URBAN GUIDE

Aboard a boat, on a rooftop or at a historic monument, we’re dancing out of doors this summer.

It’s time for a change. You can forget those delirious nights in overheated clubs, because Marseille is partying beneath the starry sky. Thursday night is party night at the Escale Borély Sport Beach this summer, with mojitos and vodka to liven things up. Dress code? ”Come in beach mood and we’ll take care of the lifebelts,” say Anaïs and Pedro, who have made parties their business. ”Just come for the fun,” says Pedro, who features on the leaflets in red swimming trunks and a huge life belt in the form of a pink flamingo or a pizza. Meanwhile the well-named Rooftop at the Terrasses du Port shopping centre is keen to confirm its status as a must-go event venue. The mall’s huge flat roof has been run for the past two years by Groupe Noctis, which also manages the Palais de Tokyo and nightspots Le Queen and Castel in Paris. Rooftop welcomes ”Marseille people aged 30 to 60,” says Laetitia Toulouse, the venue’s communication manager, ”But people come from all over the South of France when a top DJ like Laurent Garnier, the Pachanga Boys or Jeff Mills is guesting.” On the huge flat roof with its wide open view of the sea, up to 1800 people can get the groove on from 6pm. The mood starts out gentle and hots up after nightfall.

For a really unusual venue you could experience the Sunday night Apéros du Bateau organised by the Borderline collective. The deal is a concert at sea for 250 lucky people, with ”cocktails and joyful drinks”. And finger food, because there’s no question of sitting at table with knife and fork. Dancing as you watch the sun set over the sea – that’s a privilege not to be sniffed at! This year there’s a new possibility for doing just that. Since a few weeks ago, the terrace at Fort Ganteaume, property of the defence ministry, can be hired for corporate events, offering guests a splendid all-round view of Marseille.

Coconut Beach : chaque jeudi soir au Sport Beach
138 avenue Pierre-Mendes-France, Marseille 8e – Tél. 04 91 76 12 35

R2 : Les Terrasses du Port, Marseille 2e – Facebook « R2 le rooftop »

Borderline : croisière tous les dimanches soir – Facebook « Soirée Borderline »

Les mardis soirs apéro-mix
Les Docks des Suds, 12 rue Urbain V,, Marseille 2e – www.docks-des-suds.org