Taichung
Sweet indie spot that has people coming from all over the island for its gigs. Acts featured here include visual-art-and-drummer duo Adrena Adrena, Taipei…
Must-see entertainment in Taiwan
National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts (Weiwuying)
Kaohsiung
This 9.9-hectare, Dutch-designed building resembling a giant stingray is the premier centre for art and culture in southern Taiwan. It has a state-of-the…
Tainan
This intimate dive at Ximen Roundabout is the place for live indie music in Tainan and one of the top ones in southern Taiwan. There are weekly gigs by…
Kaohsiung
A classy jazz bar hosting accomplished musicians from Taiwan and Asia most Fridays and Saturdays, from 8pm to 10pm. Tickets range from NT$400 to NT$800,…
Taipei
Taipei's longest-running jazz club, Blue Note has been around since 1974. It's a moody little purple cavern with a fairy-lit ceiling. Very local and…
National Theater & Concert Hall
Taipei
Located inside Liberty Sq, the National Theater & Concert Hall hosts large-scale concerts and cultural events including dances, musicals, Chinese and…
Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center
Shilin
This spanking-new theatre complex plays host to traditional operas and music but looks entirely futuristic – three grey polygonal buildings with coloured…
Xinyi
Swoop through the clouds above Taiwan's peaks, float over tea plantations and take a plunge with a turtle: i-Ride Taipei is a 5D cinema where a…
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung's premier live-music venue hosts indie acts from Taiwan and Asia several times a week. See monthly schedules on Facebook. Shows usually start at…
Taipei
An experimental contemporary dance group; the theatre also hosts international acts.
Taitung
An old railway repair facility has been artistically repurposed with the help of Taitung's independent musicians and artists, into a magical bar and…
Taichung
With three state-of-the-art theatres, a playhouse and a beautiful sky garden, this theatre is one of Taiwan's premier cultural venues. The modern,…
Taipei
The best cinema in Taipei. Shows mainstream and independent movies, and has decent popcorn, pretty cheap tickets (NT$270), small screening rooms with…
Kaohsiung
Live-music venue and production studio that sees local and international indie bands performing a few times a month. See their Facebook page for…
Chiayi
This alternative, laid-back space feels like someone's home and is rented by 12 young music-and-art lovers to host live gigs and movie screenings. See…
Tainan
A handsome 140-year-old street house has been turned into a venue for tea and theatre, with daily performances of Taiwanese comedic dialogue. A tasty…
Taipei
Live music, theatre, poetry readings, dance, lectures, workshops, anything goes in this beautiful space inside Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab – first…
Kaohsiung
A chill venue where music-industry types hang, and everyone seems to know everyone else. There are performances by indie acts and singer-songwriters from…
Taipei
This excellent art-house cinema is housed in a beautiful white colonial building that was once home to the US ambassador, and which dates back to 1925…
Taipei
This laid-back neighbourhood bar (the name means 'no problem' in Taiwanese), painted in warm Mediterranean oranges and reds, features regular live music…
Taipei
The creepy night-time walk from Bade Rd through the old brewery to get to Super 346 Livehouse is what makes this place worth a trip. Built in 1919 as…
Taipei
Above Yongle Market, this theatre regularly holds performances of Taiwanese opera. In May and June it hosts free shows in the outside square. On the 8th…
Taipei
One of Taipei's liveliest spots for drinking and catching live music (usually indie or rock). Very popular with expats, foreign students and backpackers,…
Taipei
Taipei Eye showcases Chinese opera together with other rotating performances, including puppet theatre and indigenous dance. This is a tourist show, but…
Taipei
A grungy industrial-style club next to the river. Hosts an eclectic range of local and international DJs and bands, playing everything from house and…
Western Taiwan
Changhua's underground music spot hosts performances by indie bands from Taiwan and other parts of Asia on some weekends. See their Facebook page for…
Taipei
This live jazz club is a cosy, purplish underground space with soft lighting. Music extends to blues, reggae and Latin-inspired beats. Their well…
Taipei
The cavernous Wall is Taipei's premier venue for independent music, both local and international. Expect rock, indie, jazz, soul, and pop. Descend the…
Ximending & Wanhua
One of Taipei's best live-music venues, the 800-seat Riverside sits at the back of the historic Red House in Ximending. Acts range from local Mandopop …
Songshan
Vast, cavernous and shaped like a flying saucer, the Taipei Arena hosts concerts and sporting events. Some top international names have performed here –…
Ximending & Wanhua
PartyWorld is Taiwan's best-known karaoke chain. It's not the cheapest, but it is the biggest. This branch opposite the Ximending area looks like a hotel…
Songshan
This long-standing favourite is less busy than some, and offers a good mix of mainstream and alternative movies. Box office is on the seventh floor of the…
Xinyi
This giant multiplex is always packed. Ticket prices are a little higher than usual, but with more than a dozen screens there should be something worth…
Ambassador Theatres @ Spring Centre
Taipei
This huge cinema with subterranean screens often shows independent movies (including documentaries) as well as the usual mainstream fare.
Taiyuan Asian Puppet Theatre Museum
Taipei
With more than 10,000 Asian puppets in this marvellous private museum, this is a must-visit. Sadly, the museum will close in July 2019 for approximately…