Evening in Tashkent often begins over tea, then moves on to a park, a theatre, or a bar as the heat of the day fades. The city's nightlife is spread out rather than concentrated in one strip, so where you go depends on whether you want a performance, a walk by a lake, or a long sit over drinks.
This is a city that suits visitors who prefer an unhurried evening: a meal, a show or a stroll, and a drink afterwards. The sources describe a mix of parks that stay open late, theatres with regular programmes, and a handful of bars and pubs, rather than a dense club district.
Where to go out in Tashkent
1. Parks and lakeside evenings
Several of the city's parks stay open into the evening and make an easy, low-key start or end to a night. Alisher Navoiy Park has a fairground and an artificial lake, and Do'stlik Recreation Park has a boating lake and is open daily until 23:00. Mirzo Ulugbek Recreation Park is leafy, with a boating pond and a small funfair, open daily until 23:00.
This suits an early, family-friendly evening or a quiet walk rather than a late night. Note that the City Planetarium, set in the former Abdulla Kadiri Recreation Park, is described as run down because that park has closed for re-development.
2. The theatre and concert circuit
Tashkent has a broad spread of live venues. The Alisher Navoi Theatre is a neoclassical 1940s building; the Russian Drama Theatre sells tickets only at its box office, with no online sales; the Ilkhom Theatre puts on progressive performances in Russian; and the Uzbek National Academic Drama Theatre is described as lively. The Turkiston Concert Hall offers events that are inexpensive by western standards.
This suits a planned evening with a fixed start time. Check the box office in person where online sales are not offered, and note that the Musical Comedy Theatre's shows are mostly for children.
3. Bars, pubs and shisha
The sources name a small set of drinking spots. Kuratny is a bar, nightclub and shisha cafe within The Chimes on Amir Temur Square, open daily 13:00-03:00. Scandalist is a cocktail bar at Istiqbol 8, open Sunday to Thursday 12:00-01:00 and Friday and Saturday 12:00-03:00. The Irish Pub on Taras Shevchenko is open daily 12:00-00:00 and is described as smelling like a pre-1980s Irish boozer, heavy with cigarette smoke.
This suits a late, drink-led evening. Bear in mind that the sources do not state a legal drinking age or other local rules, and that tap water safety is not guaranteed, so ice in drinks may come from unboiled tap water.
4. Breweries and beer stops
Bier Regen is a microbrewery near Ashxobod Park, open daily 12:00-23:30. Pelican on Sadik Azimov is primarily a beer store with a few tables where you can sit and drink, open daily 10:00-01:00.
This suits a casual, early-finishing night or a first stop before moving on. Both close earlier than the latest bars, so plan them for the start of the evening.
5. Ye Old Chelsea Arms
Ye Old Chelsea Arms on Abdulla Kakhar, south of Dostlik Park, is open daily 18:00-06:00. The source notes that "Ye Old" is the warning that it is overpriced and not remotely like a London pub, but aims for how its punters would imagine one.
This suits a very late finish, given the 06:00 closing time. Go in expecting a themed approximation rather than an authentic pub.
6. Football evenings
Tashkent has three clubs in the Super League, so a match is usually available in town during the March to November season. FC Pakhtakor's stadium is very central, barely 500 m west of Independence Square, while FC Bunyodkor plays at Milliy Stadium and FC Olympic at the JAR Stadium complex.
This suits an early evening that ends at the final whistle. Fixtures run through the March-November season, so check what is on during your visit.
7. Circus and variety shows
The State Circus on Zarqaynar, near Chorsu, still puts on traditional shows in a 1976 futuristic building. The State Puppet Theatre sits on Afrosiyob next to the Presidential Palace.
This suits an evening with children or anyone wanting a shorter, seated show. Confirm performance times locally, as the sources do not give them.
How a night out unfolds
The sources do not describe a fixed local routine of eating and going out, so timing is best judged from opening hours. Parks generally run until around 23:00, theatres and concert halls hold evening performances, pubs and bars open around midday and close between midnight and 01:00, and a few venues run until 03:00 or, in one case, 06:00. Tea is the everyday drink across Central Asia, usually taken black without milk, and it is as likely to open an evening as to close one.
Frequently asked questions
How late do bars stay open in Tashkent?
It varies by venue. Kuratny is open until 03:00 daily, Scandalist until 01:00 on Sunday to Thursday and 03:00 on Friday and Saturday, The Irish Pub until 00:00, and Ye Old Chelsea Arms until 06:00. Bier Regen closes at 23:30 and Pelican at 01:00.
Can I buy theatre tickets online?
Not everywhere. The Russian Drama Theatre has no online ticket sales, so you have to go to the box office. The Alisher Navoi Theatre's box office is open 10:00-19:00.
Is the tap water safe to drink?
Tap water safety is not guaranteed, so drink bottled water. Ice in drinks is probably made from unboiled tap water.
When is there football in Tashkent?
The Super League season runs from March to November, and the city has three clubs in the top tier, so a match is usually available in town during that period.
Decide whether your evening is a show, a match, a park walk or a long sit over drinks, check the opening hours above, and plan the night around that one fixed point.