The New Cancan

It’s been awhile since I have been to a nightclub where there is such a diverse group of people in attendance, but it seems I had found just that the night I went out with a group of friends to The New Cancan nightclub in Marseille.

Heading inside the club, I just expected it to be like any other nightclub around, and to an extent it is, I have just never seen so many cool groups of people of every background all having a great time.

It was a pleasant surprise, it was like anything goes.

There was the go-go boys, punks, fashionista crowd, leather groups, hip-hop, rockabilly, and drag queens… a total scene!  With people of all ages, looks and desires, that just means more choice and there was certainly no lack of it here.  It really confirmed it for me that Marseille really is a true melting pot of cultures.

The New Cancan is a large club, in fact it takes up three street addresses, 3, 5 & 7 of rue Sénac.  It has a roomy entrance and coat check area that then leads you up a few stairs to the main bar, lounge and dance floor location.

The staff is cute as hell, the service is quick and the drinks seemed to be of average price.  The DJ spinning the night we went was playing fantastic music, total pumping beats, and the dance floor was packed the whole time we were at the club.

There is something else interesting about The New Cancan this club, in the lower level is a dark room play area that is nothing but huge.  My only caution is to be careful when first entering the area as when I mention it is a dark room, it is pitch black dark.

One way to find it is to head down the stairs between the main bar and the coat check area, and at the bottom of the stairs you will see the men’s bathroom entrance but instead of turning right in there, head towards the darkness, and really take your time finding your way around.  Your eyes will eventually adjust to the surroundings.

There is an exit at the other end of this blackout area that leads you up the spiral staircase to the smoking room section that is back on the main floor of the club found close to the lounge area.  For safety reasons, women aren’t allowed in this part of the club.

The New Cancan discothèque is very easy to find, just follow the main avenue of La Canebière in the direction away from the main port area and on your right you will find the nightclub at: 7, rue Sénac de Meilhan:

They are closed Monday to Wednesday but otherwise the hours of operation are as follows:

Thursday 11:30pm – 5:00am
Friday 11:30pm - 6:00am
Saturday 11:30pm - 7:00am
Sunday 11:30pm - 5:00am

If you are in Marseille, make a night of it and head to The New Cancan, with a variety of events going on, you are certainly going to find plenty to like about this nightclub.

Le Métropole Bar- Brasserie

One evening after having a delicious meal with friends, we were in the main port area of Marseille when it was suggested we all head to Le Métropole which is known as a very gay-friendly bar/brasserie to have some drinks.  Not being one to say no to a social gathering, I happily went along with everyone else.
 

As soon as we turned the corner on to Place Gabriel Péri, you could tell this was the spot to be, Le Métropole Bar – Brasserie had all the makings of a ‘before’ club event judging by the beautiful and stylish crowd that was in attendance.

In fact there was a special club event happening there that night, The Glam Sound Party, and let me tell you, I am still trying to hunt down the DJ’s podcast from that night, the music that was played totally set the tone for the whole evening.

People were gathered outside, either sitting at tables or even standing and chatting with friends.  Inside the party continued on;  men, women, gay, straight, bisexual…no one cared, everyone mingled around, and some were even dancing at the back near the bar.

Le Métropole to me felt decent in size and has a very modern look in its overall design; it also seems to fit in well in this, one of the main shopping and hotel areas of the city.

I loved the mood of the place, I found the people to be very friendly, smiling and quickly introducing themselves to one another.  Le Métropole was busy, the staff was totally running off their feet, drinks were reasonably priced and they take their time mixing them, they weren’t just throwing these drinks together, each one seemed treated like a work of art with garnishes, etc.

It was such a good time that we almost lost track of time as we were there that long and still had other clubs we wanted to check out that night.
Le Métropole Bar- Brasserie is located steps from the port at: 2, Place Gabriel Péri

I understand they are open Monday – Saturday, from 7:00am onwards.  My only regret is that I did not have enough time on this trip to try one of Le Métropole’s meals but from the reviews I hear from friends, they tell me that the food is nothing but fresh and the portions are of good value for the money.
I know I will be back.

Photo Credit: Gabriel Art Fotograf
Thank you: The Glam Sound Party

LGP Marseille

Personally I had never gone to a LGBT community center growing up and in fact I do not recall where one had been around at the time so I never really knew what to expect from such a place.

It’s only been in the past couple of years I have started to check out various community centers where ever I might be traveling, just to get an idea on how they work, meet the people involved and find out more about what information they might be providing.
Late one afternoon when our group in Marseille was making our way out to dinner, one of our wonderful hosts took us for a walk from our hotel through the neighborhood to see where the LGP Marseille community center is located and once there we would get to see where all the action for EuroPride 2013 and everything else takes place.

