Must-see entertainment in The United Kingdom

  • Manchester City

    Manchester

    In 2018 Manchester City were crowned league champions for the third time since 2012, playing a brand of football that had fans and rivals alike applauding…

  • Glyndebourne

    East Sussex

    In 1934, science teacher John Christie and his opera-singer wife Audrey Mildmay decided to build a 1200-seat opera house in the middle of nowhere. It…

  • Professor Codman’s Punch & Judy Show

    Llandudno

    Queen Victoria herself watched this show, performed by the same family with the same puppets since 1860. Mr Punch’s iconic red-and-white-striped booth…

  • Roodee

    Chester

    Chester's ancient racetrack, on the western side of the walls in what was once the Roman harbour, has been hosting races since the 16th century. The…

  • Tramway

    Glasgow

    Occupying a former tram depot, this buzzy cultural centre has performance and exhibition spaces as well as a popular cafe. It's a real Southside community…

  • Globe at Hay

    Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog

    Run by the Institute of Art and Ideas, the people behind Hay's HowTheLightGetsIn festival of philosophy and music, this converted Methodist chapel wears…

  • Aberystwyth Arts Centre

    Ceredigion

    One of the largest arts centres in Wales, this happening place stages excellent opera, drama, dance and concerts, plus it has an art gallery, a quality…

  • Pontio

    Anglesey & the North Coast

    Pontio cements Bangor's place as the cultural capital of North Wales. Within the fluid, Guggenheim-esque interior of this ambitious new multimillion-pound…

  • Electric Cinema

    Birmingham

    Topped by its art deco sign, this is the UK's oldest working cinema, operating since 1909. It screens mainly art-house films. Be waited upon in plush two…

  • Gate Picturehouse

    Notting Hill & West London

    Opened in 1911, the single-screen Gate has one of London’s most charming art-deco cinema interiors, with director Q&As and a wealth of cinema clubs,…

  • Opera House

    Peak District

    Designed by theatre architect Frank Matcham in 1903 and restored in 2001, Buxton's gorgeous opera house hosts a full program of drama, dance, concerts and…

  • Jazz Cafe

    North London

    The name would have you think jazz is the main staple, but it's only a small slice of what's on offer here. The intimate club-like space also serves up…

  • MAC

    Belfast

    The MAC is a beautifully designed venue overlooking the neoclassical St Anne's Sq development, with its two theatres hosting regular performances of drama…

  • Trades Club

    West Yorkshire

    Built in 1923 as a social club by the local trade unions, this place was revived in the 1980s and has since gone on to become one of the UK's coolest live…

  • Clwyd Theatr Cymru

    Snowdonia & the Llŷn

    Founded in 1976, Clwyd Theatr Cymru has five performance spaces and stages a year-round program of old and new drama, mainly in English, including works…

  • English National Ballet

    London

    One of the world’s best companies, the English National Ballet is a touring ballet company. You may be fortunate enough to catch it at one of its various…

  • Donmar Warehouse

    The West End

    The 250-seat Donmar Warehouse is London's ‘thinking person’s theatre’. With new artistic director Michael Longhurst, works in progress are more…

  • Caves

    Old Town

    A spectacular subterranean venue set in the ancient stone vaults beneath the South Bridge, the Caves stages a series of one-off club nights and live-music…

  • Filmhouse

    Edinburgh

    The Filmhouse is the main venue for the annual Edinburgh International Film Festival and screens a full program of art-house, classic, foreign and second…

  • Reading Rooms

    Dundee

    Dundee's hippest venue is an arty, bohemian hang-out in a rundown former library that hosts some of Scotland's best indie club nights. Live gigs have…

  • Berts Jazz Bar

    Belfast

    This intimate venue has live jazz nightly from 9pm to midnight. Tables next to the stage are reserved for diners (mains £15 to £20, plus £10 per person…

  • Jam House

    New Town

    The brainchild of rhythm-and-blues pianist and TV personality Jools Holland, the Jam House is set in a former BBC TV studio and offers a combination of…

  • Theatr Mwldan

    Ceredigion

    Located in the former slaughterhouse, Theatr Mwldan stages comedy, drama, dance, music and films, and has an art gallery and a good cafe. In summer there…

  • Almeida

    North London

    Housed in a Grade II–listed Victorian building, this plush 325-seat theatre can be relied on for imaginative programming. Its emphasis is on new, up-and…

  • Cameo

    Edinburgh

    The three-screen, independently owned Cameo is a good old-fashioned cinema showing an imaginative mix of mainstream and art-house movies. There's a good…

  • Bridgewater Hall

    Manchester

    The world-renowned Hallé Orchestra has its home at this enormous and impressive concert hall, which hosts up to 250 concerts and events a year. It has a…

  • Birmingham Repertory Theatre

    Birmingham

    Founded in 1913, today theatre production company 'the Rep' has three performance spaces: the Main House; the more experimental Door; and a 300-seat…

  • District

    Liverpool

    The first venue to open in the Baltic Triangle, District is an old-school club in a warehouse, which hosts live music and cinema screenings as well as…

  • Philharmonic Hall

    Liverpool

    One of Liverpool's most beautiful buildings, the art deco Phil is home to the city's main orchestras and is the place to go for classical concerts and…

  • Citizens' Theatre

    Glasgow

    South of the Clyde, this is one of the top theatres in Scotland. It's well worth trying to catch a performance here. A major redevelopment was about to…

  • Theatre Royal

    Plymouth

    One of England's largest regional theatres, the Theatre Royal features large-scale touring and homegrown productions on the main stage, the Lyric. Its…

  • Hug & Pint

    Glasgow

    With bands almost daily in the downstairs space, this comfortable local is a great destination. It would be anyway for its excellent atmosphere, highly…

  • Hydro

    Glasgow

    A spectacular modern building to keep the adjacent 'Armadillo' company, the Hydro amphitheatre is a phenomenally popular venue for big-name concerts and…

  • Limelight

    Belfast

    This combined pub and club is one of the city's top venues for live rock and indie music. Past acts have included Oasis, Franz Ferdinand, the Manic Street…

  • Ruby Lounge

    Manchester

    Terrific live-music venue in the Northern Quarter that features mostly rock bands. It gets very loud. After the bands there's usually a club night that…

  • Sunflower Lounge

    Birmingham

    This quirky little indie bar pairs a magnificent alternative soundtrack with a packed program of live gigs and DJ nights.

  • Band on the Wall

    Manchester

    A top-notch venue that hosts everything from rock to world music, with splashes of jazz, blues and folk thrown in.

  • Komedia Theatre

    Brighton & Hove

    The UK's top comedy venue attracts the best stand-up acts from the English-speaking world. Book well in advance.

  • Royal Exchange

    Manchester

    Interesting contemporary plays are standard at this magnificent, modern theatre-in-the-round.