Bobo is famous in the region for its live music. The city is the cradle of a generation of Burkinabé musicians — Victor Démé, Farafina, and the Bobo Brass Band among them — and on a good evening, several bars have something going on. The maquis (open-air bars) along Avenue Houari Boumedienne are the easiest entry point: cold beer (Brakina or So.B.Bra), grilled meat, and music spilling onto the street.
For something quieter, the cafés around Place de la Nation serve coffee, juices, and pastries through the day. Bobo's hottest hours (noon to four) are best spent under a fan with a cold drink rather than sightseeing. After dark, women travellers should ask their hotel about safer venues; most are fine, but a few of the late-night spots are dodgy.