BELGRADE NIGHTLIFE
In Belgrade, every night is Friday night. Everyone is ready to party at all the time, dance the night away, and go straight to work the next day. It’s really hard to resist the temptation when you know that on any given evening there are countless clubs out there full of young, gorgeous people having so much fun.
How did Belgrade become the world’s nightlife capital?
During the ’90s, Serbia went through the roughest patch in its recent history. The break-up of Yugoslavia, civil war, UN sanctions, hyperinflation, and high unemployment made sure that the only entertainment Belgraders had back in those days was the one they created themselves. Something changed in people’s minds and – despite all the hardships of living in the capital of a nation that’s was falling apart – the local nightlife industry boomed, taking clubbing to an art form. Everyone absolutely loved it.
The ’99 NATO bombing forced Belgraders to take their fun even more seriously. Faced with everyday threat of losing our lives, we starting having huge outdoor concerts in city squares and on bridges, while some of the most famous night clubs started working even during daylight hours.
A lot of people who visit Belgrade and take part in its nightlife say that the only place they can compare it to is Ibiza, since both places have huge club opening and closing events. However, the difference is that Belgrade clubs work 12 months a year, while Ibiza clubs work only four.
Many young people work in the nightlife industry, mainly as club promoters. They advertise parties and events, often through word of mouth, bringing a lot of guests and customers and taking a cut of the bills. Their reputations depend on how many people they can get to the events they promote and how much money these people spend.
The mainstream clubbing scene consists of venues playing house music,
progressive, tech house, and turbo-folk (a sub-genre of folk music with dance
and pop elements specific to Serbia), but you can also find places specializing
in R’n’B, pop, rock, trance, alternative, jazz, or just about any other type of
music in existence.
You can find two types of clubs in Belgrade: winter clubs and summer clubs. Winter clubs are indoor clubs which are usually open during the winter season – from late September to early May. When the summer season comes, they all close their doors as the big openings of summer clubs start. These floating river clubs or barges (called “splavs” or “splavovi”) are anchored at the riverbank and they’re the main locations for partying during hot summer nights.
Belgrade clubs do not charge entrance fees. But it doesn’t mean you can come and go as you wish. All local clubs have a checkpoint at their entrance where face control is carried out by staff – you’re screened whether you’re adequately dressed for the type of the club you want to get into and whether you have a table reservation or not. Without the reservation, there are very slim chances you’re going to get into the club that evening and you can absolutely forget about having a bar table or a VIP table of your own.
Undoubtly the first thing that foreigners notice in Belgrade is the beauty of its people Given the Balkan historical role as a traditional meeting place between the West and the East, it’s not a surprise that locals combine the best of both worlds. People also take their looks seriously here.
taken from Lonely Planet: "Belgrade, a city that never sleeps"
In Belgrade, every night is Friday night. Everyone is ready to party at all the time, dance the night away, and go straight to work the next day. It’s really hard to resist the temptation when you know that on any given evening there are countless clubs out there full of young, gorgeous people having so much fun.
How did Belgrade become the world’s nightlife capital?
During the ’90s, Serbia went through the roughest patch in its recent history. The break-up of Yugoslavia, civil war, UN sanctions, hyperinflation, and high unemployment made sure that the only entertainment Belgraders had back in those days was the one they created themselves. Something changed in people’s minds and – despite all the hardships of living in the capital of a nation that’s was falling apart – the local nightlife industry boomed, taking clubbing to an art form. Everyone absolutely loved it.
The ’99 NATO bombing forced Belgraders to take their fun even more seriously. Faced with everyday threat of losing our lives, we starting having huge outdoor concerts in city squares and on bridges, while some of the most famous night clubs started working even during daylight hours.
A lot of people who visit Belgrade and take part in its nightlife say that the only place they can compare it to is Ibiza, since both places have huge club opening and closing events. However, the difference is that Belgrade clubs work 12 months a year, while Ibiza clubs work only four.
Many young people work in the nightlife industry, mainly as club promoters. They advertise parties and events, often through word of mouth, bringing a lot of guests and customers and taking a cut of the bills. Their reputations depend on how many people they can get to the events they promote and how much money these people spend.
You can find two types of clubs in Belgrade: winter clubs and summer clubs. Winter clubs are indoor clubs which are usually open during the winter season – from late September to early May. When the summer season comes, they all close their doors as the big openings of summer clubs start. These floating river clubs or barges (called “splavs” or “splavovi”) are anchored at the riverbank and they’re the main locations for partying during hot summer nights.
Belgrade clubs do not charge entrance fees. But it doesn’t mean you can come and go as you wish. All local clubs have a checkpoint at their entrance where face control is carried out by staff – you’re screened whether you’re adequately dressed for the type of the club you want to get into and whether you have a table reservation or not. Without the reservation, there are very slim chances you’re going to get into the club that evening and you can absolutely forget about having a bar table or a VIP table of your own.
Undoubtly the first thing that foreigners notice in Belgrade is the beauty of its people Given the Balkan historical role as a traditional meeting place between the West and the East, it’s not a surprise that locals combine the best of both worlds. People also take their looks seriously here.
taken from Lonely Planet: "Belgrade, a city that never sleeps"
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