By early evening the terraces around the Grote Markt are filling and the first cyclists are already weaving through the centre, and by the time the kitchens close the streets southeast of the square start to take on the shape of the night. Students make up a large share of the people you will be standing next to, and the city's mood follows them.
Groningen is a university city, and its nightlife is broad rather than concentrated in a single strip: bars, clubs, live music rooms, theatres and cinemas, with several places to play pool or billiards. It suits people who want variety within walking or cycling distance, and who are happy for the evening to run late.
Where to go out in Groningen
1. Poelestraat area
This is the largest nightlife area in the city, southeast of the Grote Markt, and it is where you will find a dense cluster of clubs and bars. It suits an evening built around moving between venues rather than settling in one place.
Note that bars in the downtown area do not have fixed closing hours; in theory they can stay open around the clock, and a few do.
2. Downtown bars
The downtown drinking scene is comprehensive, with most bars serving the standard Dutch beers and a growing presence of international beers, especially Belgian ones. It suits anyone who wants a straightforward evening of drinking without committing to a club.
Because closing hours downtown are not fixed, the end of your night is set by the venue rather than by a city-wide rule.
3. Live and alternative music venues
Groningen has a strong circuit of stages for alternative and popular music. Vera is an underground pop club where Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Sonic Youth and the White Stripes performed, and it is internationally one of the best-known stages for alternative music in the city; its concert posters are designed by local artists and are free to take at the concert itself. Simplon is an internationally renowned venue with a history especially in punk music, and every Thursday it is dedicated to local young talent.
This suits a night planned around a specific gig rather than a general wander, so check what is on before you go.
4. Theatres and large venues
Stadsschouwburg is the main theatre, a Neo-Renaissance building offering a wide range of dance, opera and cabaret. Martiniplaza is a modern multifunctional building used as an exhibition complex, theatre and sports arena.
An evening here suits a fixed start time and a seated audience, and pairs well with a drink afterwards rather than a full night out.
5. Cinemas
For a quieter night there are several cinemas. Pathé is in the city centre and shows all popular movies. Kinepolis is a large cinema at the Euroborg Stadium, outside the centre but easily reachable on Q-Link line 5 towards Europapark. Groninger Forum is a repertory cinema with many English and French classics, and RKZ Bioscoop is an art house cinema based in an old Roman Catholic hospital, run by people who live in the old hospital's commune.
This suits an early evening or a night when the weather keeps you indoors.
6. Stadsschouwburg and Martiniplaza surroundings
The area around the main theatre and the multifunctional Martiniplaza gives you a cultural evening with a defined programme. It suits visitors who want to combine a performance with dinner or a drink nearby rather than a late club night.
How a night out unfolds
The sources describe the busiest nights in the Poelestraat area but give no fixed hours for eating or going out. What is clear is that downtown bars are not bound by fixed closing hours and can in theory stay open around the clock, with a few doing so, so the evening can extend as late as you and the venue choose. Plan around a specific gig, performance or film where you have one, and leave the rest of the night open.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Eurosonic-Noorderslag — every year in January; a showcase festival with dozens of bands from around the world on stages across the city.
- Bloemenjaarmarkt — every year on Good Friday; the biggest flower market in the Northern Netherlands, drawing many German visitors.
- Koningsdag — every year on 26 April; many events in the city, including vrijmarkten where the Dutch sell used items. The night before, Koningsnacht, sees many young people celebrating in the streets and squares throughout the night.
- Bevrijdingsfestival — every year on 5 May; a Liberation Festival held alongside many others across the country.
- Paradigm Festival — every year in August; an electronic music festival organised by Paradigm050.
- Noorderzon Festival — every year in August; focused on music, visual arts and performance arts.
- Noorderlicht — every two years in September or October; a photography festival.
- Jonge Harten — every year in autumn; a nine-day theatre festival taking place in almost all theatres in Groningen, with young creators, visual physical theatre, performance, dance and music.
Frequently asked questions
How late can I stay out in Groningen?
Bars in the downtown area do not have fixed closing hours. In theory they can stay open 24 hours a day, and a few do.
Where is the main nightlife area?
The largest nightlife area is the Poelestraat area, southeast of the Grote Markt, where you will find many clubs and bars.
What kind of beer will I find?
Most bars serve the standard Dutch beers, and international beers, especially Belgian ones, are increasingly available.
Is there live music?
Yes. Vera is an underground pop club known internationally for alternative music, and Simplon is an internationally renowned venue with a history in punk, dedicating Thursdays to local young talent.
Decide which part of the evening matters most to you — a gig, a film, a performance or simply the bars — and build the rest of your night around it.