Fun and entertainment Skopje

This nightclub (Клуб Епицентар) is Skopje's sharpest in terms of electro programming with local and European DJs all year round. Please note: in summer, it's closed. It then moves to the City Park or Ohrid. And don't expect miracles: the capital of North Macedonia is hardly the "craziest" city in the Balkans when it comes to partying and nightlife. We recommend Club Epicentar, one of the few nightclubs with a certain longevity.

This bar is a little way from the center, but accessible by bus 4a, 5 or 5a (Fabrika Treska stop). We recommend it for its musical program (good DJs and acoustic concerts in the evening), its cocktails (from 220 MKD), its friendly atmosphere, its fireplace in winter and its large terrace in summer. It's often crowded at weekends. Then escape to the nearby restaurants: Krchma (popular and inexpensive), Dvor (traditional and not bad at all) and Vodenica Mulino (very good and recommended in our "Treat yourself" pages).

Located on the quay along the Vardar, opposite the ugly "Pont des Arts", this Irish pub is popular with tourists and recent Western expatriates. The cheerful waitresses speak impeccable English. Tables and mini-counters along the walls, where you can put down your pint of Guinness or Skopsko. Musical evenings at weekends. You can also eat in, but that's not the house's forte. Just behind is the Gradski Trgovski Centar with stores, restaurants, discotheque (not great) and cinema.

Part concert hall, part nightclub, Club Marakana (Клуб Маракана) is an institution located next to Northern Macedonia's largest stadium. But don't expect the same crazy atmosphere as on match days at Rio's Maracanã: here, almost every night, the same rock and metal bands play the same songs, including international variety standards. We especially love the atmosphere on festival nights, especially during the jazz festival in October, when musicians from all over the world get together to jam.

Универзална сала. Two or three times a week, the hall hosts classical music or jazz/rock concerts. Skopje Jazz Festival concerts take place under this aluminum-covered dome.

This cinema (Градско Кино Милениум) has a single auditorium, but it has the advantage of being centrally located, on the second floor of the "City Shopping Center" (Gradski Trgovski Centar), near the eastern entrance. It offers mainly English-language films with Macedonian subtitles, with a program that follows international release dates. Beautiful 300-seat auditorium with comfortable red seats, good sound system, large quality screen, snack bar with drinks and snacks at moderate prices.

Formerly known as Ljubov ("Love"), the ShortBus café aims to be the city's most tolerant venue. Here, everyone is welcome, including the LGBTQ+ community. However, it's well hidden behind the glass building in which the cathedral is reflected, at the intersection of Sveti-Kliment-Ohridski and Partizanski-Odredi boulevards. Juices and cocktails (from MKD 150), terrace, exhibitions and a small dance floor with DJs of varying quality. You can continue the evening at the nearby Night Club Saloon or Club Epicentar.

This New York-style bar-restaurant (Бруклински Џез Бистро) is a good place to have a drink (cocktails from 250 MKD), eat breakfast, pizza, salad, soup, meat dish or burger while listening to jazz. The music is great, and local jazz bands regularly perform here. Brooklinski Jazz Bistro is located in the western part of the lively Debar Maalo district, on Orce-Nikolov Street, which overlooks Sveti-Kliment-Ohridski Boulevard, close to the cathedral.

This bar (Кафе Бар Синдикат) is right in the heart of Debar Maalo, 120 m southwest of the large fountain in City Park by Naum-Naumovski-Borče Street. Its clean, retro decor (old posters, Red Star logo...), beers and good cocktails (from 250 MKD) make it the ideal place for an aperitif before choosing one of the many restaurants in the area. But if you're only a little hungry, 50 m to the east on the same street, the Kuki bakery (Бурекџилница Куки) offers some of the best bureks in town.

This classy bar is located on the corner of boulevard Ilinden, opposite Debar Maalo and next to the large fountain in Parc de la Ville. It offers a fine menu of whiskies, spirits and cocktails (from 210 MKD). The muffled ambience and the name of the establishment are reminiscent of the speakeasies of the Prohibition era in the USA, not to mention the vintage music or the blues and jazz bands that play here. On sunny days, you can take your drink with you and sip it in the Parc de la Ville.

