ROME

Nightlife

Roman nightlife retains some of the smart ethos satirized in Fellini's film La Dolce Vita, and designer-dressing-up is still very much a part of the mainstream scene.
Entrance prices to the big clubs tend to be high (as much as L40,000, including a drink), but there are a few smaller, more alternative nightspots, where your travel-crumpled clothes will be perfectly acceptable.
To get around the licensing laws, some of Rome's night haunts are run as private clubs - usually known as "centri culturali" - a device that means you may be stung for a membership fee, particularly where there's music, though as a one-off visitor some places will let you in without formalities; and some places charge no fee at all to be a member.
In recent years these sorts of places have sprung up all over the city, particularly in the suburbs, and these are becoming the focus of political activity and the more avant-garde elements of the music and arts scene.

On the live music scene , summer offerings are plentiful, with several venues all over town, featuring concerts of every sort, including practically free events in Testaccio.
However, the chances of catching major rock and pop acts are virtually nonexistent, and getting worse. Rome has been all but abandoned by most big UK and US acts because of its almost complete lack of organization and a suitable venue.
Big promoters book the cities up north, especially Milan and Bologna, and leave Rome entirely out of the loop. However, there is a chance you can catch up-and-coming US and UK indie bands playing some of the city's more alternative venues.

Rome's clubs run the gamut. There are vast glitter palaces with stunning lights and sound systems, predictable dance music and an over-dressed, over-made-up clientele - good if you can afford it and just want to dance (and observe a good proportion of Romans in their natural Saturday-night element). But there are also places that are not much more than ritzy bars with music, and other, more down-to-earth places to dance, playing a more interesting selection of music to a younger, more cautious-spending crowd.
There is also a small group of clubs catering specifically to gay or lesbian customers. Whichever you prefer, all tend to open and close late, and some charge a heavy entrance fee - as much as L25,000, which usually includes a drink. During the hot summer months, many clubs close down or move to outdoor locations.

As for location , Roman nightlife can be found all over the city, including neighbourhoods on the very edge of town. However, in the central zone the best areas tend to be Testaccio (especially in summer), Trastevere, and the centro storico from the Jewish Ghetto to the Pantheon.

For what's on information, there's Romac 'è (Thursdays), with its helpful section in English, and, if you understand Italian, Time Out Roma (Thursdays). Otherwise the main Rome newspaper , Il Messaggero, lists major musical events, and " Trova Roma " in the Thursday edition of La Repubblica is another handy guide to current offerings.

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