A night out in the Philippines can mean anything from champagne cocktails in an upmarket supper club to gathering with friends in makeshift bar to listen to a local rock band. In the capital Manila, performances include upmarket entertainment like opera, ballet and classical music, while at the opposite end of the scale, glamorous cabaret shows are particular popular with visitors for their extravagant costumes and exotic dancers. The Metro Manila area, Angeles City, and the islands of Cebu and of Boracay offer the wides choice when it comes to nightlife. Manila's bar scene is diverse and extensive, with some of the more sophisticated watering holes located in the Malate and Ermita districts, although the latter leaning to the seedier side. Makati City is popular with the jet set crowd, as well as among expatriates and tourists. For hose that prefer to hit the dancefloor, nightclubs and live music venues abound, with everything from crowded local discos to high-end lounges and super chic night spots.
Outside Manila, the nightlife options are less varied. In many of the country's smaller towns the most common form of evening revelry is to listen to a cover band in a local bar, playing folk, country or reggae music. University towns like Baguio have a more vibrant scene and most of the country's more popular beach resorts offer a good choice of entertainment, from serenades during dinner to more raucous all night beach parties. For those looking to experience local culture, there is generally a fiesta (festival) going on in the Philippines as every city and neighbourhood in the country holds on at least once a year. The festivals combine religious fervour with lively celebration and generally involve food, music and dance. Sinulog Festival is one of the biggest and most colourful festivals in the Philippines, celebrated country-wide. Local people take to the streets enjoy parades of floats, dancers in spectacular costumes and giant papier-mâché puppets moving through the bustling throng. The music that generally accompanies these parades is a powerful, percussive beat that represents a dance-prayer ritual, the faithful following in unison and shuffling back and forth to the rhythm of the drums.
