Must see entertainment in Beijing

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Plonked in the middle of an artificial lake like an alien spaceship, the Paul Andreu–designed NCPA (aka 'The Egg') is a surreal yet spectacular venue at…

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A hip hutong livehouse popular with local musicians, Jiang Hu stages folk, blues, jazz and open-mic shows most nights in its wood-beamed courtyard space…

The most atmospheric Peking opera house in town (it was undergoing refurbishment at time of research, so fingers crossed it stays that way...), Huguang…

Beijing's premier acrobatic show is a rapid-fire fiesta of youthful acrobats, gymnasts, contortionists and daredevils, who between them pull off some…

One of Mao's '10 Great Buildings' erected in 1959 to mark a decade of the People's Republic of China, the Workers' Stadium was built to hold 80,000 people…

The opera mask on the forecourt is the only giveaway, save for the Chinese sign, that this modern block is actually an opera house. Chang'an Grand is more…

Local bands, cabaret, salsa dancing and life drawing are just some of the antics unfolding nightly at this arty, Jazz-Age-styled bar and performance space…

In a secluded hutong, Dusk Dawn Club is the place to catch small and mid-sized bands, from post-rock noise outfits to folk strummers, both Chinese and…

Rock star Cui Jian’s saxophonist, whose quartet plays here, opened this dark and moody upstairs jazz den overlooking Qianhai Lake. It’s the best place to…

Considered one of the city's best venues for acoustics, the Forbidden City Concert Hall is the modern successor to an open-air stage built inside regal…

Named after China’s most famous practitioner of Peking opera, this modern theatre has around 1000 seats and is home turf for the prestigious China…

The closest Beijing has to a genuine art-house cinema. Regular mini-festivals cover various genres as well as the usual Hollywood blockbusters. Find it…

A classy, subterranean live-music venue staging high-profile international jazz, blues and fusion musicians. The historical Legation Quarter setting gives…

Distorted guitars rule at this divey mainstay of Beijing's underground-music scene. Punk, garage, indie and metal bands dominate, plus the occasional DJ…

Check out up-and-coming Chinese bands at this arty, 500-capacity livehouse, which also stages movie screenings and cultural events.

Dingjun Mountain, an excerpt of Peking opera believed to be the first Chinese film, was screened at this historical cinema back in 1905. Remarkably, you…

Named after the celebrated Chinese novelist and dramatist whose works include the play Teahouse, the nightly shows at this tourist-oriented complex are…

This touristy theatre in the Qianmen Jianguo Hotel has nightly performances of Peking opera complete with English subtitles. The setting isn’t traditional…

The daily show is The Legend of Kung Fu, which follows one boy’s journey to become a warrior monk. Slick, high-energy fight scenes are interspersed with…

Conveniently situated in the basement of the Taikoo Li Sanlitun shopping mall, this swish multiplex usually shows at least one or two English-language…