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 Europe
Moscow
An evening at the Bolshoi is still one of Moscow’s most romantic and entertaining options for a night on the town. The glittering six-tier auditorium has…
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…
Naples
San Carlo's opera season runs from November or December to June, with occasional summer performances. Sample prices: a place in the 6th tier (from €35),…
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…
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford has two grand stages run by the world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company – the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Swan Theatre on Waterside – as…
Liverpool
A dominant footballing force for most of the 1970s and 1980s, Liverpool FC remains one of the world's most famous and best-supported clubs, despite not…
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…
South Bank
One of the most famous playhouses in the world, Shakespeare’s Globe will knock your theatrical socks off. This dutifully authentic reconstruction will…
Vienna
The glorious Staatsoper is Vienna's premier opera and classical-music venue. Productions are lavish, formal affairs, where people dress up accordingly. In…
Ferrara
There are few places in the solar system more cinematic than this extraordinary and intimate house of swing and syncopation occupying a restored…
Brussels
This intimate, split-level art deco bar has been playing jazz since 1937. It’s an unusual, two-tiered circular space that can get incredibly packed but…
Lyon
Down in the Confluence neighbourhood, Lyon's most innovative club hosts DJs, live shows and eclectic arts events on its super-cool roof terrace atop a…
St Petersburg
St Petersburg's most spectacular venue for ballet and opera, the Mariinsky Theatre is an attraction in its own right. Tickets can be bought online or in…
Florence
An exciting work in progress, this ex-industrial plant near Parco delle Cascine hosts some of the city's edgiest contemporary art events and happenings…
Kensington & Hyde Park
This splendid Victorian concert hall hosts classical music, rock and other performances, but is famously the venue for the BBC-sponsored Proms. Booking is…
Madrid
In 2011 the respected jazz magazine Down Beat included this art-deco bar on the list of the world's best jazz clubs, the only place in Spain to earn the…
Madrid
Madrid institutions don’t come any more beloved than the terrific Sala El Sol. It opened in 1979, just in time for la movida madrileña (the Madrid scene),…
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…
Helsinki
Home to the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Sibelius Academy, the glass- and copper-fronted Helsinki Music Centre,…
Madrid
Watching Real Madrid play is one of football's greatest experiences, but tickets are difficult to find. They can be purchased online, by phone or in…
El Raval
Relocated to El Raval in 2012 as part of plans to revive the neighbourhood's cultural offerings, Catalonia's national cinema occupies a modern 6000-sq…
Taras Shevchenko National Opera Theatre
Kyiv
Performances at this lavish theatre (opened 1901) are grandiose affairs, but tickets are cheap. True disciples of Ukrainian culture should not miss a…
Madrid
Villa Rosa has been going strong since 1914, and in that time it has seen many manifestations. It established itself as a flamenco venue and has recently…
Notting Hill & West London
This utterly charming marionette (aka puppet) theatre can be found in a converted barge moored in Little Venice – an area as pretty as it sounds. The…
Malasaña & Conde Duque
This excellent new flamenco venue is a terrific deal. With a focus on quality flamenco (dance, song and guitar) rather than the more formal meal-and-floor…
Rome
The hub of Rome's thriving cultural scene and home to Rome's world-class Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (www.santacecilia.it), the…
Leeds
Belgrave is the city's best live-music venue, with a diverse roll call of acts from burlesque to comedy and folk to hip-hop. Its three floors also…
Cardiff
Named for 12th-century Welsh rebel Ifor Bach, the legendary Clwb ('Club') has broken many a Welsh band since it first opened its doors as a Welsh-language…
El Centro & El Arenal
Occupying the old stables of the 16th-century Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija, this cultural centre stages authentic, highly charged flamenco shows, as…
Copenhagen
Saxing things up since the late 1950s, this is one of Scandinavia's great jazz venues, with past performers including Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster and Kenny…
Marseille
Fewer video shops would have gone the way of the dodo if they’d followed the lead of Videodrome 2: simultaneously a DVD rental shop, bar-bistro and tiny…
Brussels
A polished 100-seat jazz venue housed in two 17th-century buildings with dinner (not compulsory) available from 7pm and concerts starting at 8.30pm or 9pm…
Old Town
This unassuming pub has been a stalwart of the traditional-music scene since the 1960s (the founder's wife sang with the Corries). There's music every…
Madrid
This theatre, built in 1856, is the premier place to see zarzuela (Spanish mix of theatre, music and dance). It also hosts a smattering of classical music…
Brussels
Eight generations of the Toone family have staged classic puppet productions in the Bruxellois dialect at this endearing marionette theatre, a highlight…
Laugavegur & Skólavörðustígur
This totally cool cinema, decked out in movie posters and vintage officeware, screens specially curated Icelandic films with English subtitles and…
Glasgow
One of the city’s premier live-music pub venues, hosting bands every night of the week. A staple of the local scene, and a real Glasgow highlight.
