Dortmund
Dortmund’s famous and massively popular and succesful Bundesliga soccer team plays its home games at the legendary Westfalenstadion, now branded as Signal…
Must-see entertainment in Germany
St Pauli & Reeperbahn
This legendary Hamburg jazz club inhabits the fab basement of the Tanzende Türme office towers. Stellar local and international acts take to the stage…
Prenzlauer Berg
On most summer Sundays, Berlin’s best free entertainment kicks off around 3pm when Joe Hatchiban sets up his custom-made mobile karaoke unit in the…
Dresden
Generations of young folks have memories of the 'Barn', which started out as a mainstream GDR-era youth club before turning into an offbeat culture centre…
Munich
Germany's most successful team both domestically and on a European level plays home games at the impressive Allianz Arena, built for the 2006 World Cup…
Hanover
Ska from Uruguay, Chinese new-year festivals, disco, reggae, heavy-metal gigs, hip-hop, multimedia installations, quiz evenings, book readings and film…
Bremen City
A decade or more is a long time to be a hot tip, but this Das Viertel gem has pulled it off. A student crowd gathers here for parties and events, but it’s…
Münster
A fine reason to head out to the Hafen, this subterranean bar keeps it real with live music of nearly all stripes – despite the name. Many concerts are…
Berlin
One of the world's most famous orchestras, the Berliner Philharmoniker, is based at the tent-like Philharmonie, designed by Hans Scharoun in the 1950s and…
Historic Mitte
The smallest among Berlin's trio of opera houses is also its least stuffy, even if its flashy neo-baroque auditorium might suggest otherwise. Productions…
Cinestar Original im Sony Center
Berlin
A favourite among English-speaking expats and Germans, this state-of-the-art cinema with nine screens, comfy seats and top technology shows the latest…
Dresden
Dresden's famous opera house is the home of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden, which puts on brilliant performances that usually sell out.
City West & Charlottenburg
Life’s still a cabaret at this intimate 1912 mirrored art nouveau tent theatre, one of Berlin's most beloved venues for sophisticated song-and-dance shows…
Historic Mitte
After a seven-year exile, Berlin's most famous opera company is once again performing at the venerable neoclassical Staatsoper Unter den Linden, which…
Düsseldorf
As a former planetarium the Tonhalle has always trained the spotlight on the stars. Today it’s the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra and the heavyweights of…
Berlin
This top-rated indie screens a smart line-up of cinematic expression, from new German films and international art-house flicks to themed retrospectives…
City West & Charlottenburg
In a converted 1920s expressionist cinema by Erich Mendelsohn, Schaubühne is western Berlin's main stage for experimental, contemporary theatre, usually…
Cologne
The Kölner Philharmonie is a grand modern concert hall that presents a wide range of aural treats, from classical to jazz and chansons. It's also the home…
Heidelberg
Within an old train station, beloved cultural centre Karlstorbahnhof has an art-house cinema screening original-language films; theatre, cabaret and…
Fairy-Tale Road
Look for the stone wall on Steinweg studded with cow-, horse- and goat-busts to find this prime port of call for jazz and blues lovers. Monday is open…
Baden-Baden
Ensconced in an historical train station and fabled for its acoustics, the Festspielhaus is Europe's second-biggest concert hall, seating 2500…
Dresden
This institution can be found at the junction of the Neustadt's two most happening streets. As its name suggests, this cavernous party pit is set in a…
Friedrichshain
Cradled by Volkspark Friedrichshain, this open-air cinema has seating for 1500 on comfortable benches with backrests, plus a lawn with space for 300 more…
Leipzig
Led by Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons, the Gewandhaus is one of Europe’s finest and oldest civic orchestras. With a history harking back to 1743, it…
St Pauli & Reeperbahn
Around since the 1960s, Gruenspan has evolved since its time as a notorious drug den into one of St Pauli's best live music venues. Just about any musical…
Erfurt
Not only children will be enchanted by the adorable marionettes and puppets that perform at this cute theatre in a historic woad storehouse (reached via…
Thuringian Forest & the Saale Valley
You can’t swim in the 'People's Baths' (an early-20th-century, heritage-listed public pool) any longer; instead you’ll be showered with theatre, recitals…
Friedrichshain
The jewel among Berlin’s multiuse indoor venues, this 17,000-seat arena regularly welcomes entertainment royalty such as Depeche Mode, Rihanna and Beyoncé…
Hamburg
Attending a concert here is an essential part of visiting Hamburg's most exciting architectural icon. With a full program, a number of different…
Berlin
The antithesis of popcorn culture, this arty twin-screen cinema features a bold global flick schedule that hopscotches from Japanese satire to Brazilian…
Berlin
Every summer, adoring theatre groupies descend upon this lovely outdoor amphitheatre near Museumsinsel (Museum Island) for crowd-pleasing classics (in…
Weimar
Expect a grab bag of classic and contemporary theatre, opera and concerts at this esteemed space. Performances are in German (musical recitals the obvious…
Bremen City
Bremen’s concert hall stages classical concerts, opera and a large variety of special events, many by visiting performers, in a venue whose acoustics are…
Stuttgart
Stuttgart’s grandest theatre presents a top-drawer program of ballet, opera, theatre and classical music.
Kreuzberg
Indie ticket agency, especially good for non-mainstream concerts and events, with great service and best-seat guarantee. Takes orders from out of the…
Stuttgart
Jimi Hendrix and Sting are among the stars who have performed at this culture and congress centre. The 1950s venue stages big-name classical and pop…
Hamburg
Among the world’s most respected opera houses, the Staatsoper has been directed by the likes of Gustav Mahler and Karl Böhm during its 325-year-plus…
Hanover
Housed in the 19th-century opera house that was lovingly restored after suffering WWII damage. Classical music as well as ballet and opera are performed…
Stuttgart
Jam-packed at weekends, this hole-in-the-wall bar is Stuttgart’s leading jazz venue, with nightly concerts starting at 9pm or 10pm.
