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Though Marrakesh promotes itself as the "jewel in the crown" of Morocco's tourism, there is little in the way of regular live music or cultural performances in the city. The flagship Festival National des Arts Populaires, which acted as a national showcase for Moroccan traditional music for nearly 50 years, has been abandoned in recent years. Today, live bands playing jazz, blues, R&B, soul and Moroccan musical fusions can be found in some of the nightclubs such as Montecristo in Guéliz, Palais Jad Mahal in Hivernage, or at dinner-cabarets such as Lotus Club and Fuego y Latino, but there's often a hefty price tag. Restaurants in Guéliz with occasional live music at weekends include Kechmara and La Cantine Parisienne.
Café Clock (www.marrakech.cafeclock.com) in the Kasbah quarter of the medina hosts local traditional gnawa musicians on Sunday and Tuesday evenings, classical Arabic oud (a lute-like instrument) on Friday, and showcases other young Marrakesh talent on other nights. Other occasional live Moroccan music events can be found at Dar Bellarj (www.darbellarj.com) in the medina and there are always troupes of drummers and Berber musicians in Place Djemâa el Fna. A few of the Moroccan gastronomic restaurants have a traditional musician or two, but they largely serves as background music.
An impressive Buddha statue is stationed near the entrance of this hip nightspot, where an Asian vibe mixes with modern decor in the various salons. The music is an eclectic, ethnic world fusion with guest DJs, belly dancers, and even a Bollywood set. The restaurant offers a Pacific Rim fusion of Asian, Thai, Japanese, and Chinese cuisines.
The cabaret entertainment at Lotus Club is its raison d'être—and clearly built into the prices for drinks and food, which includes Mediterranean, Moroccan, and Japanese dishes. The show, entitled Oh La La!, features a burlesque-style revue of samba, Oriental, and Egyptian-inspired vignettes performed by corseted dancers flaunting feather boas, and live music from Moroccan guitar virtuoso Mahmoud "Mood" Chouki. Come around 9 pm to see the show.
This classy spot attracts a hip crowd for excellent, though pricey, cocktails and food.
A mash up of café, restaurant, and bar, the Café du Livre is a good place for a meal but it's also popular just as a place to meet for a drink. There's usually live music Friday and Saturday, but it can get very smoky. It's upstairs behind the Carré Eden shopping mall, just next to the Hotel Toulousaine.
A lively crowd gathers regularly at Comptoir Darna to take in the nightly cabaret show, enjoy the occasional live music, or to chill out with cocktails on the candlelit, plant-filled patio. The food is good, too, if expensive. There's a small dance floor for those who want to swirl to the tunes.
DJs, decently priced cocktails, and good food are all available at this trendy nightspot popular with a younger crowd. There are excellent cocktails and beer on tap.
This tiny wine bar is a popular spot for early evening drinks and snacks. There's a good wine list available, and there's a small restaurant on the upstairs mezzanine that serves French cuisine at reasonable prices.
Hip, loud, and festive, Le Théâtro draws a late-night crowd for house music, live DJs, and circus cabaret acts. There's a cover charge most nights.
The rooftop bar of the 2Ciels Hotel has sixth-floor views over the Royal Tennis Club, the old Marrakesh soccer stadium, and the Hivernage neighborhood. The bar serves tapas, beer, wine, cocktails, and coffee throughout the day and into the evening and has pleasant shaded seating areas with tables and reasonable prices.
In a beautiful Art Deco villa on the edge of Guéliz, Montecristo is a nonstop party destination every night of the week---on weekends it attracts crowds from Rabat and Casablanca---and it has a more intimate, eclectic vibe than the large cavernous clubs farther out of town. You can smoke sheesha on the roof terrace, dine downstairs, watch live bands in the lounge bar, or dance the night away to an ever-changing program of music in the first-floor club, but be aware of the omnipresent "working girls."
There's an Indian maharaja vibe at the Palais Jad Mahal, once one of Hivernage's hippest nightspots and still a draw despite steep prices and iffy service. The atmosphere, excellent house band, belly dancers, and cabaret entertainment make it more than worthwhile.
This sky lounge, on the hotel's fourth-floor terrace, has the impressive views over the ramparts to La Mamounia and the Koutoubia mosque, as well as the Menara Gardens and beyond. It's the perfect spot for sunset drinks (or tea, coffee, or snacks). Added bonus: there's a doughnut-shape pool in the middle if you want to sunbathe and take a dip (for an extra 300 DH).
An outpost of the legendary Paris nightclub, Raspoutine attracts a beautiful crowd that dances the night away as DJs spin deep-house until the wee hours. There are plenty of red velour furnishings, drapes, and gilded mirrors hinting back to the original Champs-Elysée Russian-cabaret venue of the 1960s. There is no entry fee, but expect to pay top dollar for drinks at the elaborately decorated bar. Make sure to dress the part.
A stylish nightspot that attracts an upmarket crowd, SO has live music starting around 9 pm as well as resident DJs, a Moroccan restaurant, a licensed bar, and a garden terrace area to enjoy sheesha and alcohol-free cocktails.
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