Partiers looking for clubs and bars near Maracana, Rio de Janeiro may initially be a little disappointed, as the stadium's north zone location means that the city's best nightlife is not exactly on the doorstep. Additionally, match days see an alcohol ban imposed upon bars in the area in the run up to the game, in a bid to curb drunken hooliganism.
There's no need to panic, however, drinking opportunities are just a quick Metro ride away.
Always worth a visit at weekends is the lively and totally unique Feira Nordestina, a huge covered space dedicated to music, dancing, food and drinks from the northeast of Brazil. Stalls and kiosks abound with tasty food and drink, while live Forro artists take the stage to the delight of the, largely northeastern, crowd. The fun starts on Fridays at 10am and doesn't end until 8pm on Sundays, so you can be sure of late-night drinks here.
Other drinking and dancing options not too far from Maracana can be found in the Gamboa docklands area - Cidade do Samba and Trapiche Gamboa are the obvious standouts - but do take a taxi between Maracana and Gamboa as neither area is particularly safe to hang around in.
Further into Centro, Lapa is always a good bet for lively nightlife, and weekends see the streets closed to traffic and filled with revelers as the famous booze-fuelled street party gets into action. The street party, centered around the Lapa Arches, is a good bet for exploring the nearby clubs and bars, which play everything from samba (Rio Scenarium, Carioca da Gema) to hip hop (Febarj).
Campo São Cristóvão, 87
Northeastern Drinking, Dining and Dancing...
Rua Sacadura Cabral 155
Samba the Night Away...
Rua Rivadavia Correia 60
Carnival All Year Round...
Rua da Carioca 64
Centro's Cinematic Soundsystem...
Avenida Mem de Sa 79, Centro
Great samba club second only to Rio Scenarium...
Rua do Lavradio
Lapa
Step Back in Time...
Rua da Lapa
Lively street party...
Rua das Marrecas 38, Lapa
Lapa's hip hop haven...
Avenida Mem de Sa, No. 373
Lapa
Non-Stop Hip-Hop...