From sunset to sunrise, what to do in Turin in the evening and at night
In the 90s, Turin experienced a fertile era of underground nightlife, followed by a boom in quality clubbing at the beginning of the new millennium. Today, after the decline of the Murazzi as a center of nightlife, the picture has changed: fewer discos, more restaurants and places to have a drink.
Turin by Night is dotted with wine bars, restaurants, breweries, clubs and venues that offer live music. It hosts important international festivals such as Club To Club, Movement, Kappa Future Festival and ToDays, which attract visitors from all over the world.
Among the most popular areas for nightlife are Piazza Vittorio Veneto, with its crowded outdoor seating areas until late at night, the Quadrilatero Romano, with its wine bars and cocktail bars, and San Salvario, a multicultural district that offers a myriad of options for every taste. Piazza Santa Giulia in Vanchiglia is one of the most popular areas, especially among younger people.
Among the most popular clubs are the historic Centralino, a stone’s throw from Piazza Vittorio, the Milk near Porta Nuova station, and the Black Moon, outside the center, in corso Moncalieri. For those looking for live music, Hiroshima Mon Amour has been a reference point for concerts for decades. The Bunker is an alternative and multifunctional space that hosts art exhibitions, concerts and DJ sets.
If you are looking for ideas on what to do in Turin in the evening, here is an overview of the different options available for the city’s nightlife.
Piazza Vittorio or “Piazza Vitto”
Piazza Vittorio, the largest square in Turin, is a landmark for nightlife. The venues under the arcades are always very crowded, and the streets around the square are also full of bars, wine bars, and cafes. You can find a bit of everything here: from aperitivo to dinner, to staying outside in the dehors until late watching the Gran Madre.
I Murazzi
The “Muri” (walls) are a complex of landing stages, arches and boat sheds located on the west bank of the Po river, near Piazza Vittorio. For many years, this area was at the center of Turin’s nightlife, loved and sung by musicians such as Subsonica. The arches that line the Po, overlooking the magical panorama of the river, the hill and the church of the Gran Madre di Dio, still breathe the ancient air of the boat sheds that occupied the vaults in the nineteenth century, so much so that it feels like being in a seaside town.
In the 90s, the brick arches housed dozens of venues for all tastes, but unfortunately in recent years almost all the venues dedicated to music have been closed and recently have been replaced by places to eat or have an aperitivo. It’s a shame to have lost the club culture, but they remain a splendid place to spend an evening.
Quadrilatero or “Quadri”
Crossing the center of Turin, along the charming Via Po and the majestic Piazza Castello, in a few minutes you reach the “Quadrilatero Romano”. This is the oldest district of Turin, with alleys and narrow streets, where there are a myriad of cocktail bars, wine bars and restaurants with outdoor seating overlooking the pedestrian streets or squares, particularly pleasant during the warmer months.
San Salvario or “Sansa”
San Salvario is another very popular district for Turin’s nightlife. This multicultural district, located on the left bank of the Po, has become almost exclusively a destination for nightlife in recent years, with a myriad of restaurants or places to have a drink. Its streets, such as via Saluzzo, via Belfiore and via Berthollet, are full of venues offering live music, cocktail bars and breweries, making it the beating heart of Turin’s nightlife.
It is difficult to choose where to spend the evening, find a place, and above all difficult to park!
Vanchiglia or “Santa Giulia”
Vanchiglia is the outsider of recent times: starting from Piazza Santa Giulia, venues have sprung up in almost every street in the neighborhood. There is a hip and informal atmosphere, also thanks to the presence of university students (due to the proximity to Palazzo Nuovo, home to the humanities faculties, and the Einaudi Campus designed by Norman Foster, home to the Faculty of Law).
Le “Panche”
Crossing the Dora river, we reach another night meeting point among the most popular in Turin. Le Panche is the name of a venue that identifies the exedra that from Via Reggio overlooks the Dora: an open space where you can meet for a drink with friends on the benches.
Piazza Carlina
Around Piazza Carlina we find many venues and restaurants for an aperitivo, a dinner or a drink after dinner.
Comala
Indoor and outdoor study room in Piazza Adriano, which in the evening turns into a meeting point with various appointments, events and shows, from stand up comedy to silent disco. A spartan place, with cheap cocktails and drinks, a meeting point for university students.
Where to dance or listen to music:
Hiroshima Mon Amour
Located in via Carlo Bossoli 83, Hiroshima Mon Amour is a historic Turin venue and a reference point for live music lovers. For decades it has hosted concerts by Italian and international artists, ranging between genres such as rock, indie, electronic and hip-hop. Its program is always rich and varied, with events that attract a heterogeneous audience. It is not only a place for concerts: Hiroshima Mon Amour is also a cultural space where theatrical performances, literary meetings and film screenings are held, making it a true institution in the Turin cultural scene.
Bunker
Located in the Barriera di Milano, the Bunker is one of the most original and innovative places in the city. This multifunctional space, created from some former industrial factories, hosts contemporary art exhibitions, concerts, DJ sets and artistic performances. The Bunker is also home to urban gardens, vintage markets and spaces dedicated to sports such as skateparks and beach volleyball courts. The underground atmosphere and attention to sustainability make it a unique place of its kind, perfect for those looking for alternative and creative experiences.
Centralino
Centralino is a historic disco in the heart of Turin, in via delle Rosine, a place that has resisted the passing of years and fashions. Founded in 1975, it has become a reference point for Turin’s nightlife, known for its innovative evenings and for hosting legendary events such as The Plug, which in the 2000s brought important names from the international electronic scene to Turin. The name “Centralino” derives from the telephones that were once present on each table, allowing customers to call each other. Historically a gay-friendly club, on Saturday evenings it is frequented by very young people, also thanks to its proximity to Piazza Vittorio.
Milk
The Milk Club, in Via Paolo Sacchi 65, is a disco born from the ashes of the famous disco La Gare, a historic venue that has made the history of Turin’s nightlife. The venue is housed in an industrial building from the beginning of the century. University nights on Friday evenings.
Audiodrome
One of the best clubs in Italy for techno lovers, in a fascinating industrial space, in Moncalieri.