Duomo & San Babila
Built in 1868, this miniature theatre modelled on La Scala was built for the purpose of staging puppet shows in Milanese dialect. In danger of dereliction…
Must-see entertainment in Italy
Conservatorio di Musica Giuseppe Verdi
Milan
Housed in a former Lateran convent, Milan’s most prestigious musical conservatory and high school has nurtured some of the country’s best conductors and…
Vatican City, Borgo & Prati
Intimate, underground and hard to find – look for the discreet black door near the corner – Rome's most celebrated jazz club draws top Italian and…
San Lorenzo & San Marco
Revisit 300 years of Florentine history in one hour with this dynamic English-speaking, two-person performance that has been captivating audiences since…
Venice
This pretty 17th-century theatre was built over the ruins of Marco Polo's palazzo (mansion). It now shares a classical music, opera and ballet program…
Parma
Offers a particularly rich program of music and opera, even by exacting Italian standards.
Bologna
Bologna's top jazz joint, the Bentivoglio is a jack of all trades: part wine bar (over 600 labels), part restaurant (eat elsewhere) and part jazz club …
Teatro Comunale Luciano Pavarotti
Modena
It will come as no surprise that the birthplace of Pavarotti has a decent opera house. The Comunale opened in 1841 and has 900 seats and 112 boxes…
San Polo & Santa Croce
Pleasure palaces don't get more romantic than this little palazzo on concert nights, when exquisite harmonies tickle Sebastiano Ricci angels tumbling…
Florence
Be it hosting some of Italy's finest craft-beer brewers during January's annual beer-craft fair Birraio dell'Anno (www.birraiodellanno.it) or top Italian…
Florence
Hotspot for live music, international DJs and alternative bands since the 1970s, Auditorium Flog is an essential weekend port of call for Florentine music…
Venice
Classical music fans shouldn't miss these unusual concerts staged in the pretty Anglican church of St George. Historic baroque musical scores rescued from…
Venice
Hang onto your prosecco and brace for impact: in historic salons the soprano’s high notes imperil glassware, and thundering baritones reverberate through…
Northwestern Tuscany
Come the weekend, locals pour into this tiny music club – at home in a former carpenter's workshop – for fantastic live jazz, blues, soul and funk that…
Catania
For local cinephiles, summer means sultry outdoor film nights at Arena Argentina. Head up for mainly cult and art-house flicks, from Purple Rain and…
Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
Think narrow space, spindly tables, dim lighting and a laid-back vibe: this is a place to snuggle down and listen to some live jazz, soul or blues. It's…
Reggio Emilia
Part of a burgeoning mixology empire in Reggio Emilia, the Craftsman has evolved from a top-shelf cocktail bar on Piazza Fontanesi (still an excellent…
Centro Storico
Founded in 1732, Rome’s top theatre is one of three managed by the Teatro di Roma, along with the Teatro India and Teatro di Villa Torlonia. Rossini’s…
Bari
With performance areas and work spaces named after songwriter Leonard Cohen and inventor Nikola Tesla, Officina degli Esordi offers an interesting…
Naples
Bourbon Street is one of the top spots for live jazz and blues, drawing a mixed crowd of seasoned jazz nerds and rookies. Acts are mostly local, with…
Venice
Hard-core classical fans might baulk at the idea of Vivaldi being played night after night for decades, but it truly is a fitting soundtrack to this city…
Naples
If it's cutting edge, independent or experimental, the chances are it's playing at this cult-status theatre in the Quartieri Spagnoli. Offerings span…
Milan
Multifunctional spaces are all the rage in Milan, and Santeria encapsulates the mood perfectly. By day this ex-Volvo dealership acts as a co-working space…
Bologna
Hosting the university district's most dependable and varied mix of live music, Bravo begins nightly operations as a resto-bar with homemade Bolognese…
Milan
The 'delicatessen of music' is a firm favourite with Milan's alternative scene. Come here for new funk, rock and soul acts, literary salons, cabaret,…
Milan
Designed by Vittorio Gregotti to house the opera when La Scala was being renovated, the Arcimboldi’s fan-shaped auditorium is one of the best in the city…
Milan
This ‘secret’ 75-seat cinema in a renovated showroom beneath a speakeasy bar is the brainchild of nine friends and a successful crowd-funding campaign…
Milan
Completely eschewing the Italian tradition of dubbing films, the lovely 1930s Beltrade movie house screens indie films in their original language to an…
Centro Storico
Running from mid-June to September in conjunction with the riverside Lungo il Tevere festival, the Isola Tiberina sets the stage for a season of outdoor…
Cremona
To hear Cremona’s violins in action, attend one of the concerts held at the ornate 19th-century Teatro Amilcare Ponchielli. Its website has the latest…
Perugia
A favourite among a 30s and 40s alternative crowd, this bohemian haunt hosts acts from across the musical spectrum (jazz, rock, soul, reggae, electronic)…
Naples
Dating from 1779, the Teatro Mercadante is home to the city's leading theatre company, the Teatro Stabile Napoli. The company performs a mix of mainly…
Venice
Jazz is alive and swinging in Dorsoduro, where the resident VJC Jazz Quartet takes to the stage on Mondays, Wednesday and Saturdays, while the VJC Latin…
Catania
Queues are the norm at MA, a stylish, high-profile club serving up quality DJ sets, live bands and jam sessions. The space comes with its own restaurant,…
Udine
This ornate, dark-wooded bar is a perfect Udinese compass point – it feels far more like Prague than points south. Regulars take glasses of red to the…
Perugia
Housed in a converted 15th-century convent, the Zenith is Perugia's oldest cinema. Films – artsy, indie – are shown, sometimes in their original language…
San Giovanni & Testaccio
A fixture on Rome's music scene, ConteStaccio is one of the top venues on the Testaccio clubbing strip. It's known for its free gigs, which feature both…
Porta Garibaldi & Isola
Top-class acts from around the world perform here at the only European outpost for New York's historic Blue Note jazz club. Groove your way through jazz,…
La Spezia
The centre of La Spezia's performing arts scene revolves around the Teatro Civico, which has been around since the 1840s – though a redesign in the 1930s…
Lake Garda
A medieval show with sword fights, heraldry and knights in shining armour is held nightly at CanevaWorld starting in May and lasting until late October…
