Kensington & Hyde Park
Named after its old address on the King's Rd, which cast a spell over London's jazz lovers back in the ’80s, this choice, tucked-away basement jazz club…
Must-see entertainment in Europe
The West End
Wigmore Hall, built in 1901 as a piano showroom, is one of the best and most active classical-music venues in town, with more than 460 concerts a year…
Prague
The much-loved National Theatre provides a stage for traditional opera, drama and ballet by the likes of Smetana, Shakespeare and Tchaikovsky (the…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
Major complex the Cité de la Musique – Philharmonie de Paris hosts an eclectic range of concerts, from classical to North African and Japanese, in the…
North London
Camden may be the home of punk, but it also has the Green Note: one of the best places in London to see live folk and world music, with gigs every night…
Warsaw
Home of the world-famous National Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir of Poland, the National Philharmonic was founded in 1901. Destroyed during WWII, it was…
Dortmund
Dortmund’s famous and massively popular and succesful Bundesliga soccer team plays its home games at the legendary Westfalenstadion, now branded as Signal…
Bruges
Bruges’ stunning 21st-century concert hall is the work of architects Paul Robbrecht and Hilde Daem. It takes its design cues from the city’s three famous…
Bursa
Take a seat in this 200-year-old tekke (dervish lodge) to watch the şeyh (master dervish) lead his students through a sema (whirling dervish ceremony) for…
Rotterdam
Named after American jazz saxophonist Charlie 'Bird' Parker, Bird is the city's temple to jazz but also programs soul, hip-hop, funk and electronica…
The West End
The last independent theatre in the West End, Prince Charles Cinema is universally loved for its show-anything attitude. Singalongs and quote-a-longs …
Budapest
The two concert halls at this palatial arts centre by the Danube are the 1700-seat Béla Bartók National Concert Hall (Bartók Béla Nemzeti Hangversenyterem…
Livorno
Close to the waterfront, the 'Old Fort' was constructed to a design by Antonio de Sangallo the Elder in the 16th century, but incorporates an 11th-century…
St Pauli & Reeperbahn
This legendary Hamburg jazz club inhabits the fab basement of the Tanzende Türme office towers. Stellar local and international acts take to the stage…
Paris
Paris' first piece of 'interactive architecture', this cultural cafe and concert venue was unveiled in 2018. Contemporary works of pixel art prance across…
Kensington & Hyde Park
Currently run by PizzaExpress, the Pheasantry on King's Rd is a 19th-century building that has been a ballet academy, a boho bar and a nightclub (where…
Coimbra
At the bottom of the old town, this friendly cultural centre is a good place to acquaint yourself with fado. The evening 6pm show includes plenty of…
Prenzlauer Berg
On most summer Sundays, Berlin’s best free entertainment kicks off around 3pm when Joe Hatchiban sets up his custom-made mobile karaoke unit in the…
Latin Quarter
Café Universel hosts a brilliant array of live concerts with everything from bebop and Latin sounds to vocal jazz sessions (see its Facebook page for the…
Aalborg
One of the new additions to the revitalised Aalborg waterfront is Musikkens Hus, a shiny, futuristic-looking concert hall that opened in 2014. Its…
Málaga
You’ll feel like a gatecrasher at this private peña, but persevere: the flamenco is muy puro. Watch guitarists who play as though they’ve got 24 fingers…
Edinburgh
Formerly Edinburgh University's veterinary school, the Summerhall complex is a major cultural centre and entertainment venue, with old halls and lecture…
La Latina & Lavapiés
This is one of the most prestigious flamenco stages in Madrid, with 50 years of experience as a leading venue and top performers most nights. The stage…
Trondheim
In an artistically converted former pumping station (look through the glass beneath your feet at the old engines), the Dock House is at once auditorium …
Prague
This alternative art space, housed in a former slaughterhouse in Holešovice Market, stages performances from dance to circus and acrobatics. Many shows…
Oxford
This ambitious theatre company produces highly original shows – often Shakespeare, but also anything from Dracula to The Wind in the Willows – that are…
Warsaw
With three auditoriums of different sizes, this repertory theatre company stages an impressive range of works from both international and local…
Bilbao
Within a former cinema, this is the vibrant heart of contemporary Basque Bilbao, featuring international rock, blues and reggae, as well as the cream of…
Beyoğlu
The 15th-century semahane (whirling-dervish hall) at this tekke (dervish lodge) is the venue for a one-hour whirling dervish sema (ceremony) held on…
Prague
The Akropolis is a Prague institution, a labyrinthine, sticky-floored shrine to alternative music and drama. Its various performance spaces host a…
Black Sea Coast
The very atmospheric traditional coffeehouse in the rear section of the Pervane Medresesi is a fine place for soft drinks and nargile at any time of year…
Catania
Catania's premier theatre is named after the city's most famous son, composer Vincenzo Bellini. It's one of Italy's most glorious old theatres, staging…
Brussels
This celebrated classical-music space is home to the National Orchestra and Philharmonic Society. From the outside, the Horta-designed 1928 art deco…
Milan
Having made a name for itself with a program boasting some of the finest names in Italian cinema and theatre, Franco Parenti cemented its role as a…
Kythira
Very charming old cafe–music bar near the main square. The high-ceilinged and shadowy interior oozes atmosphere with its coral-green walls and its long…
Tampere
Comics and musicians regularly take to the stage at this much-loved venue, which attracts arty, hip and fun-loving locals of every age. Drinkers and…
Valencia
The city's principal team, and a major player in Spanish football, with famously demanding fans. A move to a new ground in the city's northwest has been…
Chester
The 1930s art deco Odeon has been converted into an award-winning modern arts centre with two theatre spaces – a larger 800-seater arena and a 150-seat…
Brussels
In a wing of the BOZAR cultural centre, the modern and stylish Cinematek includes a little museum where you can browse archives and memorabilia. The real…
Palermo
Ernesto Basile's six-tiered art-nouveau masterpiece is Europe's second-largest opera house and one of Italy's most prestigious, right up there with La…
