Must-see entertainment in Colombia

  • Delirio

    Cali

    You'll need to plan well in advance to see Cali's legendary salsa circus but it's well worth the effort. Think street circus meets flashy dance club and…

  • Teatro Municipal

    Cali

    Completed in 1918, the city’s oldest existing theater is used for various artistic forms, including musical concerts, theater and ballet. If there's…

  • Club de Tejo La 76

    Bogotá

    Drawing a healthy mix of locals and foreigners, this tejo club is friendly enough to welcome novices who aren't as skilled as bogotanos when it comes to…

  • Estadio El Campín

    Bogotá

    The principal soccer venue in Bogotá is the Estadio El Campín, shared home of Categoría Primera A teams Independiente Santa Fe and its big rival,…

  • Gaira Café

    Bogotá

    Vallenato legend Carlos Vives' ultra-fun dancehall-restaurant hosts live vallenato, cumbia and porro – or modern takes on them. Locals pack in for food…

  • Casa Gardeliana

    Medellín

    Located in Barrio Manrique, Casa Gardeliana was Medellín's main tango venue for years, hosting tango bands and dance shows. It still holds events…

  • Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez

    Barranquilla

    Barranquilla's impressive soccer stadium was built for Colombia's unsuccessful bid to host the 1986 FIFA World Cup. It is here, not in Bogotá, that the…

  • Latino Power

    Bogotá

    Despite this graffiti-covered disco space undergoing an unfortunate name change (from the far-superior Boogaloop), its mantra perseveres: a shelter for…

  • Quiebra Canto

    Bogotá

    Name-dropped first – for years now – by salsa-seekers across town, the Canto is a double-level disco a short walk from La Candelaria. Wednesday is big…

  • Tienda Vieja

    Cali

    Popular with an older crowd, this well-worn but well-loved Cali institution has live bands that play salsa and Colombian crossover. Seating is in small,…

  • America de Cali

    Cali

    The best supported of Cali's two major football teams, America normally plays home games at the Estadio Pascual Guerrero in central Cali. It's a cool…

  • El Patio del Tango

    Medellín

    Now tango's major stage in Medellín, this steak restaurant is decorated like a typical Buenos Aires tango dive. Make reservations in advance for the live…

  • Teatro Pablo Tobón Uribe

    Medellín

    This is Medellín's major mainstream theater. There are free dance classes here on Saturdays and yoga on Tuesday and Thursday mornings – bring your own mat…

  • Lugar a Dudas

    Cali

    A fashionable cultural center in the north of the city. Its free arthouse cinema screenings on Thursday and Saturday evenings attract large crowds. Check…

  • Deportivo Cali

    Cali

    Cali's best-performing major football team plays matches at the Palmaseca stadium near the airport. Catching a game is a lot of fun if football's your…

  • Cinemateca La Tertulia

    Cali

    Check out the arthouse cinema program at this gallery/cultural center. It generally has two shows daily in the evenings from Tuesday to Sunday.

  • Teatro Metropolitano

    Medellín

    Medellín's largest and most modern theater hosts concerts, opera and ballet and is home to Medellín's Philharmonic Orchestra.

  • Cinema Paraíso

    Bogotá

    Small cinema complex located in the quaint neighborhood of Usaquén that shows independent and foreign-language art films.

  • Cinemanía

    Bogotá

    A very handily located four-screen cinema near Parque 93 focusing on avant-garde, arts-driven domestic and foreign films.

  • Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango

    Bogotá

    This huge La Candelaria library hosts a selection of instrumental and vocal concerts each month; Wednesday events are more expensive (from COP$20,000)…

  • Teatro la Candelaria

    Bogotá

    One of the edgiest theaters in the city center, presenting a mix of political shows (often left-leaning, sometimes covering women's-rights issues) that…

  • Fundación Gilberto Alzate Avendaño

    Bogotá

    This cultural institute in La Candelaria hosts many events (including dance and theater, and also some concerts). In 2008 a Goya painting was stolen…

  • Parque de los Deseos

    Medellín

    Bring something soft to sit on for the free open-air cinema at this sleek, all-concrete space across from the Jardín Botánico. Films are usually shown at…

  • Vizcaya

    Medellín

    While the shops in this mall have for the most part been replaced by offices, it still has one of the cheapest cinemas in the area showing international…

  • Palacio de Bellas Artes

    Medellín

    The 300-seat Sala Beethoven in the Palacio de Bellas Artes is a regular stage for concerts and recitals. Check the website to see what's coming up.

  • Media Torta

    Bogotá

    Live kid-oriented concerts are staged for free at noon on Sundays at a band stage above La Candelaria. Take the steps up from the end of Calle 18.

  • Teatro Lido

    Medellín

    On Parque de Bolívar, this refurbished theater sometimes has free screenings of documentaries and films, as well as concerts and other events.

  • Estadio Atanasio Girardot

    Medellín

    Medellín's main football stadium. The Independiente Medellín and Atlético Nacional teams both play here.

  • Teatro Los Fundadores

    Manizales

    Manizales’ leading mainstream theater; it also has a cinema and hosts concerts.

  • Casa del Teatro Medellín

    Medellín

    In the old neighborhood of Prado Centro, this small place hosts different local theater groups year-round. The theater library has a large collection…

  • Plaza de Toros

    Medellín

    The former bullfighting ring now hosts concerts and other events.

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