Nightlife, Restaurants & Entertainment
If you want to let your hair down and boogie the night away; enjoy a gastronomical experience of note; or you prefer a little cultural entertainment, then Port Elizabeth is the place to be!
Enjoyable evening entertainment includes sundowner cruises, nightclubs, award winning cocktail bars, late night music spots, fine art theatre performances, movies, restaurants and cultural performances.
Nelson Mandela Bay has no shortage of talented local artists who provide excellent performances and live music! Pubs, night-clubs, taverns and late night spots are found all over the city and will provide an interesting and enjoyable evening’s entertainment. Heugh Road, Walmer is teaming with venues to choose from, but there are many more all over the city.
Live Performances
Various concerts, performances, modern musicals, operettas and small productions by various theatre groups are staged at the different theatres in the Bay on a regular basis; whether it is opera, cultural dances or open-air Shakespeare that you prefer, Nelson Mandela Bay caters for every taste!
Port Elizabeth’s historical Opera House is a wonderful venue that takes you back in time, and hosts some of the most spectacular shows! From comedy to classical music – everyone will find something they enjoy!
The Opera House can be found on Whites Road in Central PE, and also houses The Barn Theatre which provides more audience-interactive entertainment!
Theatre productions are also staged at a number of other wonderful venues, such as the beautiful Feather Market Centre (FMC) in the CBD which has been refurbished and converted into an outstanding concert hall and conference centre. The venue is also a favourite for the Port Elizabeth Annual Dance Festival as well as the Eastern Cape Schools Festival of English and Drama.
The Bay also hosts national and international bands as well as the ever popular Centre Stage Production Company who regularly produces vibrant and extremely entertaining productions at the Boardwalk Cell C Amphitheatre as well as the NMM Loubser Auditorium.
Restaurants
The restaurants, pubs and taverns in and around the city offer a wide range of cuisine, reflecting the diverse cultures and peoples of the area. Port Elizabeth boasts the highest capita ratio of restaurants per population in South Africa, and an excellent selection of restaurants from the historical city centre to the outlying suburbs of the Bay offers a wide range of cuisine to satisfy any palate.
6th Avenue Walmer and Richmond Hill are fast becoming hot spots as far as finding world-class and often unique culinary delights. However, there are many restaurants throughout the suburbs that have made a mark for themselves amongst locals and visitors alike. Visit our restaurant page to find the one that suits your palate most!
Cinema
Cinema lovers can find up-market cinema venues at The Bridge, Walmer Park Shopping Centre and The Boardwalk Complex. Each one offers the latest releases in an up-market, comfortable environment with all the latest mod cons. Daily newspapers publish schedules of all screening times.
Uptown Theatres is the latest addition to the Bay’s cinemas. The theatre, an upgrade of the former Kinepark Theatre, found on Rink Street, offers art films along with a cocktail bar, live music and cabaret.
Shebeens
Shebeens are the informal traditional bars particular to South Africa – where there’s a township, there’s a shebeen! The townships are always vibrant and portray the social life of black South Africans. Visit one of the many venues where the music is of the best in Africa, the vibe is laid back and the drinks are outrageously cheap!
There are several tour operators in Port Elizabeth who specialise in township tours and usually incorporate an unforgettable shebeen visit in and amongst all the other sites along the way!
The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World
Designed to be a “must see” attraction with a full mix of family fun, entertainment, shopping, dining and gaming, the Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World has added a whole new dimension to leisure in the Bay.
Located in Summerstrand, the complex is set around a series of man-made lakes and beautiful gardens lit by 40 000 Tivoli lights. There are numerous entertainment venues available in the centre, such as the elegant Tsitsikamma Conference Centre; the Supersport Arena, which features a regular line-up of comedy and music acts, and the Boardwalk Amphitheatre. Apart from these attractions, the casino offers 700 slot machines and 20 gaming tables, including blackjack and roulette. Furthermore, the Boardwalk also offers a selection of restaurants, specialist shops, a Craft Workshop as well as the Nu-Metro Cinema.
For more in-depth information visit our ‘Events and Entertainment’ and our ‘Lifestyle’ tags at the top of the page.
Reference:
Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism