Addis Ababa After Dark: Azmari Bets, Live Jazz and Where to Eat Late

An azmari bet is a small Ethiopian music house where a singer plays the one-stringed masinko, improvises verses about the people in the room and works the tables for tips. You sit down with a drink, expect to be teased and laugh along. For a night out in Addis Ababa, pair one of these rooms with live jazz and take a car door to door.

Most guides to Addis Ababa stop at the daytime sights. The ones that cover the evening are often out of date, because redevelopment has closed or moved several of the best-known rooms. This guide names only venues with a dated source from 2026, and it says where that evidence runs out.

Schedules here change often and are mostly posted on social media. Check on the day, even for the places below.

What an azmari bet is and how the evening works

Azmari bet means house of azmaris. Azmaris, who can be men or women, are singer-musicians from the Ethiopian highlands, known for making up verses on the spot. They play the masinko, also spelt masenqo, or the krar, a lyre. Historically they praised and mocked people in high places, and that sharp tongue is still the point of the performance.

The evening has a simple rhythm. The azmari moves around the room, sings about the guests and expects a tip in return. Guests can answer back. Dancers may join, and the shoulder dance called eskista is the one you are most likely to see. You may be pulled up to try it.

You will probably become part of the song, and laughing is the right response. The verses may be in Amharic, so someone at your table may need to translate.

Why the old guides are out of date

Older guides send you to Fendika in Kazanchis. Fendika's own About page still gives that address, but the building is gone. It was demolished in October 2024 to make way for redevelopment, and Fendika reopened in December 2024 as Fendika@Hyatt, inside the Hyatt Regency.

Voice of America reported in July 2023 that Fendika was the last of 17 azmari bets that had once stood in Kazanchis. A design for a new Grand Fendika on the site was published in August 2025, but we found no opening date for it.

Small neighbourhood azmari bets still exist, but many have closed, and we found no dated source for one we could name with confidence. Ask your hotel or an Ethiopian friend what is running this month.

Where to hear live music now

Venue	What you get	Where	Latest evidence
Fendika@Hyatt	Azmari music, dance and jazz	Hyatt Regency, Meskel Square	Reported operating, August and October 2026. No published schedule found
Yod Abyssinia	Dinner with traditional music and dance	Bole	Guide dated October 2026
2000 Habesha	Dinner with nightly music and dance	Bole	Guide dated September 2026
African Jazz Village	Live band in a hotel club	Ghion Hotel, near Meskel Square	Listing for Friday 6 November 2026, marked every Friday
Moseb Music Center	Ethio-jazz, with owner Tasew Wendim on washint flute	Address not published in our sources	Monday nights, reported August 2026
Fabrica	Café and music space, opened late 2025	Address not published in our sources	Reported open, August 2026
Venue Warehouse	Mid-sized hall for DJ nights and promoter gigs	Address not published in our sources	Reported open, August and October 2026

Traditional music

Start with Fendika@Hyatt if you want an azmari evening. Its own site points to social media, including @fendika_live on Instagram, for the current schedule. You can also ask the hotel.

Yod Abyssinia and 2000 Habesha are the easier option. Expect a large hall, a stage, a meal and a run of songs and dances from across the country, and book ahead, especially at weekends. They cost well above an ordinary local restaurant. Yod Abyssinia advertises music every night, but the dancing may be weekends only, so ask when you book. Directories give more than one address for it, so confirm which branch you are going to.

A dinner show makes a good first night if you do not fancy being sung at in a small room.

Jazz

African Jazz Village is the club founded by Mulatu Astatke, the musician most closely linked with Ethio-jazz. It is in the Ghion Hotel. The current listing says doors open at 7pm and the band starts at 9pm every Friday. The same listing shows both 300 birr and "price on request" for entry, so take cash and confirm first.

Moseb is the one to choose on a Monday. Fabrica and Venue Warehouse are newer spaces, and we could not confirm regular nights at either, so check their social media.

If you are staying only one night, match the plan to the day. Friday is the jazz night. Monday is Moseb. On other nights, a cultural restaurant is the surest option, since both list music nightly.

Etiquette and tipping

We could not find a reliable published figure for tipping an azmari, so we will not give you one. Carry small birr notes, tip when the singer comes to your table, and watch what the people around you do. The tip is how the performer earns a living, so it is part of the evening.

• Take cash. Ethiopia runs on cash outside the larger hotels. Our guide to money and tipping in Ethiopia covers restaurant tips and how to get birr.
• Ask before filming. Check the house rules, and do not film other guests without their permission.
• Arrive when the music is under way. Clubs tend to fill towards midnight, and they are busiest on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Go easy on the tej. This honey wine is stronger than it tastes, and Yod Abyssinia is one place that serves it.

Where to eat late

Plan dinner before the music if kitfo is what you want. The kitfo house listings we checked close between 9pm and 11pm. Yohannes Kitfo, for one, lists 9pm.