Approaching the outside of the center, I felt a connection immediately, I was struck by its clean, crisp design and once we stepped inside, I felt instantly comfortable with my first thought being how they have found a real treasure of a space here.

LGBT community centers are great for meeting new people, especially if you have just arrived to the community, you can get all kinds of information on anything from AIDS prevention to where the hottest nightclubs are in town, but what I like best is that there are safe, laid back places to socialize.  And LGP Marseille is right up there with the best of them.

LGP Marseille is located close to the port and within a very mixed cultural community that I found to be funky and fun.  One of the other guests asked our hosts how the area has responded to them moving in, we were told that they were very much welcomed, because with the other minority groups around, everyone seems to understand where one another is coming from.

If I were living in Marseille, or making my first visit to the city and wanted to find out more on what to see and do, this would and will continue to be one of my first stops every time.
The hours of operation are: Monday to Friday, 10am-12pm and 2pm-6pm You will find LGP Marseille located at: 11, rue Moustier

LGP Marseille did not disappoint, the center provides a wealth of information and you will never meet a greater group of people.

EuroPride 2013 Marseille

Start making your travel plans now, because EuroPride 2013 next July 10 - 20th in Marseille is going to be nothing less than spectacular!

During the extended weekend I spent as one of the guests of LGP Marseille, the large amount of information we received throughout our time was meticulous and done with care and full consideration for those planning to attend EuroPride 2013 and if it is any indication of what is to come, then this is going to be one massive event!

After many years of going to various Pride events I have always heard the word “inclusive” being used, then when the time comes, there is always a margin of people who tend to be priced out of the celebrations in some capacity.

This doesn’t seem to be the case for Marseille’s EuroPride 2013.  Taking in account the current world economic climate, various hotels, restaurants, shops and travel agencies have all come together to offer special price packages to suit everyone’s budget so that no one misses out on any of the festivities.  This time I believe everyone will be able to join in the fun and everyone will benefit.

Keeping EuroPride 2013 affordable is the main objective.

LGP Marseille is planning for ten days (eleven nights) of huge parties (presented by: Delice Dream, Beardrop, Rainbow Power, Matinee Group, etc.).  There will also be the EuroPride Parade, approximately fifteen conferences, various workshops, many free events and sports activities held not in one particular area of the city but throughout the city so that you are able to discover the different facets of Marseille itself.

Some of the EuroPride 2013 locations to check out are:

EuroPride Park: Cultural and military area in Friche de la Belle de Mai, where there will be expositions, military stands, conferences, debates, cinema projection, theatre, etc.

EuroPride Club: Docks des Suds, 11 parties with the biggest European parties combined in the same place.  For more details go to: Club EuroPride

EuroPride Beach: For the first time in EuroPride history there is going to be a beach completely dedicated to the festival, expect all types of beach and water games events to take place!

What I was particularly intrigued about was the main system that is going to be used for purchases for EuroPride 2013, the Tick’N Pay electronic wristband system.
 
I think the Tick’N Pay system will be groundbreaking in many ways and for following EuroPride’s to come.

Don’t you hate it when you go to a big event and you spend what seems to be half of your night waiting in line to purchase drink tickets, then having to get into another line to get your drink?  And if you’re like me, you end up going home with a bunch of unused drink tickets and left feeling like you’ve just wasted a bunch of money.

Well the Tick’N Pay system is a safe and secure chip wristband electronic wallet system that you will be able to get through the EuroPride 2013 website.  With your wristband you are given a personal pin code (like a bank card) in which you will be able to purchase not only drinks at a participating bar, club or event but also for the basics like public transportation, items at participating shops, restaurants, hotels and even your overall travel. 

The amount you deposit online into your wristband will be the amount you can use so that you control your spending and are able to recharge anytime, another good thing…you will not incur any credit card fees to do so.

Your credit card can be secured through your participating hotel during the trip so there is no need to carry cash to the beach or late at night going from party to party.  At the end of your visit, any amount that has not been used on your wristband goes directly back to you.  Another bonus arranged with EuroPride 2013 in Marseille is when you purchase 100 euros; you get 110 euros to spend.

There are benefits to everyone involved, you for your budget, safety and security, benefits for the participating businesses involved (in which over 100 have registered so far) and benefits for EuroPride 2013 itself in being able to use this system to get statistical information, accounting will be easier, faster and more accurate, and less volunteers are needed to control the entries and the cash in this very safe and secured cash management system.

If you would like more information on EuroPride 2013, please click on the links below:

EuroPride 2013 Marseille

LGP Marseille

NeoSphere Travel

MP2013

What could be better than spending EuroPride 2013 Marseille in the Mediterranean?  With all the hard work and efforts being put into place, something tells me that these ten days in Marseille are going to be nothing less than powerful and life changing events.