What people do in the evening depends very much on where they live as well as on their tastes. In Britain Friday and Saturday evenings in most city centres are busy, with crowds of mainly young people moving between cinemas, pubs, clubs and wine bars. In the country people often go to the local pub but if they want more choice of entertainment they have to travel to a town. Similarly in the US, people living in New York City have very different possibilities for a good night out compared with those living in small towns.
Pubs in Britain attract a wide range of age groups. Older people tend to choose quieter pubs where conversation is easier than in the pubs popular among younger people, where loud music is played. The main activity is drinking, usually beer or lager. People have to be over 18 to drink alcohol. Some pubs also have live music. Pub crawls , in which several pubs are visited in one evening, are popular with younger people. Pubs close at 11 p.m. and after this people may look for something to eat or go to a club .
Wine bars and cocktail bars are usually smarter than pubs and more expensive. In the US bars range from those popular with students, where the beer is cheap, to those in hotels where customers must dress smartly. Bartenders make hundreds of different drinks by combining various kinds of alcohol. The British custom of buying a round, when each person in a group takes a turn to buy a drink for everyone else, is not always the rule in the US. Sometimes each person pays for his or her own drinks, or a group might run a tab (= the bartender writes down what they have) and then everyone pays part of the bill when they leave. Some bars provide free snacks, especially during happy hour (= a time around 5 p.m. when drinks cost less). In the US people must be over 21 to drink alcohol. There are special alcohol-free bars for teenagers.
A popular activity among young people is to go clubbing , i.e. go to clubs where they can drink and dance. There is a charge for admission and drinks are usually more expensive than in pubs. Cities like New York and London are famous for their clubs. The music is usually modern dance music but some play soul , jazz or pop.
People living in or near a city can go to the cinema ( AmE movie theater ) or theatre or to a concert. The biggest concert venues in Britain include the Albert Hall in London and the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. In the US people occasionally go to dinner theater : they sit at tables in a theatre for a meal and stay there afterwards to watch a play. Other places to go include comedy clubs, where comedians perform live, cybercafés (cafés where people can use the Internet), and sports events.
Gambling is illegal in most parts of the US but in Las Vegas and Atlantic City there are many casinos where people can gamble. Some communities run bingo games for low stakes (= bets). In Britain there are casinos and bingo is also popular.
Going out for dinner in a restaurant is a very popular activity. Many people also enjoy entertaining at home. They may have a dinner party for a few friends or a party with drinks and snacks to which many people are invited.