The home of 'pop-rock' in Istanbul, Balans started out with huge ambitions and attracted huge international bands to its well-appointed stage. It's still a...

This popular student hangout on two floors issupplemented with a pleasant garden in summer. It gets busy early, with crowds turning up for passable Britpop...

Better known as a nightclub, Indigo is also at the cutting edge for electronic live acts. As one of very few venues with an interest in new music, it has...

A basement decorated with giant posters of rock 'n' roll legends, Mojo is the type of bar where long hair and leather jackets never go out of fashion....

Old City has been a late-night haunt of nocturnal Istanbullus for years. It remains to be seen whether the recent renovation from its former dark and pokey...

Spread over several floors, this joint is a favourite with the city's alternative crowd. Each floor has a different vibe. It's well known for live music,...

Formerly the long-running Kemancı rock bar, this new venue is an odd mixture of musical genres, with one floor devoted to rock, and another to hip hop and...

Roxy used to be a major live venue, but its weekend club nights became so successful that live music has been relegated to the odd midweeker or an addendum...

Not exactly cutting edge, this established venue is a showcase for mainstream rock and pop bands. The place is usually packed with sociable, easy-going...

The most established live venue on the Asian side, Shaft has a varied programme of rock, blues and jazz concerts, featuring original artists, cover bands...

Along with Balans, Studio Live is one of a new breed of venues that caters for both international acts and local cover bands, with the occasional DJ party...