Must-see entertainment in Southern Italy

  • Exterior of Teatro San Carlo.

    Teatro San Carlo

    Naples

    San Carlo's opera season runs from November or December to June, with occasional summer performances. Sample prices: a place in the 6th tier (from €35),…

  • Teatro Massimo Bellini

    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…

  • Teatro Massimo

    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…

  • Area 8

    Matera

    This unusual cafe/bar and 'nano-theatre' is a production agency by day, but comes alive four nights a week to host film screenings, live music, product…

  • Merchandise stall at football match at Stadio San Paolo.

    Stadio San Paolo

    Bay of Naples

    Naples' football team, Napoli, is the fourth most supported in Italy after Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan, and watching it play in the country's third…

  • Associazione Scarlatti

    Naples

    Naples' premier classical-music association organises chamber-music concerts in venues that include the Museo Diocesano di Napoli. Local talent mixes it…

  • Riot Studio

    Naples

    Need to escape the chaos of Spaccanapoli? Dive through the grand doorway of Palazzo Marigliano, up the winged staircase and into one of Naples’ most loved…

  • Teatro Ditirammu

    Palermo

    Tucked away in a crumbling baroque courtyard, this intimate, family-run theatre hosts wonderful concerts of world and folk music, as well as theatrical…

  • Teatro dei Pupi

    Syracuse

    Syracuse's beloved puppet theatre hosts regular evening performances; see its website for a calendar.

  • Arena Argentina

    Catania

    For local cinephiles, summer means sultry outdoor film nights at Arena Argentina. Head up for mainly cult and art-house flicks, from Purple Rain and…

  • Officina degli Esordi

    Bari

    With performance areas and work spaces named after songwriter Leonard Cohen and inventor Nikola Tesla, Officina degli Esordi offers an interesting…

  • Bourbon Street

    Naples

    Bourbon Street is one of the top spots for live jazz and blues, drawing a mixed crowd of seasoned jazz nerds and rookies. Acts are mostly local, with…

  • Galleria Toledo

    Naples

    If it's cutting edge, independent or experimental, the chances are it's playing at this cult-status theatre in the Quartieri Spagnoli. Offerings span…

  • Teatro Mercadante

    Naples

    Dating from 1779, the Teatro Mercadante is home to the city's leading theatre company, the Teatro Stabile Napoli. The company performs a mix of mainly…

  • MA Catania

    Catania

    Queues are the norm at MA, a stylish, high-profile club serving up quality DJ sets, live bands and jam sessions. The space comes with its own restaurant,…

  • Monk Jazz Club

    Catania

    Monk hosts top-notch Italian and international jazz talent, with past acts including saxophonist Pietro Tonolo and world-renowned pianist Dado Moroni. It…

  • Blue Around Midnight

    Naples

    One of Naples' oldest and most famous jazz clubs, this tiny swinging bolt-hole features mostly home-grown live gigs, with the occasional blues band…

  • Teatro Politeama Garibaldi

    Palermo

    This grandiose 19th-century theatre is a popular venue for classical music, staging year-round concerts of works from composers such Beethoven, Strauss,…

  • Teatro dei Pupi di Mimmo Cuticchio

    Palermo

    This puppet theatre is a charming low-tech choice for children (and the child within), staging traditional, one-hour shows using exquisitely handcrafted…

  • Arenile di Bagnoli

    Bay of Naples

    The biggest of Naples' beachside clubs, head here for poolside cocktails, see-and-be-seen aperitivo sessions, live bands and dancing under the stars.

  • GoodFellas

    Naples

    Locals hit this down-to-earth, barrel-vaulted watering hole for its regular programme of live music. Acts span everything from rhythm and blues to rock,…

  • Teatro Pirandello

    Agrigento

    This city-run theatre is Sicily's third largest, after Palermo's Teatro Massimo and Catania's Teatro Massimo Bellini. Works by local hero Luigi Pirandello…

  • Teatro di Verdura

    Palermo

    A short, summer program of mostly popular and operatic music (including prolific national and international acts) in the lovely gardens of the Villa…

  • Box Office

    Naples

    Inside Galleria Umberto, this ticket agency sells tickets to concerts, major theatre productions and football matches at Stadio San Paolo.

  • Azzurro Service

    Naples

    A ticket agency inside the Feltrinelli bookstore, selling tickets to numerous events, including rock concerts and theatre productions.

  • Teatro Palapartenope

    Bay of Naples

    Located in suburban Fuorigrotta, west of central Naples, the architecturally uninspiring Palapartenope is the biggest indoor concert venue in town. A 6000…

  • Zo

    Catania

    Housed in Catania's former sulphur works, Zo serves up contemporary art and performance from Italy and beyond. Its eclectic program of events includes…

  • Red Carpet

    Matera

    This chain cinema west of central Matera has eight screens showing mainstream films.

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