This multiplex from the Austrian Cineplexx group (Синеплекс) is located in the Skopje City Mall. It is the largest cinema in the country, with nine well-equipped screens. It offers mainly English-language films with Macedonian subtitles. The program generally follows international release dates. Comfortable armchairs, 3D projections, snack bar with drinks and snacks at moderate prices. Cineplexx is close to the "Kanal Nerezi" bus stop⁽ lines 2, 19, 22 and 59).

During the summer season, City Park (Градски Парк/Gradski Park) concentrates much of Skopje's nightlife, with several nightclubs open here only in summer. Thus, within a small perimeter, you'll find the Havana Summer Club (Летен Клуб Хавана/Leten Klub Havana), Club Avenue, Musandra Summer Club and, near the Vardar, Central Park. But we don't recommend the latter, which is expensive and often poorly frequented.

This bowling alley is located on the top floor of Skopje City Mall, near the Cineplexx cinema. A game of bowling costs 210 MKD per person, and you can eat, drink and dance on the premises. There are three other bowling alleys in Skopje: 4Bowling, in Capitol Mall, near the bus/rail station (daily 10am-10pm), Musandra, in City Park (Monday-Friday 9am-9pm and Saturday 9am-4pm) and another in the Boris-Trajkovski sports center, west of City Park (daily except Sunday 9am-7pm).

This concert hall (Филхармонија на Република Северна Македонија/Filharmonija na Republika Severna Makedonija, Filarmonia e Republikës së Maqedonisë së Veriut) is the home of the country's only Philharmonic Orchestra. Inaugurated in 2017, it also hosts various events and jazz and contemporary music concerts. The building houses two halls with 1,000 and 310 seats that enjoy good acoustics. See also "Things to see/do" on the Eastern Shore.

This opera house (Национална Опера и Балет/Nacionalna Opera i Balet, Opera dhe Baleti Nacional) houses two superb halls of 800 and 200 seats which enjoy very good acoustics. From September to June, the National Orchestra and the National Ballet of North Macedonia as well as some foreign ensembles perform there, especially during the opera festival in May. Often compared to the Finlandia Palace in Helsinki designed by Alvar Aalto, the building is worth a visit for its architecture. See also "Things to see and do" on the eastern shore.

This associative café-bar (Котур) is well located downtown, in an old three-storey building on the block opposite the Macedonia Square bus stop. It's one of the city's few slightly alternative nightspots. Not only can you have a drink here (cocktails cost MKD 300), but you can also visit art exhibitions, attend concerts or film screenings, dance, and so on. The 1970s-style decor is well-polished, and the small, quiet terrace is a real treat. You'll also find information on what's on in the city.

Located beneath Skopje's fortress and a stone's throw from St. Saviour's Church, this shisha bar (Кафе Албум Шиша) is one of the many establishments in Stara Čaršija where you can smoke hookah (MKD 400/2,000) with, here, around 50 flavors (vanilla, lemongrass, iced apple, cappuccino...). The establishment also serves non-alcoholic cocktails (MKD 150/300), coffees, smoothies and assorted sweet and savory mezzés. We regret the rather cold decor and the absence of a sofa where you can enjoy your hookah like a pacha.

This municipal cultural center (Младински Културен Центар/Mladinski Kulturen Centar - МКЦ/MKC) offers shows, exhibitions and films all year round, in its halls or in the park opposite. It also organizes the Cineadays European film festival (early July, cinedays.mk), the Zdravo Mladi rock festival (early September, facebook.com/zdravomladi) and the MOT theater festival (late September, facebook.com/MOTfestival). Café: daily 9am-0am.

This bar (Баду Бар) is located in the Porta Vlae district (Порта Влае), beyond the Vardar, but is easy to reach by bus: lines^nos. 2, 2a, 4, 8, 11, 12, 21, 22, 22a, 32, 56, 56a, 60 and 64a. Named in honor of American singer Erykah Badu, the venue is renowned for its cocktails (150 MKD), mountain views and electro and rap music. The country's best DJs come to keep the clientele dancing, and it's often packed at weekends. The terrace is also very pleasant for an afternoon coffee (wide choice).