Lhasa's evenings are quieter than those of most Chinese cities of comparable size, but there is a real local music scene, and it is worth looking for. Small bars in and around the old town, along with a handful of larger venues on the main streets, put on live bands several nights a week, and the audience is mostly Tibetan and young.
Tibetan pop
Tibetan popular music grew out of a long tradition of folk song and dance and absorbed influences from Indian film music, Chinese pop and international rock along the way. What you hear in Lhasa today is usually built on the traditional repertoire - work songs, drinking songs, circle dances, and the long, high, ornamented melodic lines of the plateau - set over guitars, keyboards and drum kits. Lyrics are in Tibetan or Mandarin, and the singing style, with its wide vibrato and rapid ornamentation, is the most distinctive thing about it. Amplified, in a small room, it is a powerful sound.
Where to go
The concentration of small venues is in the lanes around Barkhor Street in the old town, where bars occupy converted buildings with low ceilings and a few tables. Further out, larger venues stage more formal shows featuring dance troupes in costume, which are aimed partly at visitors. Both are worth trying: the old-town bars feel genuinely local, while the bigger shows give you the dance and costume traditions in a single evening.
How an evening goes
Doors open around eight, food is often served, and the band starts at nine or later. Beer is the usual drink, along with barley wine and increasingly cocktails. Sets run for an hour or more with a break, and the room fills up after ten. The atmosphere is relaxed and mixed, with families in the earlier part of the evening and a younger crowd later. Some venues have a small cover charge and most take mobile payment.
Practical notes
Alcohol at 3,600 metres is a genuine consideration - it has a stronger effect and can worsen altitude symptoms, so the sensible approach is to eat well, drink slowly and not overdo it on the first nights. Venues are within walking distance of the old town, and taxis are easy to find afterwards. Note that smoking indoors is common and that some bars close on quieter weeknights outside the tourist season.
