Vedado
One of the twin pillars of Havana's cultural life, the Teatro Nacional de Cuba on Plaza de la Revolución is the modern rival to the Gran Teatro in Centro…
Must-see entertainment in Cuba
Habana del Este
In an old shirt factory abandoned in the 1990s, when it became a rubbish dump and public urinal, this new state-sponsored community arts project was…
Havana
Some label it a tourist trap, but this restaurant–entertainment space bivouacked upstairs in a deceptively dilapidated Havana tenement plays some of the…
Santiago de Cuba
The Ballet Folklórico Cutumba is an offshoot of the Oriente group formed in 1976. You can usually see them rehearsing at their HQ, the Teatro Galaxia from…
Havana
If you're looking for something inherently Cuban, tag along with the local habaneros for some very caliente action at this outdoor venue known…
Santiago de Cuba
Anything Havana can do, Santiago can do better – or at least cheaper. Styled on the Tropicana original, this 'feathers and baubles' Las Vegas–style floor…
Havana
Launched with a concert by renowned jazz pianist Chucho Valdés in 1994, this Miramar favorite is run by national Cuban recording company EGREM, and the…
Vedado
Once the headquarters of Havana's alternative artistic and sexual scene, the 'one-eyed cat' is now a nexus for middle-aged lovers of traditional Cuban…
Havana
The largest stadium in Cuba holds 55,000 people and was built before the revolution, in 1946. It’s the home of Havana’s widely revered (or reviled,…
Vedado
This elegant pink mansion built in 1926 by Juan Pedro Baró, a rich landowner involved in a scandalous marriage with high-society belle Catalina Lasa, is…
Vedado
Occupying the site of the old Rodi Cinema on Línea, Teatro Mella offers one of Havana's most comprehensive programs, including an international ballet…
Vedado
If you want to rub shoulders with socialist celebrities, hang out here at the Union of Cuban Writers and Artists (Uneac) social club, replete with…
Baracoa
This venue does a wide variety of shows including some good rumba incorporating the textbook Cuban styles of guaguancó, yambú and columbia (subgenres of…
Vedado
You can't escape the Beatles in Cuba; their iconic status is epitomized in clubs such as this one abutting Parque Lennon, where every tabletop is…
Cienfuegos
Uneac's a good bet in any Cuban city for live music in laid-back environs. Here it's quite possibly Cienfuegos' best venue, with an outdoor patio hosting…
Vedado
Set up in 1959 by revolutionary Haydée Santamaría, a survivor of the attack on the Moncada Barracks, this powerhouse of Cuban and Latin American culture…
Matanzas Province
Capitalizing on its success in Havana and Santiago de Cuba, the famous Tropicana cabaret has a branch 8km east of Matanzas, next to the Hotel Canimao…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