Kitfo is minced beef, traditionally served raw, and you can ask for it leb leb, lightly warmed, or cooked through. Our Ethiopian food guide explains how to order it. Wednesdays and Fridays are Orthodox fasting days, and the long Fast of the Prophets runs from 24 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. If meat is the point of the evening, ring ahead on those days.

For later food, a June 2026 local roundup lists these:

• Mitmita Restaurant, Bole Road: kitfo and tibs, open into the late evening.
• Yemen Kings Restaurant, Bole Rwanda area: Yemeni mandi and slow-cooked meats, daily until 3am.
• Dave Restaurant and Lounge, Guinea Bissau Street: tibs, burgers and pasta, into the early morning.

Do not rely on a hotel restaurant being open all night because a listing says so. That roundup calls the Sheraton's Fountain restaurant a 24-hour place, while Marriott's own dining page lists evening hours of 6pm to 11pm and says in-room dining is the 24-hour service. If you are staying at a large hotel, ask at reception what is still open before you go out.

Getting back to your hotel

Book your ride home before you leave, or know exactly how you will get one. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) says, in advice updated on 30 October 2026, that mugging "is on the rise" in Ethiopia. It names five parts of Addis Ababa with an increase in reported crime against foreign and Ethiopian nationals: Bole Medhanealem, Bole Atlas, Meskel Square, Yeka Hills and Entoto. It says attacks "have included knifepoint robberies and victims being choked unconscious".

Its advice for those areas is: "Do not travel alone in these areas if possible. Be cautious if travelling on foot. Consider using road transport where possible, especially after dark."

This matters for a night out, because several venues sit in or near those areas. The Hyatt Regency is on Meskel Square, the Ghion Hotel is close to it, and Bole is where much of the late food is. So go by car. Our guide on where to stay in Addis Ababa compares the areas with this in mind.

Your options for getting home:

• A car with a driver is the simplest option, because you do not have to find a ride at midnight. Tell us the venue and the hours when you ask about a car with a driver, and we will confirm it in your quote.
• For ride-hailing apps, RIDE, Feres and Yango all work in Addis Ababa. A data eSIM cannot receive SMS codes, so you need a local number to set them up. Keep small notes for the fare and check the plate before you get in. The FCDO warns that GPS is unreliable in the city, so the pin may be wrong, and a hotel entrance makes an easier pickup point.
• If you book your own, the FCDO says to choose yellow or app-based taxis rather than the blue and white ones.
• Ask hotel reception to arrange a driver, especially for a late return.

A few other points from the same FCDO advice:

• It lists "restaurants, hotels, bars, nightclubs and markets" among places where terrorist attacks could occur.
• It reports incidents of sexual harassment of women. Our guide to solo female travel in Ethiopia covers evenings out in more detail.
• Same-sex acts are illegal in Ethiopia, and the FCDO says authorities "intimidate and detain owners and clients of hotels, bars and restaurants in Addis Ababa where same-sex activity is alleged to take place".
• It says to avoid driving after dark anywhere outside Addis Ababa. Keep the evening in the city, and leave trips such as Bishoftu for the daytime.

FAQ

What is an azmari bet?

It is a traditional Ethiopian music house. An azmari, a singer who usually plays the one-stringed masinko or the krar, improvises verses about the guests and moves around the room for tips.

How much should I tip an azmari?

We could not find a reliable published figure, so we do not quote one. Carry small birr notes, tip when the singer comes to your table, and follow what the people around you do.

Is it safe to go out at night in Addis Ababa?

It depends on where you are and how you move around. As of 30 October 2026, the FCDO names Bole Medhanealem, Bole Atlas, Meskel Square, Yeka Hills and Entoto for rising crime, including knifepoint robberies. It advises against travelling alone there and suggests road transport, especially after dark. Go door to door by car and do not walk between venues.

How do I get back to my hotel after a late show?

Arrange it before you go out: a car with a driver, a driver through your hotel, or an app such as RIDE, Feres or Yango if you have a local number. If you book your own taxi, the FCDO says to choose a yellow or app-based one rather than a blue and white one.

What time does live music start in Addis Ababa?

It varies by venue, so check on the day. African Jazz Village lists doors at 7pm and the band at 9pm on Fridays. Clubs tend to fill towards midnight.

Is Fendika still open?

Yes, but not at its old address. The Kazanchis building was demolished in October 2024, and Fendika now performs at the Hyatt Regency on Meskel Square. Reports from August and October 2026 show it operating, but we found no published schedule, so check its social media or ask the hotel.

Plan it with us

An evening of music is an easy addition to a day in the capital. Pair it with our Addis Ababa city tour, or ask us for a car with a driver for the hours you need.

Send us your dates and the night you want to go out. You will have a reply within two hours and a detailed itinerary with a quote within 24 hours.

Kitfo photograph by Lelaw Wondimu, CC BY-SA 4.0.