Nightlife and Entertainment in Antananarivo

Following is an Antananarivo nightlife guide to some of the popular clubs and hangouts in the city.

Pandora Station

For tourists who enjoy good dance music, Pandora Station is one of the best places to hang out. Drinks are fairly reasonable and tourists can shake a leg to a variety of music from trance/electronica to R&B, rap to local African beats. This nightspot gets going late in the night, so you may want to get here only by around midnight. However, beware of prostitutes in and around the club who target men without companions. You should also be careful when leaving the club late at night as you may find yourself surrounded by beggars who are hoping to run into drunken generous foreigners.

Espace Dera

Located on Route d’Ankatso, this is one of the popular nightclubs in Tana. Most visitors come here to dance. The club has an additional room with low music where visitors can socialize without any trouble. In addition to its pleasant atmosphere, the club also serves a good variety of food and drinks. This is also the best nightclub for tourists who are looking to avoid prostitutes in the city.

La Plage

This is probably the most popular nightclub in Tana. Situated in Betongolo, La Plage gets packed on weekends, mostly with teenagers. This Antananarivo club has 2 stories that include a pool and a terrace. However, visitors are not permitted to get into the pool. The place also has 2 large dance floors and another smaller, more private one. La Plage has a good selection of music as DJs here play French and American club music. You can also enjoy live performances by bands that play here frequently.

Namaza House

Tourists looking for something different from thumping dance music will find the Namaza House a great place to enjoy a night out in the town. Located at La Haute, this is an impressive hillside house. It is the perfect place to unwind to some blues and rock music. You can often find live bands playing here as well. The walls are adorned with wood and Malagasy woven art in addition to posters of Jimmy Hendrix and B.B King. Namaza House is usually crowded with young men. 

Besides these, there are a number of other clubs and hotels that have live bands playing in the evenings. However, tourists should be wary of prostitutes in almost all nightclubs. You should also make sure you are dressed decently if you are going out partying and take a taxi when traveling late at night.