Must-see entertainment in Moscow

An evening at the Bolshoi is still one of Moscow’s most romantic and entertaining options for a night on the town. The glittering six-tier auditorium has…

Renowned performance artist Boris Yukhananov has revived this old theatre as Moscow's hottest venue for experimental performance and visual art. Dance,…

One of the most talked-about theatres in Moscow is under constant political pressure due to the nonconformist position of its director Kirill…

This giant stadium (home to football club FC Torpedo) is the capital's largest, seating nearly 81,000 people. The stadium is part of the Luzhniki Olympic…

The country’s largest music school, named for Tchaikovsky of course, has two venues, both of which host concerts, recitals and competitions. The Great…

Established in 1921, the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall is the main venue for the country's best orchestras and stellar international acts. It’s a huge…

This theatre company was founded in 1991 by then-mayor Luzhkov and artistic director Evgeny Kolobov. Maestro Kolobov stated, ‘We do not pretend to be…

MOST may seem like one of the younger theatres in Moscow, founded in 2000. However, it evolved from the student theatre (more than 200 years old) of the…

Founded in 1880, this circus is now named after beloved actor and clown Yury Nikulin (1921–97), who performed at the studio here for many years. Nikulin’s…

Often called the most influential theatre in Europe, this is where method acting was founded over 100 years ago, by Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko…

This graceful, modern glass building has three halls, including Svetlanov Hall, which holds the largest organ in Russia. Needless to say, organ concerts…

If you can’t stand to see another Swan Lake, you will be pleased to know that the New Ballet performs innovative contemporary dance. This performance art,…

Home to professional football club FC Spartak, this bizarre-looking arena – easy to recognise by the Spartak red-and-white on the exterior – was built for…

This huge circus holds 3400 spectators, but the steep pitch means that everyone has a view of the action. The company includes hundreds of performers –…

At this unusual theatre, acrobatic cats do all kinds of stunts for the audience’s delight. Director Yury Kuklachev bristles at the use of the word 'train'…

‘Maly’ means small, meaning smaller than the Bolshoi across the street. Actually, the name dates back to the time when there were only two theatres in…

Almost all of the films shown in Russia are dubbed into the Russian language, but this cinema theatre is a pleasant exception. Apart from sticking with…

This old-style blues club hosts an open jam session on Wednesday night, acoustic blues on Sunday and live performances other nights. The restaurant is…

The Lenkom isn’t the most glamorous theatre, but it’s widely considered to have the strongest acting troupe in the country. The flashy productions and…

The Bolshoi Theatre doesn’t have a monopoly on ballet in Moscow. Leading dancers also appear with the Kremlin Ballet, which performs in the State Kremlin…