Marrakesh is rather famous for its abundance of nightclubs and discotheques (estimated at over 200). Beware, however, that the women in many of these places are prostitutes or female escorts expecting to get paid. If this kind of establishment is not to your taste, try Chez Ali. Here, guests enjoy a five-course meal in caidal tents and watch a Fantasia show, which features attractions such as belly dancers, acrobatic horsemen, singers, fireworks and traditional Moroccan music. The tents are heated, but the performance is held outside, so if you go during the winter, bring a jacket.

The hottest place in town at night, however, remains the Jemaa El Fna, the busiest square in all of Africa. This is the closest thing Marrakesh has to a performing arts center, as most performances are impromptu, and the most organized events are festivals like the traditional North African music festival (National Festival of Popular Arts) that occurs in June or July every year.

As evening falls, musicians and performers crowd the square. Drummers, guitarists, acrobats, fire breathers, snake charmers—this place has it all. In addition to the performers, there are also stall vendors hawking their wares (anything from food to music CDs to handmade crafts) late into the night.

At dusk the portable restaurants also descend upon the square loaded onto carts pulled by donkeys.  There are up to a fifty different locations set up.  These are not just small food vendors they are complete full menu restaurants with picnic bench seating.  The food is plentifully and on display.  You can select what you want to eat and watch them cook and serve it to your table fast and hot.  The food is great, the service spectacular but these pale in the comparison of the "show" watching the various groups compete for each customer.  When you select a seat don't be surprised if all the staff break into applause.  There are many tourist restaurants surrounding the square but for a real Marrakesh meal venture into crowd, join the locals, select a good seat and enjoy more than a meal.