foreign draft beers including Kazakhstan's best, Shymkentskoe.
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Vostok
There's more live pop nightly at this popular teens-and-20s hang-out. Downstairs is an informal café; upstairs is a restaurant with 200T admission in the evenings.
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N
Escape
The hippest club in Astana, with house and fast techno on the main stage, R'n'B, rap and hip hop on the second. Situated in the Kaspy sports complex.
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O
Dublin Pub
A smaller, wood-panelled Irish pub on a quiet street near Respublika alanghy. It has assorted international food and the terrace is nice in summer.
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Stereo
Successful new club on a lane between Abay and Kurmanghazy: house/chill-out in one room with Soviet-style décor, soul/funk/R&B in the other.
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Q
Members Bar
Cocktail-lounge-style jazz music. Resident artist at the time of writing, Geraldine Hunt, puts on a fine show from 23:00 Tuesday to Saturday.
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Guinness Pub
Popular pub near the Hotel Kazakhstan, with the famous Irish stout on tap, as well as pool tables, food and live music most nights.
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Kafe Solyanka
Vivacious café with a warm atmosphere and live pop musicians from 18:00. It's in the side of the larger Rahat Palace restaurant.
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Real Club
This is consistently the most popular gay club but it changes locations a lot. Has shows at 02:00 Friday and Saturday nights.
reviewed
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Vogue
Fashionable pre-club bar with décor inspired by Vogue magazine - old-gold drapes, grapefruit-toned couches.
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Gas
Another popular electronic haunt with DJs; no sportswear in this shiny glass-and-steel environment.
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Nice Bar
Downstairs in Crystal is Nice Bar, with sink-into sofas and velvet-curtained private alcoves.
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XXX
Friendly, mostly lesbian club out in the west of the city, 6km beyond the Central Stadium.
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X
State Philharmonia
A range of performances including symphony, chamber, jazz, organ and traditional music.
reviewed