Port-au-Prince & Around
Thursday nights in Haiti's capital are synonymous with Yanvalou. At around 9pm, the artsy cafe and bar begins to swell with the city's in-crowd, be they…
Must-see entertainment in Caribbean
Havana
One of two such establishments in the city, this legendary place is where Cubans and tourists who don't want to be treated like tourists go for full-on…
Outer Havana
In an arena in Parque Lenin, Rodeo Nacional, the biggest rodeo in Cuba, is held on Sunday (but not every Sunday, so check in advance). Rodeos in Cuba…
Vedado
A hip and trendy nightclub–cabaret show at the Hotel Meliá Cohiba, laid out in 1950s American style but with live salsa music. After 1am the tables are…
El Tablao Centro Cultural Artex
Havana
Bang in the city center, cleverly hidden in a basement beneath the Gran Teatro, this dark club is perennially popular, particularly with mature locals,…
Havana
Size-wise the Karl Marx puts other Havana theaters in the shade, with a seating capacity of 5500 in a single auditorium. The very biggest events happen…
Santa Clara
The pulse of the city's progressive cultural life, hosting art expositions, Noches del Danzón (traditional dance nights), a film museum and impromptu…
Ciego de Ávila Province
One block south of Parque Martí, the grand Teatro Principal more than compensates for the park's lack of illustrious edifices. Built in 1927 with help…
Havana
Housed in a classic art deco rascacielo (skyscraper), the América seems to have changed little since its theatrical heyday in the 1930s and '40s. It hosts…
Santiago
This original Caribbean tapas bar occupies a colorful refurbished mansion filled with art and tropical plants. It's a high-energy place for weekend…
Havana
Cubans have adopted and adapted many foreign music and dance forms, including flamenco. You can see Havana’s best troupes here on Monday, Friday and…
Havana
A suitably refined little club for a suitably refined part of Playa, this venue encased in the Cine Teatro Miramar and affiliated with government agency…
Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva
Havana
Opened in 1958, this multiuse 15,000-capacity indoor sports arena is the HQ of the Cuban men’s volleyball team. It also hosts big boxing tournaments. The…
Holguín Province
Cuba's international film festival hosts most of its cutting-edge movies (some in English) in this small but quirky cinema covered with distinctive art…
Kingston
The horse races at Caymanas Park in Portmore, one of the best race tracks in the Caribbean (and immortalized in several classic ska songs), make for a…
Holguín Province
This venue, housed in the former Casino Español (1926), has a regular Sunday trova (traditional poetic song) matinee at 3pm and Saturday peña del rap (rap…
Centro Cultural de las Artes Benny Moré
Cienfuegos
A state-run cultural center with a bar and dancing space within. A noticeboard out front displays what's showing on any given night, though it's mostly…
Varadero
A cool-vibe place at the Marina Gaviota complex that's (obviously) heavy with tourists. Most nights it's a disco with a live DJ. On Saturdays it usually…
Havana
Go into the woods in El Bosque de la Habana for the weekly Fiesta del Casino, a popular open-air disco where a mix of Cubans and non-Cubans come to dance…
New Providence
The nerve center of the Atlantis complex, suspended over the 'lagoon' by the bridge between the towers, this 2.8-hectare casino has 85 game tables and 700…
Vedado
On the 25th floor of the Hotel Habana Libre, this well-known club puts on mediocre cabaret shows followed by much better live bands and dancing. The pièce…
Matanzas
Where else would you want to see live rumba but in its crucible city (Matanzas) underneath a ceiba tree (considered sacred in the Santería religion) being…
El Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito
Santo Domingo
Hosts opera, ballet and musical performances, from classical to Latin pop stars. Tickets for performances at this grandly ornate 1700-seat theater can be…
Santiago de Cuba
Features comparsa (carnival music and dance groups) who represent the Los Hoyos neighborhood in Santiago’s July carnival. The group is a descendant of a…
Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts
Nassau
Comedy, drama, dance, live music, kids' shows, spoken word: the Dundas Centre is a haven for many forms of expression under-represented in the Bahamas…
Vedado
This theater is named for the founder of Havana's first conservatory of music (1885). The Teatro Estudio based here is Cuba's leading theater company. You…
Santiago de Cuba
This is the hotel Meliá Santiago de Cuba's slightly less spectacular version of the Tropicana. Cabarets take place on Saturday with a disco afterward. It…
Culebra
If you need a movie fix, Cine Culebra screens films on Tuesday and Friday in a converted shipping container with a huge flat-screen TV and theater seating…
San Juan
This artsy hub is known for hosting a range of live music – from R&B to reggaeton, hip-hop to disco extravaganzas, along with alternative films, theater…
Vedado
One of a clutch of well-maintained cinemas on Vedado's movie strip, this is one of the HQs of Havana's film festival. Since 2014 the 23 & 12 has hosted…
San Juan
This indoor arena, named after the baseball hall-of-famer who died tragically in a plane crash in 1972, doubles as a sports and concert facility. The way…
Granma Province
Touring companies such as the Ballet de Camagüey and Danza Contemporánea de Cuba perform at this lovingly restored venue. Built in 1856 and restored in…
Viñales
Named for the late Pinar del Río resident-turned-guajiro (country folk) hero and legendary folk singer Polo Montañez, this open-to-the-elements patio off…
Casa de Cultura Josué País García
Santiago de Cuba
Grab a seat (or stand in the street) and settle down for whatever this spontaneous place can throw at you: orchestral danzón (ballroom dance), folkloric…
Estadio Capitán San Luis Sports
Pinar del Río Province
From October to April, exciting baseball games happen at this stadium on the north side of town. Pinar del Río is one of Cuba's better, last winning the…
Ciego de Ávila Province
From October to April, baseball games take place to the northwest of Ciego's center. The town's Tigres have experienced a dramatic turnaround in fortune…
Kingston
Jamaica's most active theatre, putting on plays, folk concerts and modern dance throughout the year. The National Dance Theatre Company performs here…
Havana
The daytime restaurant of the Cuban fisheries becomes party central particularly on Friday night, with alfresco live music (often by big-name acts) and an…
Habana Vieja
The Neri has had many incarnations since its founding in 1693: first as a church under various religious orders (Oratorianas, Capuchinos, Carmelitas),…
Vedado
One of Cuba's largest and best-equipped cinemas, the Chaplin shows nightly films of all types and sometimes runs a special season on one director. The…
