Rio de Janeiro has a rich and varied nightlife. If you’re in the mood to party, look no further than the neighborhoods of the city’s Zona Sul (South Zone). Lapa is undoubtedly the beating heart of Rio’s nightlife. Here you’ll find the famous Rio Scenarium. In this elaborately decorated venue where you can see live music performances and dance the night away. Another great place to party in Lapa is Casa de Cachaça. Here you can choose carefully from over one hundred different flavored cachaça shots. Leviano Bar is also a great spot for a proper dance. The three different floors in Leviano Bar each play different Brazilian music, usually samba, forró, and Música popular brasileira. With so many different venues to choose from, stroll the streets of Lapa and take your pick of the venues that best suit your vibe. Copacabana is also host to some great nightlife in Rio de Janeiro. Less venues in this area stay open all night, but you can start your evening in its abundance of great bars. View the sunset on the rooftop bar at Pestana Hotel, where live DJs set the soundtrack to your pre-clubbing drinks. Fosfobox is a great venue for those on a backpacking budget. It plays a mix of pop, hiphop, electronic music and samba. Meanwhile for something more traditional, head to Beco das Garrafas to hear some live bossa nova in a electric atmosphere. São Salvador Square in the residential neighborhood of Laranjeiras Praça hosts great open air parties from Thursday through til Sunday. Similarly, people often congregate at Praca Santos Dumont square to drink beers once the surrounding bars get too full.