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Nightlife

When the sun goes down, downtown turns up! How up is completely up to you, so enjoy this handy reference guide for nightlife experiences in downtown Orlando from low-key to fever pitch.

Craft cocktail bars

Turn it down just a notch. Classy and refined, surrounded by carefully curated interiors and inventive libations, the craft cocktail scene in Orlando is overflowing with creativity and style. The original craft cocktail bar that never grows old, only better, The Courtesy is a relative jewel box in terms of size, creating a dimly lit and intimate experience inside a converted retail storefront where you can be on display while sipping that gimlet. The Robinson Room lures you in with its blush pink exterior. Once inside, cheeky art, a saber tooth tiger, and craft concoctions keep the experience flowing. For a jaunt to the far east, Lake Eola Park to be precise, experience downtown Orlando’s only true tiki bar: Aku Aku. And if a speakeasy speaks to you, determine your shoe size (party size) and what time you will be dropping them off to get repaired (target reservation time), and then walk this way to the hidden rooftop oasis known as Hanson’s Shoe Repair.

Live music and performances

From major headliners at Amway Center, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and Bob Carr Theater to dive bar basement digs like Tanqueray’s to steady stages at The Beacham and The Social, downtown Orlando is the region’s year-round live music stage. Beyond its music venue staples, downtown Orlando also hosts outdoor performances at Lake Eola Park and cultural festivals at Camping World Stadium. Check out upcoming events happening downtown.

Nightclubs and bars

Turn it up—way up. Looking for loud and all the right moves? Downtown Orlando has been the region’s dance floor for decades, and while the places may change, where to find them is easy. Younger crowds tend to gravitate into the Church Street and Orange Avenue areas, while the still-young-at-heart crowd descends a flight of stairs into the basement bar, Stardust Lounge. Explore the directory to find your perfect jam amongst an endless variety of night clubs and bars open every night of the week throughout many of downtown’s districts.