The Tropicana is the most famous nightclub in Cuba and one of the most famous in the world — a spectacular open-air cabaret show performed under the trees of a garden venue in the Marianao suburb, about 20 minutes from central Havana. The show has been running since 1939 with minimal variation: a large cast of dancers in elaborate feathered costumes performing a high-energy Afro-Cuban cabaret, with live orchestra, sequins, and a general commitment to spectacle that the word "extravagant" does not quite capture.
The Tropicana is expensive by Cuban standards (around $80–120 for the show including a drink and a floor spot), and it caters almost exclusively to tourists. None of that matters: the show is genuinely extraordinary, the setting — performers dancing on elevated platforms among the trees, with the Cuban night sky above — is unique, and the energy of the dancers is infectious. Book in advance, especially in high season.