Medina
This restored house is the outpost for Institut Français in the medina. Check the schedule for interesting dance and musical performances in a beautiful…
Must-see entertainment in Africa
Cape Town
Racing runs year-round here, but the main event to put down in your diary is the glitzy Sun Met (formerly the J&B Met) in January. It's South Africa’s…
Cape Town
One of the two big cinema chains in South Africa. Their venues include Cinema Nouveau in Victoria Wharf at the V&A Waterfront and the screens at Cavendish…
Cape Town
At this eternally popular tourist venue the three resident bands each play a couple of gigs a week featuring marimba and other swinging African sounds…
Dakar
Owned by Youssou N'Dour, one of Africa's most notable musicians and Senegal's tourism and culture minister, this legendary club is always packed and…
Lilongwe
Football matches are played here on Sunday. Look out for posters, or ask local fans for information. It's likely to be superseded by the new Bingu Stadium…
Durban
The glitzy, art deco–style casino is popular with locals and features slot machines, cinemas and some well-attended restaurants. The beach in front of the…
Cape Town
It's mainly used for football matches, although from January to February a contest between the various Cape Minstrel groups is also held here, as part of…
Asmara
Alliance Française is a cultural centre useful for information and occasional performances, and has a library (membership nfa300) for literature-starved…
Antananarivo
This amphitheatre has occasional shows featuring artists from the Malagasy charts, as well as regular gospel-music or church-choir concerts that set the…
Diego Suarez (Antsiranana)
The Alliance Française is housed in a magnificently restored art-deco-style building, formerly the Grande Bazaar, which is worth a look on its own. There…
Nouakchott
Pick up a program for the Institut from many hotels; it's an excellent place, and one of the only venues in town for concerts by local musicians, films,…
Lilongwe
Football matches are played here. Look out for posters, or ask local fans for information. It's likely to be superseded by the new Bingu Stadium, but…
Johannesburg
An offshoot of the Market Theatre, aspiring actors and theatre practitioners train here. It acts as a showcase for community talent and occasionally…
Johannesburg
Anyone who is (or used to be) someone in the South African performing arts has had a show here. The theatre, which is part of the Montecasino complex,…
Meknes
A major centre for Meknes cultural life, this massive complex has a busy schedule of films, plays, concerts and exhibitions. There's also a garden cafe…
Cape Town
This 75-seater venue is the pick of the three stages that can be found at the University of Cape Town’s drama department. Read the reviews before going to…
Lomé
Inside, it's like a 1980s disco with its blacked-out windows, but Le Rézo is more contemporary than it looks, with giant screens showing Champions League…
Cape Town
DJ events and live-music gigs are often held on weekends and holidays at this large complex in traditional African village style, with a number of bars,…
Meknes
Swing by this grand old cinema, built in 1938, even if you don't have time for a feature film – the sweeping mural along the staircase is a masterpiece…
Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle
The French Institute in Marrakesh collaborates with local organisations, performers and visual artists to put on Moroccan-flavoured film screenings,…
Durban
The University of KwaZulu-Natal has contemporary-music, classical and jazz performances during university terms. Performers vary from township jazz…
Cape Town
Check the website for details of wine tasting and live music events held in this venue, which is run by the owners of the nearby fine-dining restaurant…
Dakar
The German cultural centre frequently hosts exhibitions and shows films. It offers German-language classes, and there's also a library open to the public…
Windhoek
Located south of the National Art Gallery, the national theatre stages infrequent theatrical performances; for information see the Namibian newspaper.
Ville Nouvelle
One of the city's major cultural outlets, scheduling touring and local artists and productions with, naturellement, a French bent. This location hosts…
Cape Town
This long-running bar hosts live music from local acts as well as the DJ venue Mercury Live. With the area undergoing a lot of development, though, its…
Essaouira
This cultural centre hosts exhibitions, concerts and performances by Moroccan and French artists and musicians, along with art-house films. It also offers…
Cairo
Once Cairo's finest, this old 1930s cinema has been spruced up enough in recent years to even show 3D movies. Foreign films are usually shown in their…
Malawi
In the basement of the Chichiri Shopping Mall, underneath Game supermarket, this cinema shows Hollywood films.
Nouakchott
The largest football stadium in the country; also where locals go for a jog in the early evening. Locals report crowd control issues here for…
Port Elizabeth
The oldest theatre in both Africa and the southern hemisphere, the PE Opera House hosts a wide range of performances, including plays, poetry, concerts…
Tunis
This multipurpose stadium is home to football clubs Espérance Sportive de Tunis and Club Africain and is where Tunisian League football matches are played.
Libreville
This casino gets good reviews for its music and friendly wait staff. Try your hand at poker, blackjack and roulette, as well as slots and video poker.
Kinshasa
Kinshasa's premier arts venue, which has an energetic calender of live music, art exhibitions and cultural events. It has a good restaurant-bar, too.
Burkina Faso
One of the best venues in town for live music. Local bands come to play Afrobeat and there's always lots of dancing. Concerts held Thursday to Sunday.
Senegal
The biggest concerts in town (including the main acts of the jazz festival) happen at the vast Quai des Arts.
Ouagadougou
The French cultural centre has one of the best line-ups of Burkinabé and West African musicians, theatre directors, cinema and visual artists.
Cotonou
This cool den hosts gigs from local bands, with an emphasis on jazz, rock and blues, but really, anything goes here. There's no cover charge.
Addis Ababa
The multiplex cinema inside the Edna Mall shows all the big-ticket Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood and local films, including those in 3D.
