Best Rooftop Bars in Kathmandu with Live Music

Kathmandu's topography is made for rooftop bars. The city sits in a bowl surrounded by hills — which means almost every rooftop has a view worth sitting still for. Add live music and you have one of the better evening formats in South Asia.

Here are the best rooftop bars with live music across Kathmandu.

LOD Rooftop (Thamel)

LOD (Lord of the Drinks) has one of the most active rooftop DJ and live music programmes in the city. The space is large enough to hold a crowd without feeling claustrophobic. Fridays and Saturdays are the main live music nights — check current listings for the schedule.

Drinks: 500–900 NPR. Cover: varies, usually 300–500 NPR on live nights.

Moksh Rooftop (Jhamsikhel)

Moksh's rooftop is smaller and more intimate than LOD — better for jazz and acoustic sets, worse for dancing. The crowd is more local, the music selection is better curated. A genuinely lovely place on a clear October evening.

Drinks: 600–900 NPR. Cover: 200–400 NPR on live nights.

Roof Café (Thamel)

More bar than club, Roof Café does live music on weekends and occasional weeknights. The mountain view on a clear day is one of the better ones you'll get from a Thamel rooftop. Come for sunset, stay for the set.

Drinks: 500–700 NPR. Cover: usually free entry.

1905 Rooftop (Kantipath)

A boutique hotel rooftop with an upscale feel. Occasional live jazz and classical performances, more event-specific than the above. Worth checking if you want something quieter and more curated.

Drinks: 700–1,200 NPR. Cover: event-dependent.

Dwarika's Heritage Terrace (Battisputali)

The most beautiful outdoor setting in Kathmandu — a restored heritage property with candlelit terraces and regular live classical and folk music evenings. Not cheap, but worth it for a special occasion.

Drinks: 900–1,500 NPR. Dinner packages: 3,000–6,000 NPR.

Tips for rooftop bar visits

• October–March is the best season. Skies are clear, the Himalayas are visible, temperatures are cool but not cold.
• Arrive before sunset if you want a table — rooftops fill fast on weekends.
• Bring a light jacket; rooftop temperatures drop noticeably after 8 PM in winter.

See tonight's live music events for what's on right now.