Must-see entertainment in St Petersburg

St Petersburg's most spectacular venue for ballet and opera, the Mariinsky Theatre is an attraction in its own right. Tickets can be bought online or in…

This magnificent venue is just one part of an immaculate architectural ensemble designed by Carlo Rossi. The theatre’s interior oozes 19th-century…

This illustrious stage delivers the Russian ballet or operatic experience, complete with multitiered theatre, frescoed ceiling and elaborate productions…

Finally opening its doors in 2013 after more than a decade of construction, legal wrangles, scandal and rumour, the Mariinsky II is a showpiece for St…

This historic hall was constructed for Russia’s oldest professional choir, the Emperor Court Choir Capella, founded in 1473. Originally based in Moscow,…

Very small and very New York, this cool club is the best place in the city to hear modern, innovative jazz music, as well as blues, bluegrass and various…

This illustrious music school was the first public music school in Russia. The Bolshoy Zal (Big Hall) on the 3rd floor is an excellent place to see…

During the summer months attend atmospheric outdoor screenings on the city's rooftops via the Roof Cinema, which hosts shows at Mod Club and the New Stage…

Designed by Giacomo Quarenghi, this intimate neoclassical auditorium was once the private theatre of the imperial family, and stands on the site of the…

One of the handful of cinemas in the city where you can see foreign films and some higher-brow Hollywood productions with subtitles, as well as arty…

Opened in 2007, this concert hall is a magnificent multifaceted creation. It manages to preserve the historic brick facade of the set and scenery…

There are St Petersburg institutions and then there’s Fish Fabrique, the museum of local boho life that has been going for over two decades. Here, in the…

Opening in 1913 as the Piccadilly Picture House, this was the city’s most fashionable cinema in the early years of Russian film, and it has retained its…

The New Stage at Alexandrinsky, which opened in 2013, is a strikingly modern building for the historic city center but one that keeps a low profile due to…

Housed inside the outrageously ornate Yusupov Palace, this elaborate yet intimate venue was the home entertainment centre for one of the city’s foremost…

On the rooftop of an art cluster near the Botanical Gardens, Hi-Hat hosts nights of live music, DJs and open-air film screenings. The creative line-up and…

Founded by legendary jazz violinist and composer David Goloshchokin, this venue represents the more traditional side of jazz. Two resident bands perform…

Also called the Theatre of Europe, the Maly is St Petersburg’s most internationally celebrated theatre. Its director Lev Dodin is famed for his long…

Under the artistic direction of world-famous conductor Yury Temirkanov, the Philharmonia represents the finest in orchestral music. The Bolshoy Zal is the…

A shrine to Viktor Tsoy, the late Soviet-era rocker who worked as caretaker of this former boilerhouse bunker with band mates from Kino. Music lovers…