Must see entertainment in Santiago de Cuba

The most discovered 'undiscovered' spot in Santiago still retains its smoke-filled, foot-stomping, front-room feel. Hidden in the genteel Tivolí district,…

When Santiago gets too hot, noisy and agitated, you need a dose of Iris, one of Cuba's suavest and best jazz clubs, where you can sit in a comfy booth…

Santiago's shrine to the power of traditional music is still going strong five decades on, continuing to attract big names such as Buena Vista Social Club…

Santiago’s oldest folklórico group was formed in 1959; they are currently bivouacked at the Teatro Heredia. They perform a huge range of Afro-Cuban dance…

For pure tumba francesa dancing check out the Tumba Francesa la Caridad de Oriente, one of only three of these French-Haitian groups left in Cuba. They…

Every Saturday night, the side streets branching off this main thoroughfare teem with street food, music and crowds for a city-wide outdoor party.

The Ballet Folklórico Cutumba is an offshoot of the Oriente group formed in 1976. You can usually see them rehearsing at their HQ, the Teatro Galaxia from…

Anything Havana can do, Santiago can do better – or at least cheaper. Styled on the Tropicana original, this 'feathers and baubles' Las Vegas–style floor…

Features comparsa (carnival music and dance groups) who represent the Los Hoyos neighborhood in Santiago’s July carnival. The group is a descendant of a…

This is the hotel Meliá Santiago de Cuba's slightly less spectacular version of the Tropicana. Cabarets take place on Saturday with a disco afterward. It…

Grab a seat (or stand in the street) and settle down for whatever this spontaneous place can throw at you: orchestral danzón (ballroom dance), folkloric…

This comparsa (carnival music and dance group) represents the Tivoli neighborhood in Santiago’s July carnival. The tradition is derived from 19th-century…

Art lines the walls of this shop-and-club combo that hosts live music both day and night in the front room or quaint inner courtyard; a good bet if the…

First stop for art fiends seeking intellectual solace in talks, workshops, encounters and performances – all in a gorgeous colonial courtyard.

During the baseball season, from October to April, this stadium hosts games at 7:30pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, and 1:30pm Sunday (MN$1)…

Santiago's huge, modern theater and convention center went up during the city refurbishment in the early 1990s. Rock and folk concerts often take place in…

The old-timers label (abuelos means grandparents) carries a certain amount of truth. This relaxed live-music house is a bastion for traditional son sung…

One of the more modern folkloric groups formed in 1989 to promote Afro-Cuban dance to tourists. They can be seen performing on Saturday evenings and…

You can catch the Sinfónica del Oriente at this former church on Plaza de Dolores, plus the impressive children's choir (at 5pm). The event calendar is…

Children's shows are staged at 5pm on Saturday and Sunday at this theater near General Portuondo, opposite the Iglesia de Santo Tomás.