Belgrade
Founded in 1947, the highly regarded and much awarded JDP has three stages. The repertoire ranges from innovative interpretations of the classics of world…
Must-see entertainment in Eastern Europe
Kyiv
Simply the coolest thing that's happening on Ukrainian theatre stage. Look out for perfomances involving The Dakh Daughters – a 15-strong 'singing siren'…
Sofia
The 'NDK' (as it’s usually called) has 15 halls and is the country’s largest cultural complex. It maintains a regular program of events throughout the…
Belgrade
This glorious 1869 building hosts operas, dramas and ballets during autumn, winter and spring.
Moscow
The Lenkom isn’t the most glamorous theatre, but it’s widely considered to have the strongest acting troupe in the country. The flashy productions and…
Kyiv
You know Kyiv's come a long way when we can actually publish the names of gay clubs (they used to all be underground). This is a lively and centrally…
Belgrade
There's something for everyone at this delightful hotchpotch of a cafe-club. Funk, soul and jazz get a good airing, as do rock, world and classical music…
Sofia
Opened in 1953, this monumental edifice is the venue for classical opera and ballet performances, as well as special concerts for children. Enter from ul…
Solomiya Krushelnytska Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet
Lviv
For an evening of high culture, and to enjoy the ornate building, take in a performance at this Lviv institution. Closes for most of July and August.
Sofia
One of Sofia's most elegant buildings, the Viennese-style National Theatre opened in 1907 and is the city's main stage for Bulgarian drama.
Sofia
Live music on two floors, with several adjoining bars, marks this as the centre's best-known and most popular alternative music venue.
House of Organ & Chamber Music
Kyiv
Beautiful concerts housed in neo-Gothic St Nicholas' Cathedral built by Władysław Horodecki in 1909.
Serbian Academy of Arts & Sciences
Belgrade
The gallery of the Serbian Academy of Arts & Sciences (SANU) stages free concerts and exhibitions.
St Petersburg
This illustrious music school was the first public music school in Russia. The Bolshoy Zal (Big Hall) on the 3rd floor is an excellent place to see…
St Petersburg
During the summer months attend atmospheric outdoor screenings on the city's rooftops via the Roof Cinema, which hosts shows at Mod Club and the New Stage…
St Petersburg
Designed by Giacomo Quarenghi, this intimate neoclassical auditorium was once the private theatre of the imperial family, and stands on the site of the…
St Petersburg
One of the handful of cinemas in the city where you can see foreign films and some higher-brow Hollywood productions with subtitles, as well as arty…
St Petersburg
There are St Petersburg institutions and then there’s Fish Fabrique, the museum of local boho life that has been going for over two decades. Here, in the…
St Petersburg
Opened in 2007, this concert hall is a magnificent multifaceted creation. It manages to preserve the historic brick facade of the set and scenery…
St Petersburg
Opening in 1913 as the Piccadilly Picture House, this was the city’s most fashionable cinema in the early years of Russian film, and it has retained its…
Pristina
Easily Pristina's most stylish nightspot, this place was also the city's first dedicated jazz bar. It's a fantastically atmospheric lounge, and its…
St Petersburg
The New Stage at Alexandrinsky, which opened in 2013, is a strikingly modern building for the historic city center but one that keeps a low profile due to…
Eastern Ukraine
Standing on top of a horse, attached to the side of a horse, hanging upside down on a horse – Cossacks defy fear and forces of gravitation in this…
St Petersburg
Housed inside the outrageously ornate Yusupov Palace, this elaborate yet intimate venue was the home entertainment centre for one of the city’s foremost…
Iaşi
The Romanian National Opera of Iași occupies the same impressive neobaroque building as the Vasile Alecsandri National Theatre. The annual repertoire…
Vasile Alecsandri National Theatre
Iaşi
The National Theatre performs an impressive mix of high-brow and experimental plays, mainly in Romanian language. The theatre is located in the same…
Moscow
The Bolshoi Theatre doesn’t have a monopoly on ballet in Moscow. Leading dancers also appear with the Kremlin Ballet, which performs in the State Kremlin…
St Petersburg
On the rooftop of an art cluster near the Botanical Gardens, Hi-Hat hosts nights of live music, DJs and open-air film screenings. The creative line-up and…
Tartu
Named after the ancient Estonian song god, this venue hosts an array of theatrical and musical performances, many with English subtitles. It also puts on…
Chişinău
Difficult to categorise, this charmingly derelict multipurpose collective is of most interest as a performing-arts and concert venue, but also contains…
St Petersburg
Also called the Theatre of Europe, the Maly is St Petersburg’s most internationally celebrated theatre. Its director Lev Dodin is famed for his long…
St Petersburg
Founded by legendary jazz violinist and composer David Goloshchokin, this venue represents the more traditional side of jazz. Two resident bands perform…
St Petersburg
Under the artistic direction of world-famous conductor Yury Temirkanov, the Philharmonia represents the finest in orchestral music. The Bolshoy Zal is the…
St Petersburg
A shrine to Viktor Tsoy, the late Soviet-era rocker who worked as caretaker of this former boilerhouse bunker with band mates from Kino. Music lovers…
Moscow
Boasting one of Moscow’s most talented theatre producers, Konstantin Raikin, as well as a host of big-name directors, the Satirikon earned a reputation in…
Moscow Children’s Musical Theatre
Arbat & Khamovniki
Founded by theatre legend Natalya Sats in 1965, this was the country’s first children’s theatre. Sats, apparently, was the inspiration for Prokofiev’s…
St Petersburg
Housed in the sumptuous (and dare we say, rather bizarre) former home of Baron von Derviz, the St Petersburg Opera performs regular operas in its intimate…
St Petersburg
Occupying a grand former mansion, this cinema and working film studio specialises mainly in documentary films, including international ones, although they…
St Petersburg
The fun and friendly Red Fox Jazz Café is a subterranean space that showcases various jazz styles in the old-fashioned 1920s to '50s sense: big band,…
Presnya
Founded by English actor Jonathan Bex, the MET performs contemporary American and British plays for English-speaking audiences. The company's original…
