Leeds
Leeds supporters know all about pain: the team was relegated from the Premiership in 2004, and then from the Championship down to League One in 2007…
Must-see entertainment in Great Britain
Southeast England
Built in 1962, this somewhat Soviet-looking playhouse has a long and distinguished history. Sir Laurence Olivier was the theatre’s first director, and…
Notting Hill & West London
Sit under the 1000-seat canopy, temporarily erected every summer for a nine-week season in the middle of Holland Park, for a mix of crowd-pleasers and…
Glasgow
One of Glasgow's big two football clubs, Rangers play in blue and traditionally represent the Protestant, pro-Union side of the divide. They recently…
Old Town
A long-established music venue – it seems like every Edinburgh student for the last four decades spent half their youth here – Bannerman's straggles…
New Town
The raddled old queen of Edinburgh's 1990s gay scene has been given a shot in the arm, with two floors of deafening dance and disco every night. It can…
Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog
What happens when Creation Records boss Alan McGee, the man who unleashed Oasis on the world, decides to renovate an 1837 Baptist chapel in your little…
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Opened in 1937 as Newcastle's first newsreel cinema, this art deco picture house with plush red-velvet seats still screens newsreels (11.15am daily) as…
Brighton & Hove
TOM has emerged as Hove's top venue for alternative theatre, comedy and live music, all performed in front of small crowds seated cafe-style in an…
Manchester
This indoor arena about 300m north of Victoria Station hosts concerts and sporting events and has a capacity of 21,000. On 22 May 2017 a suicide bomber…
Brixton, Peckham & South London
Housed in a grand former town hall, the Battersea Arts Centre puts on experimental, thought-provoking stage performances and even runs 'Scratch' sessions,…
Old Town
This atmospheric cellar bar, with its polished parquet floors, bare stone walls, candlelit tables and stylish steel-framed chairs, is owned and operated…
Greenwich
Bizarrely enough, the hecklers can be funnier than the acts at this great club. Mischief, rowdiness and excellent comedy are the norm, with the Blackout…
New Town
Decadent decor of black leather, ornate plasterwork and gilt detailing creates a stylish setting for this complex of bars and performance spaces above the…
Newcastle United Football Club
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NUFC is more than just a football team – it's the collective expression of Geordie hope and pride. Buy match tickets online, by phone or at the box office…
Yorkshire
The former stomping ground of acclaimed playwright John Godber, who made his name with the gritty 1980s comedies Bouncers and Up 'n' Under (he is one of…
East London
A gloriously atmospheric example of a Victorian music hall, Wilton’s hosts a variety of shows, from comedy and classical music to theatre and opera. The…
The West End
The Curzon Soho is one of London’s best cinemas with a broad programme of the best of British, European, US and world indie films, regular Q&As with…
Brixton, Peckham & South London
Originally opening in 1911, this classic cinema is a cornerstone of Brixton cultural life, attracting both film-goers and drinkers (to its bars and fine…
North Yorkshire
A gorgeous Edwardian theatre that is now part of the conference-and-events venue Harrogate Convention Centre. The musical program covers orchestral and…
South Bank
The 2700-capacity Royal Festival Hall is one of the best places in London to hear modern and classical music, poetry and spoken-word performances. The…
Old Town
This popular folk-music pub is tiny, so get here early (9pm start weekdays, 6pm and 9.30pm sessions on Saturday, 4.30pm and 7pm sessions on Sunday) if you…
Manchester
Excellent midsized venue in a former institute for deaf people; also includes a smaller venue in the basement and a cafe on the ground floor. It's where…
North London
There's free comedy every night at this great little club upstairs at the Camden Head pub. Monday is improv night, and on other evenings you might get…
Inverness
The Highlands’ main cultural venue – with theatre, art-house cinema and a conference centre – Eden Court stages a busy program of drama, dance, comedy,…
Notting Hill & West London
Hosting such musical titans as Sting, Kate Bush and Paul Weller as well as comedians, celebrity scientists such as Professor Brian Cox and travelling…
Manchester
By day a typical Northern Quarter canteen-style cafe, but at night this is one of the city's best places to catch live music, with a full schedule of gigs…
Nottingham
A varied line-up of live bands and DJs plays alongside regular open-mic sessions and karaoke at this venue attached to Stealth nightclub. Between them,…
Liverpool
It's a faithful reconstruction of the club where the Beatles played their early gigs, and not even on the same spot (the original club was a few doors…
Canterbury
Canterbury’s main theatre attracts popular, fast-selling productions on national tour. Check out that bizarre auditorium, with its dark faux veneers…
Glasgow
By the Barras market area, this repurposed church – stained glass and organ still in situ – is a fantastic spot hosting live music every weekend,…
Old Town
The Bedlam hosts a long-established (running for more than 25 years) weekly improvisation slot, the Improverts, which is hugely popular with local…
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
In the Ouseburn Valley touring acts and local talent – from experimental prog-rock heads to up-and-coming pop goddesses – fill the bill every night of the…
Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields
A glittering modern venue that was first established in 1683, Sadler's Wells is the most eclectic modern-dance and ballet venue in town, with experimental…
Inverness
Hootananny is the city’s best live-music venue, with traditional folk- and/or rock-music sessions nightly, including big-name bands from all over Scotland…
Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
A magnificent old Victorian building facing Little Green (next to Richmond Green), Richmond Theatre opened in 1899. Designed by architect Frank Matcham,…
East London
One of London's most beautiful theatres, this renovated Edwardian music hall (1901) offers an extremely diverse range of performances, from hard-edged…
Kent
Around a mile east of the Turner Contemporary along the seafront, in Cliftonville, the Tom Thumb Theatre is, as the name suggests, small – in fact it's…
Greenwich
This 1960s-style basement jazz bar has been a Greenwich institution for years, hidden away on a backstreet near the entrance to Greenwich Park. There's…
South Cornwall
Owned by local chain WTW, the city's four-screen cinema is a great space to watch films, and is a favourite of renowned UK film critic Mark Kermode (who…
