-
Teatro Comunale
Concerts, opera and dance are the staples at this old but utilitarian 2000-seater. You can catch all three of these arts in May and June when the theatre hosts the two-month Maggio Musicale Fiorentina festival. MaggioDanza is the resident dance company and puts on regular ballet performances and hosts visiting shows.
-
Teatro della Limonaia
Fringe theatre on the fringe of Florence, this atmospheric little theatre also hosts the Intercity Festival in late summer, when contemporary theatre companies from different international capitals are invited to stage their performances.
-
Teatro della Pergola
Italy's oldest theatre is a cosy place in which to hear chamber music from international companies, organised by the Amici della Musica. It also hosts occasional ballet, opera and drama.
-
Teatro Verdi
There are seasons of drama, opera, concerts and dance in this 19th-century theatre, but it's best known as the place to hear the 40-strong Orchestra Regionale Toscana (ORT).
-
Tenax
This is where the big names play when they come to town and it's also a good place to check the pulse of the Italian scene. When the bands clear, the best local DJs take over and the massive raised dance floor pumps to progressive house, big beat and hip-hop.
-
Universale
The owners have converted this old cinema, putting a restaurant upstairs and a bar in the middle of the downstairs area, around which gathers a mixed set of locals tending towards the beautiful people. In the background a screen plays classic black and white movie clips.
-
Universo Sanchez
Florentines in their finest frippery flock here (but not in summer, when it is usually half-empty) to sip cocktails in a series of different bars, stretching back from the vaguely North African-styled chill area in the front. There are dance spaces, the chance to do a little yoga and more intimate rooms towards the back, for couples with eyes (and hands) only for one another.
-
Vinarius
If you're after a civilised wine stop in the course of the day, drop by here and indulge in a little tasting. They put out more than a dozen reds and several whites by the glass for you to choose from - a combination of Tuscan and national labels.
-
William
Although it's another of the English-style contingent (of which you may have noticed there is no shortage), this cavernous drinking den tends to attract groups of young Florentines in search of a pint of ale rather than gangs of holiday-makers in search of six.
-
Y.A.G. Bar
There's a warm and fuzzy atmosphere at this spacious dance bar, invariably full of cute young boys and a sprinkling of lesbians. It gets packed by midnight.
-
Advertisement
-
Yab
Older clubbers flock to this central favourite where there's a good mix of top-drawer sounds throughout the week and on-the-minute hip-hop Mondays. A huge dance floor is flanked with raised bars perfect for wiggling and watching.
-
Zoe
Zoe is popular with a sexy student crowd who come for the fruitylicous cocktails and the glowing red interior, bedecked with changing art exhibitions. The bar is so popular with young locals that they are known to spill out onto the street.
