Must-see entertainment in Mediterranean Europe

  • Exterior of Teatro San Carlo.

    Teatro San Carlo

    Naples

    San Carlo's opera season runs from November or December to June, with occasional summer performances. Sample prices: a place in the 6th tier (from €35),…

  • Jazz Club Ferrara

    Ferrara

    There are few places in the solar system more cinematic than this extraordinary and intimate house of swing and syncopation occupying a restored…

  • Former Manifattura Tabacchi now Cineteca Bologna in Bologna

    Manifattura Tabacchi

    Florence

    An exciting work in progress, this ex-industrial plant near Parco delle Cascine hosts some of the city's edgiest contemporary art events and happenings…

  • Jazz group playing in Cafe Central.

    Café Central

    Madrid

    In 2011 the respected jazz magazine Down Beat included this art-deco bar on the list of the world's best jazz clubs, the only place in Spain to earn the…

  • Sala El Sol venue in Madrid

    Sala El Sol

    Madrid

    Madrid institutions don’t come any more beloved than the terrific Sala El Sol. It opened in 1979, just in time for la movida madrileña (the Madrid scene),…

  • MADRID, SPAIN, OCTOBER 2018 - Aerial view of Santiago Bernabeu stadium
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Aerial view of Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid

    Estadio Santiago Bernabéu

    Madrid

    Watching Real Madrid play is one of football's greatest experiences, but tickets are difficult to find. They can be purchased online, by phone or in…

  • Filmoteca de Cataluña, Spain, is a cultural institution dedicated to the preservation of film material and the dissemination of film culture

    Filmoteca de Catalunya

    El Raval

    Relocated to El Raval in 2012 as part of plans to revive the neighbourhood's cultural offerings, Catalonia's national cinema occupies a modern 6000-sq…

  • Details of an ornate retro mosaic facade of the restaurant called Villa Rosa famous for flamenco performance in Madrid, Spain

    Villa Rosa

    Madrid

    Villa Rosa has been going strong since 1914, and in that time it has seen many manifestations. It established itself as a flamenco venue and has recently…

  • James Bay audience at ROMA SUMMER FEST 23, Auditorium Parco della Musica "Ennio Morricone" in Rome

    Auditorium Parco della Musica

    Rome

    The hub of Rome's thriving cultural scene and home to Rome's world-class Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (www.santacecilia.it), the…

  • Actors perform during the presentation of the opera LA ROSA DEL AZAFRAN at the Zarzuela Theater in Madrid. January 23, 2024 Spain.

    Teatro de la Zarzuela

    Madrid

    This theatre, built in 1856, is the premier place to see zarzuela (Spanish mix of theatre, music and dance). It also hosts a smattering of classical music…

  • Karabaş-i Veli Kültür Merkezi

    Bursa

    Take a seat in this 200-year-old tekke (dervish lodge) to watch the şeyh (master dervish) lead his students through a sema (whirling dervish ceremony) for…

  • Fortezza Vecchia

    Livorno

    Close to the waterfront, the 'Old Fort' was constructed to a design by Antonio de Sangallo the Elder in the 16th century, but incorporates an 11th-century…

  • Peña Juan Breva

    Málaga

    You’ll feel like a gatecrasher at this private peña, but persevere: the flamenco is muy puro. Watch guitarists who play as though they’ve got 24 fingers…

  • Corral de la Morería

    La Latina & Lavapiés

    This is one of the most prestigious flamenco stages in Madrid, with 50 years of experience as a leading venue and top performers most nights. The stage…

  • Kafe Antzokia

    Bilbao

    Within a former cinema, this is the vibrant heart of contemporary Basque Bilbao, featuring international rock, blues and reggae, as well as the cream of…

  • Galata Mevlevi House Museum

    Beyoğlu

    The 15th-century semahane (whirling-dervish hall) at this tekke (dervish lodge) is the venue for a one-hour whirling dervish sema (ceremony) held on…

  • Kahveçi Baba

    Black Sea Coast

    The very atmospheric traditional coffeehouse in the rear section of the Pervane Medresesi is a fine place for soft drinks and nargile at any time of year…

  • Teatro Massimo Bellini

    Catania

    Catania's premier theatre is named after the city's most famous son, composer Vincenzo Bellini. It's one of Italy's most glorious old theatres, staging…

