Must-see entertainment in Venice

One of Italy's top opera houses, La Fenice stages a rich roster of opera, ballet and classical music. The main opera season runs from January to July and…

Named after the city’s great playwright, Carlo Goldoni, Venice's main theatre has an impressive dramatic range that runs from Goldoni’s comedy to…

A separate entity to Palazzo Grassi, Teatrino Palazzo Grassi has a 225-seat auditorium that hosts a wide range of cultural events, from live concerts to…

This pretty 17th-century theatre was built over the ruins of Marco Polo's palazzo (mansion). It now shares a classical music, opera and ballet program…

Pleasure palaces don't get more romantic than this little palazzo on concert nights, when exquisite harmonies tickle Sebastiano Ricci angels tumbling…

Classical music fans shouldn't miss these unusual concerts staged in the pretty Anglican church of St George. Historic baroque musical scores rescued from…

Hang onto your prosecco and brace for impact: in historic salons the soprano’s high notes imperil glassware, and thundering baritones reverberate through…

Hard-core classical fans might baulk at the idea of Vivaldi being played night after night for decades, but it truly is a fitting soundtrack to this city…

Jazz is alive and swinging in Dorsoduro, where the resident VJC Jazz Quartet takes to the stage on Mondays, Wednesday and Saturdays, while the VJC Latin…

‘Paradise Lost’ is a find for anyone craving a cold beer canalside on a hot summer’s night. Although the restaurant is also popular, the Paradiso is…

When not busy staging environmental protests or avant-garde performance art, this counterculture social centre throws one hell of a party, with…

Award-winning films and blockbusters screen year-round at the city's main cinema. Films are screened in their original language on Fridays and Mondays,…

Founded in 1638, the world's oldest casino moved into its current palatial home in the 1950s. Slots open at 11am; arrive after 3.30pm wearing your jacket…

The experimental theatre of Venice's acting academy, nicknamed Teatro Formaggino (Little Cheese), seats 150 around its three-sided stage. But you’re not…

It's a gimmick for sure, but the Scuola Grande dei Carmini provides a sumptuous backdrop for classical concerts performed in masks and 18th-century…

Spend a perfectly enjoyable evening in prison with this six-member chamber orchestra, which performs Vivaldi's Four Seasons in the grand hall rather than…

With fine acoustics, soaring Tiepolo ceilings and a long association with Vivaldi, La Pietà makes an ideal venue for live baroque music. This ensemble…

Screenings of international film-festival winners, recently restored classics and family-friendly animations share top billing at this small cinema. There…

Venice’s public film archive shows original-language art films, including some in English, to members in a modern 50-seat, wood-beamed screening room…