Showing 1-22 of 22 results
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Art-Vokzal
This innovative new club has retained much of the structure of the factory that formerly occupied this space, so the atmosphere is industrial, gritty and modern. It's a no-frills space for cutting-edge performance art and music. In some cases, 'cutting-edge' might mean adult puppet theatre, in other cases, it could be experimental jazz music: so check the program before you commit.
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Bolshoy Zal
Bolshoy Zal on pl Iskusstv is the venue for a full program of symphonic performances. The venue is also used for numerous music festivals, including the superb Early Music Festival.
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Fish Fabrique
You don't get any more scruffy than this museum of local boho life. Here, in the dark underbelly of Pushkinskaya 10, artists, musicians and wannabes of all ages meet to drink beer and listen to music. Playing table football is also something of a rite of passage for anyone wanting to join the local arts scene. DJs or bands play in the evenings, making this one of the best places to hear punk and other alternative music.
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Glinka Capella House
This historic hall was constructed for the city's oldest professional choir, the Emperor Court Choir Capella, which was founded in 1473. Originally based in Moscow, it was transferred to St Petersburg upon the order of Peter the Great in 1703. These days, performances focus on choral and organ music.
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Grand Concert Hall
This massive complex near pl Vosstaniya still often goes by its former name, Oktyabrsky. Seating almost 4000 people, this is the venue for Russian 'stars' with a national following, whether they are pop singers or ballet dancers.
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Havana Club
Enduringly popular, Havana is the only club that plays a consistent mix of salsa, merengue and Latin-infused jazz. There is usually live music on at least one of the three dance floors. So put your dancing shoes on (no trainers allowed!) and let loose your inner Ricky Ricardo. Wednesday night is free for 'real Latinos' so bring your passport if you hail from a Spanish-speaking country.
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Hermitage Theatre
This austere neoclassical theatre - once the private theatre of the imperial family - stands on the site of the original Winter Palace of Peter I. At the behest of Catherine the Great, Giacomo Quarenghi designed the theatre to resemble an amphitheatre, with statues of Apollo and the Muses occupying the niches. During the Soviet period, this hall was used more often for lectures and such, but it reopened as a theatre in the 1980s.
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Jazz Philharmonic Hall
Founded by legendary jazz violinist and composer David Goloshchokin, this venue represents the more traditional side of jazz. Two resident bands perform straight jazz and Dixieland in the big hall, which seats up to 200 people. The smaller Ellington Hall is used for occasional acoustic performances. Foreign guests also appear doing mainstream and modern jazz. Drinks and light snacks available.
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JFC Jazz Club
Very small and very New York, this cool club is the best place in the city to hear modern, innovative jazz music, as well as the occasional blues, bluegrass, funk, fusion and even folk. The space is tiny, so book a table if you want to sit down. Otherwise, you can always stand at the bar (which is less expensive). The menu is limited to drinks and snacks.
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Maina
Maina is out there, geographically speaking. But that does not seem to stop hordes of music-lovers from showing up, feasting on modern, fusion fare and jamming to trendy tunes. Local bands and DJs are on the program, and the music runs the gamut, including some styles we've never heard of (intelligent lounge? femme-punk?). But it's a daring, innovative place, and the fact that it's out in the docklands makes it all the edgier.
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Maly Zal
Hosts small ensembles of symphonic performances. The venue is also used for numerous music festivals, including the superb Early Music Festival
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Mariinsky Concert Hall
In April 2007, Mariinsky director Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra opened the new Mariinsky Concert Hall - just in time for the annual Stars of White Nights Festivals. The new building is a magnificent multifaceted creation. It preserves the historic brick façade of the set and scenery warehouse that previously stood on this spot facing ul Pisareva.
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Mirage Univer-City
All the entertainment you ever need - under one roof. Come here to watch a film, eat sushi, play pool, hear live music (Thursday and Friday night) or surf the web. The films are generally the latest from Hollywood, but you are unlikely to see anything in English.
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Orlandina
Opened and owned by the small indie record label, Caravan records, this underground club is perhaps a venue to promote its bands. Nonetheless, it's a pretty slick spot, now in its second location, with a café, bar and music store downstairs, and a concert hall upstairs. The music runs the gamut, with punk, ska, reggae and everything in between.
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Red Club
At the end of an alley near the train tracks, this old warehouse is a great venue for all kinds of music - both local groups and lesser-known European bands. The place is pretty barren in terms of décor: the focus is clearly on the music. Concerts take place early in the evening, then the place turns into a dance club, playing R&B and house music until all hours.
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Red Fox Jazz Café
The newest addition to St Pete's jazz scene is the fun and friendly Red Fox Jazz Café, a subterranean space that showcases jazz in the old-fashioned sense: big band, bebop, ragtime and swing music. Sundays change it up with a jam session, featuring anybody who wants to participate. The menu is extensive and affordable.
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Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory
This illustrious music school - opposite the Mariinsky - was the first public music school in Russia. Founded in 1862, it counts Pyotr Tchaikovsky amongst its alumni and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov among is former faculty. Dmitry Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev are graduates of this institution, as are countless contemporary artistic figures, such as Mariinsky director Valery Gergiev.
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Shostakovich Philharmonia
Under the artistic direction of world-famous conductor Yury Temirkanov, the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra represents the finest in orchestral music. The Bolshoy Zal (Grand Hall) on pl Iskusstv is the venue for a full program of symphonic performances, while the nearby Maly Zal (Small Hall) hosts smaller ensembles. Both venues are used for numerous music festivals, including the superb Early Music Festival. The philharmonic is closed in July and August.
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Smolny Cathedral
Although the Smolny Cathedral was closed for renovation at the time of research, it is usually a venue for musical concerts. While not as attractive as some of the other concert halls in the city (and certainly not as ornate as its gorgeous exterior), it is still an atmospheric place to hear music.
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The Other Side
What is not to love about this fun and funky 'refuge'? The food is incredibly diverse and uncommonly delicious. And for that matter, so is the nightly entertainment, which ranges from acoustic to jazz to afro to ska, all in the course of a week.
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The Place
The area around Baltiyskaya metro is up and coming: while it used to be considered the boonies, it now hosts the hippest and most happening venues for art and music. The Place is no exception. Music ranges from folk to funk, while readings, film screenings and art exhibitions are also in the works. The space itself is more upscale than other such bohemian clubs. With balconies overlooking the stage and an inviting veranda, the Place may appeal to the artsy-fartsy type with upscale tastes.
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Zoccolo
The former St Petersburg musical institution Moloko was forced to move and - apparently - changed name as well. Now Zoccolo, it still has a very positive vibe and a great line up of music: indie rock, pop rock, world music, folk, synth-goth-creation, funk-fusion-bossa, latin-hiphop-reggae and, even, 'if-Radiohead-played-punk'. This all goes down in the new urgently orange and green underground space near pl Vosstaniya.
Showing 1-22 of 22 results
