Where is the nightlife in Florida?

The bars and clubs inside them open, close and change too often to list here, so this answer names the districts that each area's official tourism office describes, and where to look up what is on. You must be 21 to drink, and closing hours differ from one county and city to the next.

South Florida and the Keys. In Key West, in Monroe County, Duval Street is the town's main entertainment and shopping street, busy at night with live music, and at Mallory Square street performers gather at sunset. In Miami-Dade County, Ocean Drive on South Beach in Miami Beach runs past the pastel Art Deco buildings and fills at night with music, dining and dancing, with sidewalk seating for watching the people go by. Wynwood, in Miami, known for its street art and galleries, is one of the area's nightlife neighborhoods, and Downtown Miami and Brickell, all business by day, come alive at night. In Broward County, Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale is a tree-lined mile of shops, galleries, restaurants and hotels along the New River; the promenade along Fort Lauderdale Beach has hotels, shops, restaurants and rooftop bars; and the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk is lined with shops, hotels, bars and restaurants. In Palm Beach County, Clematis Street in West Palm Beach has shops, bars and clubs in historic buildings, and Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, known as the Ave, is a busy street made for walking.

Central Florida and the Space Coast. In Orange County, downtown Orlando's draws are live sports, music and theater, and its nightlife is along Orange Avenue, the main street, and in the Church Street entertainment area. Disney Springs is a walkable district of shops, restaurants and entertainment, Universal CityWalk is the dining, entertainment and shopping center of Universal Orlando, and International Drive, the heart of the tourist district, has walkable entertainment centers with plenty to do at night. In Brevard County, the Space Coast's tourism office points to its downtowns: Historic Cocoa Village, the old downtown of Cocoa; downtown and Main Street in Cocoa Beach, with shopping, dining and nightlife; Historic Downtown Melbourne, a shopping and entertainment district on New Haven Avenue; and The Cove, Port Canaveral's restaurant and entertainment center on the water. In Volusia County, Daytona Beach's tourism office names Main Street, an entertainment district with dining, shopping and nightlife; Beach Street, the historic shopping street of downtown; and Seabreeze Boulevard.

Tampa Bay and the Gulf coast. In Hillsborough County, Ybor City, Tampa's old cigar-making district, has its nightlife on 7th Avenue, with brick streets and iron balconies, and the TECO Line Streetcar runs there from downtown, a little over a mile away. In Pinellas County, Central Avenue in St. Petersburg starts at the downtown waterfront and runs west; its 200 block is the place to go from bar to bar, and many of the places along it have live music. In Sarasota County there is downtown Sarasota; St. Armands Circle, near Lido Key, with cocktails, dinner, shops and live acoustic music after the sun goes down over the Gulf; and Siesta Key Village, one of the busiest nightlife areas in the county. In Lee County, downtown Fort Myers, known as the historic River District, has brick-paved streets and public art and is a place for a night out. In Collier County, Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South in downtown Naples have cocktail lounges, and on Marco Island beach bars and places on the water have drinks and local bands into the evening.

North Florida. In Duval County, Jacksonville's nightlife is spread out: the oceanfront strip in Jacksonville Beach that locals call the beach bars; Five Points, with its eccentric bar scene, and the King Street District, both in the Riverside Avondale neighborhood; and San Marco Square, for a dressier evening going from bar to bar. In St. Johns County, St. George Street in St. Augustine is a pedestrian-only street of historic buildings, many from the 1700s or rebuilt on their old foundations, with bars, historic taverns and live music. In Alachua County, downtown Gainesville has bars and breweries with local beer and live music, and Bo Diddley Plaza is its gathering place for live shows. In Leon County, Midtown in Tallahassee has live music, craft beer and restaurants, and CollegeTown, by Florida State's Doak Campbell Stadium, is where students, alumni and locals go to eat, drink and shop.

The Panhandle. In Escambia County, Palafox Street, the main street of downtown Pensacola, lined with historic buildings, comes alive at night with live music, cocktails and dinner. In Bay County, Pier Park in Panama City Beach is an open-air shopping, dining and entertainment center across from the beach, with music coming from its restaurants at night. In Okaloosa County, HarborWalk Village in Destin, on the edge of Destin Harbor, has clubs and nightlife, live entertainment and seasonal festivals.

To see what is on tonight, use the events calendar of the area's official tourism office, linked under this answer: the Florida Keys, Greater Miami and Miami Beach, Greater Fort Lauderdale, the Palm Beaches, Orlando, the Space Coast, Daytona Beach, Tampa Bay, St. Pete-Clearwater, Fort Myers, Naples and Marco Island, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Panama City Beach and Destin-Fort Walton Beach.

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