  • Teatro Franco Parenti

    Milan

    Having made a name for itself with a program boasting some of the finest names in Italian cinema and theatre, Franco Parenti cemented its role as a…

  • Kafe Astikon

    Kythira

    Very charming old cafe–music bar near the main square. The high-ceilinged and shadowy interior oozes atmosphere with its coral-green walls and its long…

  • Valencia Club de Fútbol

    Valencia

    The city's principal team, and a major player in Spanish football, with famously demanding fans. A move to a new ground in the city's northwest has been…

  • Teatro Massimo

    Palermo

    Ernesto Basile's six-tiered art-nouveau masterpiece is Europe's second-largest opera house and one of Italy's most prestigious, right up there with La…

  • Casa das Crechas

    Santiago de Compostela

    There's no better place for Celtic and other live music. Head to the tightly packed downstairs bar at about 10.30pm most Wednesdays from September to May…

  • Stazione Rogers

    Trieste

    This quirky 1953 petrol station, designed by Ernesto Rogers (Richard Rogers' cousin) and the BBPR firm, was saved from dereliction in 2008 and turned into…

  • Fagotto Jazz Bar

    Hania

    Established in 1978, this Hania institution in a Venetian building offers smooth jazz and blues, and occasionally live bands or DJs, in an intimate…

  • Babylon Bomonti

    Nişantaşi, Bomonti & Harbiye

    İstanbul's pre-eminent live-music venue has been packing the crowds in since 1999 and shows no sign of losing its mojo, especially now that it has moved…

  • Orient Bar

    Kuşadası

    On a narrow street in the Kaleiçi, this perennial favourite in an atmospheric old stone house and courtyard is where you can listen to the nightly…

  • Area 8

    Matera

    This unusual cafe/bar and 'nano-theatre' is a production agency by day, but comes alive four nights a week to host film screenings, live music, product…

  • Merchandise stall at football match at Stadio San Paolo.

    Stadio San Paolo

    Bay of Naples

    Naples' football team, Napoli, is the fourth most supported in Italy after Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan, and watching it play in the country's third…

  • GRANADA, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 28, 2015: Pena La Plateria in Barrio Albaicin in Granada, Andalusia, Spain; Shutterstock ID 469465823; Your name (First / Last): Tom Stainer; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Guides app - Granada

    Peña La Platería

    Granada

    Founded in 1949, La Platería claims to be Spain's oldest flamenco club. Unlike some of Andalucía's more private clubs, it regularly opens its doors to…

  • 500px Photo ID: 109977647 - Red dust of guitar Blues 1970's.

    Half Note Jazz Club

    Athens

    Athens' most serious jazz venue is a stylish place that hosts Greek and international musicians. Check the schedule ahead of your trip, as it's not open…

  • Teatro Chico

    Santa Cruz de la Palma

    Once located on the site of an old house-hospital founded in 1514, this magnificent but very petite former theatre originally opened in 1866 and reopened…

  • Auditorio de Tenerife

    Santa Cruz de Tenerife

    One of Santa Cruz' top photo ops, Tenerife’s leading entertainment option has dramatically designed curved-white concrete shells capped by a cresting,…

  • Cine Liostasi

    Ios

    Outside at Liostasi Hotel & Suites, halfway between Ormos and Hora, this lovely setting hosts a nightly outdoor cinema under the stars. The aim is to…

  • Ouzerie Anatoli

    Skopelos

    Wait until at least 11pm, then head to this breezy outdoor ouzerie (place that serves ouzo and light snacks), high above the north corner of the…

  • CineKamari

    Santorini

    After the caldera sunset, this is one of the finest ways to spend a Santorini evening. On the road into Kamari, this tree-surrounded, open-air cinema…

  • Peña Flamenca La Perla

    Cádiz

    Paint-peeled, sea-splashed La Perla, set romantically next to the crashing Atlantic surf in the Barrio de Santa María, hosts flamenco at 9.30pm most…

  • Rock Island Bar

    Corralejo

    For almost 30 years, Mandy and musician husband Gary have made this bar one of the most popular in town. There is acoustic music nightly, playing to an…

  • Greek National Opera

    Athens

    Having settled into state-of-the-art digs within the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, the Greek National Opera is going from strength to…