An exploratory ethnography of the new tourist nightlife in Bairro Alto, Lisbon

Abstract

In a highly tourism-dependent country such as Portugal, Lisbon’s city council has allowed the opening of new tourism-oriented nightlife venues in the old historical neighborhood of Bairro Alto despite the local legislative prohibition passed in 2014. Based on an exploratory ethnography conducted between October 2022 and October 2024, this article unveils how these venues foster a nightlife scene steeped in patriarchal values, heavy alcohol consumption, and an intense festive atmosphere that spills into public spaces. The final section of the article sets out findings on some of the initiatives taken by Lisbon City Council to whitewash the most controversial aspects of this nightlife that, paradoxically, the local administration indirectly enables through “turning a blind eye”.