Helsinki
Helsinki’s number-one jazz club attracts a refined older crowd swinging to boogie woogie, trad jazz, Dixieland and New Orleans most nights. As well as the…
Must-see entertainment in Scandinavia
Copenhagen
The Tivoli concert hall hosts Danish and international symphony orchestras, string quartets and other classical-music performances, not to mention…
Stockholm
Regular performances are staged at this theatre inside Kulturhuset, as well as guest appearances by foreign theatre companies. It's also the temporary…
Reykjavík
Drama, stand-up comedy, improv and dance all get a showing at this long-standing, independent performing-arts theatre. Look out for the many shows…
Helsinki
Next to the Olympic Stadium, this 10,770-seat arena is the home ground of Helsinki's football (aka soccer) team, HJK (Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi). The team…
Vesterbro & Frederiksberg
The daddy of Copenhagen's live-music venues, Vega hosts everyone from big-name rock, pop, blues and jazz acts to underground indie, hip-hop and electro up…
Helsinki
From mid-August to May, opera, ballet and classical concerts are staged at Helsinki's opera house, set in landscaped parkland next to Töölönlahti bay…
Helsinki
The Finnish National Theatre was founded in 1872 as the country's first Finnish-speaking theatre, but didn't move into its permanent home until 1902. The…
Helsinki
One of Helsinki’s legendary rock venues, going strong since 1970, Tavastia attracts both up-and-coming local acts and bigger international groups, with a…
Vesterbro & Frederiksberg
Dansehallerne is Copenhagen's leading contemporary-dance venue. Located in a disused Carlsberg mineral-water factory, its stages showcase a busy season of…
Odense
Built in 2014, Odeon is Odense's sparkling-new centre for theatre, concerts, musicals, ballet and conference-style events. There's a packed calendar in…
Odense
Run mostly by volunteers, this intimate live-performance venue focuses primarily (but not exclusively) on jazz, blues, folk and world music, from Danish…
Copenhagen
Rocking out in a wooden-beamed warehouse in live-and-let-live Christiania, Loppen delivers both established and emerging acts from Denmark and beyond…
Helsinki
The best place to see top-level hockey matches is at this arena 4km north of the city centre. It’s the home of Helsinki's Jokerit ('Jesters') team, which…
Finland's West Coast
Facing the central market square, Campus Allegro is a collection of old and new buildings surrounding a historic city street and covered with a glass roof…
Zealand
Gimle's circular former water-tank building is Roskilde's top venue for live music from folk to club-sounds, somehow squeezing in as many as 500 people on…
Aarhus
Aarhus’ premier club, Train is first and foremost a concert venue, with shows a couple of nights a week and some big international acts on the program…
Stockholm
This huge white spherical building (it looks like a giant golf ball) just south of Södermalm hosts regular big-name pop and rock concerts, as well as…
Akureyri
Modern Hof is a cultural centre designed for music and other performing arts. Along with conference and exhibition facilities and a good daytime…
Nørrebro & Østerbro
Push your boundaries at Copenhagen’s avant-garde music theatre venue, delivering a wide range of artistic crossover performances. All works include newly…
Seyðisfjörður
On Wednesday evenings from July to mid-August, the Bláa Kirkjan is the setting for a popular series of jazz, classical- and folk-music concerts; see the…
Funen
Within the 1881 farm buildings of the Lundsgaard estate-castle, around 1.5km south of town, there's a weekend cafe, a big gallery space and a regular…
Laugardalsvöllur National Stadium
Reykjavík
Iceland’s football (soccer) passion is huge. Cup and international matches are played at this national stadium in Laugardalur. See the sports sections of…
Uppsala
Katalin, in a former warehouse behind the train station, hosts regular live jazz and blues, with occasional rock and pop bands. There’s a good restaurant…
Cinema at Old Harbour Village No 2
Reykjavík
A tiny theatre perches in the top of one of the rehabbed Old Harbour warehouses. Nature films cover volcanoes (Eyjafjallajökull, Westmann Islands), the…
Gothenburg
Culture vultures and party people pack this hybrid venue, with its heaving downstairs bar and upstairs club and stage. Gigs range from independent theatre…
Helsinki
This former garage has been transformed into a cinema, complete with a full lobby bar for post-viewing rumination. Relax into plush, red velvet armchairs,…
Gothenburg
Designed by architect Jan Izikowitz, the opera house is a striking contemporary glass building with a sloped roof overlooking Lilla Bommen harbour…
Copenhagen
Home of the National Symphony Orchestra and National Chamber Orchestra, Jean Nouvel’s bold blue box hosts world-class concerts spanning from classical,…
Bergen
This huge arts and culture complex in a renovated warehouse space hosts a varied program of contemporary art exhibitions, theatre, dance, gigs and other…
Tampere
Classical concerts are held in this modern hall. Performances by Tampere Filharmonia (www.tampere.fi/filharmonia) are on Fridays from September to May. In…
Copenhagen
East of Tivoli, this is a great spot for deep, soulful blues and its associated genres, from bluegrass and zydeco to soul. There are live acts nightly,…
Kallio
A block from Hakaniemi metro station, in an enormous granite building, Juttutupa is one of Helsinki’s better bars for live music, focusing on contemporary…
Bergen
Another minor legend of the Norwegian music scene, this basement club has hosted top rock and indie bands since opening its doors in 1968. Hulen means …
Aarhus
Aarhus’ concert hall is a large, glass-fronted venue that hosts a range of musical events, from Rod Stewart to Rigoletto, performances from Den Kongelige…
Zealand
Between the station and the harbour, this splendid new culture centre combines theatre-cinema, library, bar and tourist info and is a great central place…
Punavuori & Ullanlinna
This atmospheric harbourside warehouse, with a capacity of 900, hosts regular concerts with known Finnish and international performers. Acts range from…
Småland
A modern addition to the riverside scenery is the extraordinary 1300-seat Louis de Geer Konserthus concert venue, located in a former paper mill. Still…
Stockholm
Simply loaded with character, this tiny jazz-and-blues bar draws a faithful, fun-loving crowd. It also serves excellent, affordable French-style classics…
Stockholm
Head to this pretty blue building for classical concerts and other musical marvels, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The bronze sculpture of…
