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Entertainment

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Known for its pink sand beaches, pastel-colored houses and turquoise waters, Bermuda is a bit more relaxed when it comes to the entertainment scene. While there is after-dark action on the island, more options are available to those who visit during high season, from April through October. But there are no worries to be had when it comes to finding something to do at night from November through March as the crowds are less and prices are normally lower.

The best way to find out what is going on in terms of entertainment and nightlife is to pick up copies of free publications, such as Preview Bermuda, Bermuda Weekly and This Week in Bermuda, at the island’s tourist centers and hotel concierge and social desks. These magazines highlight the schedules of upcoming activities and events that will take place around the island. Local television and radio stations also provide visitors with details of scheduled cultural events and nightlife happenings across the island.

Music

Visitors can find what is known as lounge entertainment in many of the hotels across the island. Lounge entertainment can be anything from classical piano tunes to a musician strumming a guitar to a local band playing the steel drums. Other properties set an island mood in their restaurants as calypso bands play appropriate dining music while guests indulge in fine foods and some also offer the opportunity for dancing.

Pubs across the island have long been a mainstay of the local entertainment scene and are a great place for visitors to mingle with the locals. Devonshire’s Clayhouse Inn is where locals and visitors alike gather to watch shows starring limbo dancers, the Bermuda Strollers, and other local bands. Caliban’s Bar at Ariel Sands has emerged as a great place for nightly Bermudian entertainment as is Hubie’s Bar in Hamilton. Located on Angle Street off of Court Street, Hubie’s is the place to be on Friday nights, where anyone and everyone from governmental officials to store clerks to local punks can be spotted enjoying some jazz. One thing to note is that the bar closes at 10 p! Some other pubs and bars of interest include the Hog Penny, The Pickled Onion and Flanagan’s in Hamilton, The Swizzle Inn in Bailey’s Bay and Freddie's in St. George's.

The City of Hamilton’s Front Street also houses two of the island's most popular nightspots. The Oasis nightclub is the place for rock and disco that draws a younger crowd, while Club 40’s disco dancing scene allows guests to show off their best moves on the island's largest dance floor.

Performances/Shows/Exhibits

For those who are looking for more than just musical entertainment, there are a variety of options that tourists can turn to. Local festivals, cultural events, art exhibits and theatrical performances and concerts are other ways that visitors to get their fill of the island's entertainment. In addition, most of the island's large resort hotels offer nightly after-dinner shows during the April to October high season.

Taking place annually during the months of January and February, the Bermuda Festival draws to the island a host of internationally acclaimed artists who perform classical and jazz concerts as well as theatrical productions. Visitors also have the opportunity to enjoy local artist performances during this time in the Festival Fringe, which complements the Bermuda Festival.

Bermuda's Philharmonic Society puts on several programs throughout the year, including classical music concerts that are performed by the entire Philharmonic as well as by soloists. These programs take place at several places across the island including the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in Hamilton, King’s Square in St. George’s and the Royal Naval Dockyard.

The Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society features some of the island's best amateur actors. Plays are scheduled throughout the year at the Society's Daylesford Theatre headquarters in Hamilton. Be sure to order tickets in advance as most of their performances, including the Christmas pantomime, sellout.

As the only destination outside of the United States to enjoy the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Bermuda has hosted the Harvard University group for nearly 30 years. This satirical troupe performs at the island's City Hall Theatre in Hamilton during Bermuda College Weeks in March and April.

Bermuda is also home to some renowned art exhibits. The Hereward T. Watlington Collection, which includes paintings from the 15th to 19th centuries, is housed at the Bermuda National Gallery. Located in City Hall on Church Street in Hamilton, the gallery also offers other exhibits, lectures and theatrical presentations.

Cruises

One of the hottest nightspots is the "Don’t Stop the Carnival Party." Running from early May through October, this party starts with a boat ride to Hawkins Island in the Great Sound followed by an evening of entertainment. Guests can look forward to an island barbeque, open bar, live band, limbo contest and dancing under a sky fully lit by stars, as well as lots of fun.

Fantasy Cruises operates an evening cruise during high season on a catamaran, where a strolling calypso-playing artist entertains as you sail through calm waters. For some late afternoon enjoyment, the Calypso Cruise makes a stop at Hawkins Island for swimming and snorkeling, and then continues its journey through the islands of the Great South as guests are entertained by the Tropical Beat duo.