Venice
One of Italy's top opera houses, La Fenice stages a rich roster of opera, ballet and classical music. The main opera season runs from January to July and…
Must-see entertainment in Mediterranean Europe
Verona
This is where Placido Domingo made his debut, and the annual opera season from late-June to late-August still draws the world's top names.
Barcelona
The massive stadium of Camp Nou ('New Field' in Catalan) is home to the legendary FC Barcelona. Attending a game amid the roar of the loyal crowds is an…
Athens
The city's premier performance hall presents an impressive program of entertainments, including classical concerts, opera, theatre and dance shows,…
Athens
Housed in an eye-catching piece of architecture that livens up the dull urbanity of Leoforos Syngrou, this visual- and performing-arts centre is well…
Athens
One of the city's finest neoclassical buildings hosts contemporary theatre and ancient plays. The organisation also supports performances in other venues…
Milan
This trailblazing theatre with seating for 960 people was designed by Marco Zanuso in 1998 to address the size constraints of the original Piccolo Teatro…
Athens
Across from the Acropolis, this is a lovely old-style outdoor cinema in a garden setting. Sit towards the back if you want to catch a glimpse of the…
Milan
Abandoned after WWII, the Cinema Massimo was transformed in 1999 into the state-of-the-art home of Milan's legendary Giuseppe Verde Symphonic Orchestra…
Syntagma & Plaka
The Paris was established in the 1920s and it's still a magical place to see a movie. On a rooftop in Plaka, it offers great views of the Acropolis from…
Naples
Naples' premier classical-music association organises chamber-music concerts in venues that include the Museo Diocesano di Napoli. Local talent mixes it…
Turin
Sold-out performances can sometimes be watched free on live TV in the adjoining Teatro Piccolo Regio, where Puccini premiered La Bohème in 1896, and it's…
La Rambla & Barri Gòtic
Barcelona’s grand old opera house, skilfully restored after a fire in 1994, is one of the world's most technologically advanced theatres. Taking a seat in…
Bergamo
Named after the famed composer who was born in Bergamo, this is one of Lombardy's grand opera houses and dates back to the 18th century. The dazzling,…
Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
Rome's premier opera house, aka Teatro Costanzi, boasts a dramatic red-and-gold interior, a Fascist 1920s exterior and an impressive history: it premiered…
Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
Students, artists and activists are breathing new life into San Lorenzo's former Palace Cinema with a bevy of exciting creative happenings: think film…
Athens
This classic open-air cinema is in a lovely spot in the quieter reaches of Kolonaki, adjacent to a very good all-day cafe and the ancient cistern of…
Venice
Named after the city’s great playwright, Carlo Goldoni, Venice's main theatre has an impressive dramatic range that runs from Goldoni’s comedy to…
Como
Como’s neoclassical theatre attracts culture vultures from as far away as Switzerland and has been enlarged three times to its present 900-seat capacity…
Palma de Mallorca
This spacious, modern theatre is Palma's main stage for major performances, ranging from opera to light rock, ballet, musicals, tribute bands and gospel…
Thessaloniki
Inside the Olympion complex in Thessaloniki's Plateia Aristotelous, this ornate, crimson-hued cinema was built in 1950 and hosts the Thessaloniki…
Centro di Musica Antica Pietà de' Turchini
Naples
Classical-music buffs are in for a treat at this beautiful deconsecrated church, an evocative setting for concerts of mostly 17th- to 19th-century…
Naples
Need to escape the chaos of Spaccanapoli? Dive through the grand doorway of Palazzo Marigliano, up the winged staircase and into one of Naples’ most loved…
Palma de Mallorca
Built in 1854 on the site of a 17th-century predecessor, destroyed by fire in 1858, rebuilt in 1860 and again restored in 2007, this is the city's…
Palermo
Tucked away in a crumbling baroque courtyard, this intimate, family-run theatre hosts wonderful concerts of world and folk music, as well as theatrical…
Palma de Mallorca
Palma’s RCD Mallorca, which plays at the Iberostar Estadi, about 3km north of central Palma, is one of the better sides battling it out in La Liga. Never…
Palma de Mallorca
Tiny, intimate Voyeur hosts live bands nightly for much of the year – jazz is the focus, but you'll also hear flamenco, blues, funk and the occasional jam…
Orvieto
This theatre plays host to Umbria Jazz concerts in winter and a programme of everything from ballet and opera to folk music, prose readings and Genesis…
Madrid
Las Tablas has a reputation for quality flamenco and reasonable prices; it's among the best choices in town. Most nights you’ll see a classic flamenco…
Florence
This vast defensive 16th-century fort is an atmospheric venue for concerts and performing arts, trade fairs, exhibitions and conferences today. Open-air…
Trieste
One of Trieste's iconic alternative cooperative venues, Tetris has an impressive line-up of international and local live acts and DJs, with electronica…
Pavia
Pavia's beautiful baroque theatre was conceived by one of the greatest stage designers of the 18th century, Antonio Galli Bibiena. It's bell-shaped…
Alanya
This rollicking, friendly Turkish bar features live 'protest and folk music' and is a top spot for an acoustic-fuelled night of rakı (aniseed brandy) and…
Athens
Every summer this company of 75 singers and dancers performs Greek folk dances, showing off the rich variety of regional costume and musical traditions…
Southern Rome
Caffè Letterario is an intellectual hang-out housed in the funky, somewhat underground, post-industrial space of a former garage. It combines designer…
Girona
On the north end of the historic centre, this intimate, low-lit space makes a great setting for well-mixed cocktails and live jazz. There's live music…
Valencia
For many, Wah Wah remains Valencia’s hottest venue for live music, especially for underground and international indie, though classic Spanish garage and…
Palma de Mallorca
One of Palma's best live music/DJ venues, the New Lisbon Cafe's curved wooden bar is thronged three-deep on the more popular nights. Expect jazz-funk,…
Alanya
Music and decent beer are the draws at this slick, multistorey venue by the harbour. The main action is on the 6th floor with soft chill-out music early…
San Giovanni & Testaccio
The hulking ruins of this vast 3rd-century baths complex set the memorable stage for the Teatro dell'Opera's summer performance season.
