Vienna
Vienna's world-famous Spanish Riding School is truly reminiscent of the imperial Habsburg era. This equestrian show is performed by Lipizzaner stallions…
Must-see entertainment in Central Europe
Vienna
The Burgtheater hasn't lost its touch over the years – this is one of the foremost theatres in the German-speaking world, staging some 800 performances a…
Salzburg
The red curtain goes up on a miniature stage at this marionette theatre, a lavish stucco, cherub and chandelier-lit affair founded in 1913. The repertoire…
Budapest
The gorgeous neo-Renaissance opera house is worth a visit as much to admire the incredibly rich decoration inside as to view a performance and hear the…
Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter
Performances at Budapest’s most important concert hall are usually booked up at least a week in advance, but more expensive (though still affordable) last…
Warsaw
Dating from 1833, destroyed in WWII and rebuilt to Antonio Corazzi's original design in 1965, this magnificent building is home to the Polish National…
Vienna
The glorious Staatsoper is Vienna's premier opera and classical-music venue. Productions are lavish, formal affairs, where people dress up accordingly. In…
Vienna
The opulent Musikverein holds the proud title of the best acoustics of any concert hall in Austria, which the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra embraces. The…
Prague
The much-loved National Theatre provides a stage for traditional opera, drama and ballet by the likes of Smetana, Shakespeare and Tchaikovsky (the…
Prater & East of the Danube
This striking baroque-meets-contemporary concert hall is the home of the Wiener Sängerknaben (Vienna Boys' Choir), who previously only performed at the…
Warsaw
Home of the world-famous National Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir of Poland, the National Philharmonic was founded in 1901. Destroyed during WWII, it was…
Dortmund
Dortmund’s famous and massively popular and succesful Bundesliga soccer team plays its home games at the legendary Westfalenstadion, now branded as Signal…
Budapest
The two concert halls at this palatial arts centre by the Danube are the 1700-seat Béla Bartók National Concert Hall (Bartók Béla Nemzeti Hangversenyterem…
St Pauli & Reeperbahn
This legendary Hamburg jazz club inhabits the fab basement of the Tanzende Türme office towers. Stellar local and international acts take to the stage…
Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter
This basement bar, presided over by Gizi néni (Aunt Gizi), is the place to come to listen to Gypsy music, as Roma musicians play the real deal from about…
Prenzlauer Berg
On most summer Sundays, Berlin’s best free entertainment kicks off around 3pm when Joe Hatchiban sets up his custom-made mobile karaoke unit in the…
Prague
This alternative art space, housed in a former slaughterhouse in Holešovice Market, stages performances from dance to circus and acrobatics. Many shows…
Warsaw
With three auditoriums of different sizes, this repertory theatre company stages an impressive range of works from both international and local…
Prague
The Akropolis is a Prague institution, a labyrinthine, sticky-floored shrine to alternative music and drama. Its various performance spaces host a…
Prague
Most of Prague’s jazz clubs are cellar affairs, but this riverside club is a definite step up, with clean, modern decor and a decidedly romantic view out…
Budapest
At this cultural centre in Lipótváros, there are wonderful mixed traditional táncház (folk music and dance workshops) from 8pm on Saturday that run till…
Dresden
Generations of young folks have memories of the 'Barn', which started out as a mainstream GDR-era youth club before turning into an offbeat culture centre…
Kraków
Lively jazz haunt housed in an atmospheric, intimate cellar right on the Main Market Square. Harris hosts jazz and blues bands most nights from around 9…
Warsaw
Offering many performances with English subtitles this is one of the best places in Warsaw to catch contemporary drama. Based in an artfully converted…
Ljubljana
This renovated old movie theatre now houses an urban cultural centre, hosting mainly indie, rock and alternative bands from around Slovenia and the rest…
Munich
Germany's most successful team both domestically and on a European level plays home games at the impressive Allianz Arena, built for the 2006 World Cup…
Liechtenstein
Theater am Kirchplatz (TAK) is Liechtenstein's top venue for theatre, classical music and dance. A full schedule of what's coming up is on the website.
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
No address better reflects Fribourg's creative spirit. Squirrelled away in a former gas warehouse on the banks of the Sarine, the Port bursts with energy…
Schloss Belvedere to the Canal
The Konzerthaus is a major venue in classical-music circles, but throughout the year ethnic music, rock, pop or jazz can also be heard in its hallowed…
Schloss Belvedere to the Canal
The line-up swings from classical concerts to jazz quartets and cabaret at the Radiokulturhaus. Housed in several performance venues including the Grosser…
Geneva
At the gritty heart of Geneva's alternative culture scene, this nonprofit collection of 18 arts-related initiatives is housed beside the Rhône in a former…
Prague
The Reduta is Prague’s oldest jazz club, actually founded in 1958 during the communist era. It was here in 1994 that former US president Bill Clinton…
Bern
Part bar, part nightspot, part community arts centre that hosts frequent evening performances, Turnhalle also serves an excellent-value weekday lunch …
Budapest
A very sophisticated venue – now pretty much the most serious one in town – for traditional, vocal and Latin jazz by local and international talent. Past…
Café Culturel de l’Ancienne Gare
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
In the old train station’s 19th-century hall, this hip and easy hang-out also doubles as a nerve centre of sorts for arty happenings involving film,…
Bremen City
A decade or more is a long time to be a hot tip, but this Das Viertel gem has pulled it off. A student crowd gathers here for parties and events, but it’s…
Hanover
Ska from Uruguay, Chinese new-year festivals, disco, reggae, heavy-metal gigs, hip-hop, multimedia installations, quiz evenings, book readings and film…
Münster
A fine reason to head out to the Hafen, this subterranean bar keeps it real with live music of nearly all stripes – despite the name. Many concerts are…
Bern
Host to an action-packed Saturday-night club, this industrial brick riverside building also stages concerts, festivals and contemporary dance; check the…
Berlin
One of the world's most famous orchestras, the Berliner Philharmoniker, is based at the tent-like Philharmonie, designed by Hans Scharoun in the 1950s and…
