Must-see entertainment in Asia

  • National Theater of Korea

    Myeong-dong & Jung-gu

    The several venues here are home to the national drama, changgeuk (Korean opera), orchestra and dance companies. Free concerts and movies are put on in…

  • Bamboo Bar

    Bangkok

    After more than 65 years of service, the Mandarin Oriental's Bamboo Bar remains one of the city's premier locales for live jazz. Guest vocalists are flown…

  • Wooden Box

    Shanghai

    Down a quiet street, this leafy cabin surrounded by trees is an intimate live venue run by the JZ family with live jazz, and regular acoustic folk and…

  • Performance by Tumen Ekh Song & Dance Ensemble at State Youth & Children's Theatre.

    Tumen Ekh National Song & Dance Ensemble

    Ulaanbaatar

    The Tumen Ekh Song & Dance Ensemble at the State Youth & Children’s Theatre is the most popular tourist cultural show in town, featuring traditional…

  • OSAKA, JAPAN - AUGUST 11:     'Sonezaki Sinju' is performed at the National Bunraku Theatre on August 11, 2005 in Osaka, Japan. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)
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    National Bunraku Theatre

    Osaka

    The classical performing art most associated with Osaka is bunraku, which makes dramatic use of highly sophisticated puppets. Visiting the theatre is a…

  • Acrobats at Shanghai Centre Theatre.

    Shanghai Centre Theatre

    Shanghai

    The Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe has popular performances here most nights from 7.30pm. It’s a short but fun show and is high on the to-do list of most…

  • Paradise City Casino

    Gyeonggi-do & Incheon

    Put it all on black at Korea's first Vegas-style casino, featuring an enormous gaming floor where bow-tied croupiers shuffle cards and stack chips at…

  • Raj Mandir Cinema

    Jaipur

    Just off MI Rd, Raj Mandir is the place to go to see a Hindi film in India. This opulent cinema looks like a huge pink cream cake, with a meringue…

  • B10 Live House

    Shenzhen

    From hair metal to experimental jazz, all genres are equal at this warehouse live-music venue that welcomes eclectic performers from around the world. The…

  • Binh Minh Jazz Club

    Hanoi

    This atmospheric venue tucked behind the Opera House is the place in Hanoi to catch live jazz. There’s a full bar, a food menu and high-quality gigs…

  • Cafe Live & Loud

    Gangtok

    Gangtok's most happening music bar bathes its drinkers in a tsunami of sound Wednesday to Friday evenings, when live bands typically crank out rock or…

  • Live Music Association

    Macau

    The go-to place for indie music in Macau, this excellent dive inside an industrial building hosts live acts from Macau and overseas. There are two or…

  • The Cave

    Taichung

    Sweet indie spot that has people coming from all over the island for its gigs. Acts featured here include visual-art-and-drummer duo Adrena Adrena, Taipei…

  • Mellowa

    Seoul

    Sounding like 'mellow out' in English, this small live-music bar is very Yeonnam-dong – Hongdae's mellower, cooler sibling. The dark industrial-chic space…

  • TCRC Live House

    Tainan

    This intimate dive at Ximen Roundabout is the place for live indie music in Tainan and one of the top ones in southern Taiwan. There are weekly gigs by…

  • ASTI Bandung

    Bandung

    In the southern part of the city about 3km from the centre, this is a school for traditional Sundanese arts – music, dancing and pencak silat (martial…

  • Lanyuan Theatre

    Nanjing

    Kūnqǔ, an extant form of Chinese opera originating from Jiangsu, is staged at this intimate theatre every Saturday evening at 7.15pm. The English…

  • National Gugak Center

    Gangnam & Southern Seoul

    Traditional Korean classical and folk music and dance are performed, preserved and taught at this centre, which is home to the Court Music Orchestra, the…

  • Escape Bar

    Dalat

    Expect top-notch improvised covers of Hendrix, the Eagles, the Doors and other classics at this recently relocated live-music bar owned by blues guitarist…

  • Marsalis Jazz Bar

    Kaohsiung

    A classy jazz bar hosting accomplished musicians from Taiwan and Asia most Fridays and Saturdays, from 8pm to 10pm. Tickets range from NT$400 to NT$800,…

  • Goethe Villa

    Yangon

    This German cultural organisation occupies a beautifully restored villa dating from the 1920s. Apart from language classes, the library and a cafe in the…

  • Club Evans

    Seoul

    Appealing across the generations, Evans offers top-grade jazz and a great atmosphere. If you want a seat, get here early or book ahead – live music…

  • Jiang Hu

    Beijing

    A hip hutong livehouse popular with local musicians, Jiang Hu stages folk, blues, jazz and open-mic shows most nights in its wood-beamed courtyard space…

  • Blue Note

    Taipei

    Taipei's longest-running jazz club, Blue Note has been around since 1974. It's a moody little purple cavern with a fairy-lit ceiling. Very local and…

  • Vox Livehouse

    Wuhan

    Vox Livehouse is Wuhan's indie music venue of choice. Cover charge ranges from free to ¥220; call or check online for opening dates. It's on the south…

  • Jeongdong Theater

    Myeong-dong & Jung-gu

    Most famous for its critically acclaimed musical Miso, this theatre company also produces a number of traditional nonverbal musicals.

  • FF

    Seoul

    A top live venue with up to eight local indie bands playing at the weekend until midnight. Afterwards it becomes a dance club with DJs.

  • 191 Space

    Guangzhou

    Two steps from the metro exit, 191 Space is a throbbing dive that features live indie gigs from China and overseas every weekend.

  • TOKYO - JANUARY 20: High rank sumo wrestlers line up with crowd in the Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournament January 20, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan.; Shutterstock ID 36619300; Your name (First / Last): Laura Crawford; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Japan page Top Experiences images

    Ryōgoku Kokugikan

    Asakusa & Sumida River

    If you’re in town when a tournament is on, don't miss the chance to catch the big boys of Japanese wrestling in action at the country's largest sumo…

  • Patrons wait for the start of the stage show "Sakura - Japan in the Box" at the Meijiza theater in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, Oct. 21, 2016. Producer Hidemi Fukuhara, former veteran of Merrill Lynch & Co., wants to keep the 20 million annual visitors to Japan amused. His vision: Tokyos own pop-infused, multi-color, anime-eyed Broadway. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Culture, East Asian, Musical, Entertainment, Stage, Arts, Performance, Show

    National Theatre

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    Japan's most important theatre for traditional performing arts stages kabuki, gagaku (music of the imperial court), kyōmai (Kyoto-style traditional dance)…

  • TOKYO, JAPAN - November 15, 2019: Tokyo Dome: Tokyo Dome is a stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. It has a maximum total capacity of 55,000. World Baseball Softball Confederation(WBSC Premier12); Shutterstock ID 1622269975; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Tokyo Dome

    Kōrakuen & Akihabara

    Tokyo Dome (aka ‘The Big Egg’) is home to the Yomiuri Giants. They're the most consistently successful team in Japanese baseball.

  • istana budaya national theatre, malaysia; Shutterstock ID 12199534; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Gillmore; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online-Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: 65050/ Online Design /LaurenGillmore/POI

    Istana Budaya

    Kuala Lumpur

    Large-scale drama and dance shows are staged here, as well as music performances by the National Symphony Orchestra and National Choir. The building's…

  • Geisha and maiko performance

    Minamiza

    Southern Higashiyama

    This theatre in Gion is the oldest kabuki theatre in Japan. The major event of the year is the Kaomise festival in December, which features Japan’s finest…

  • Moustache Brothers

    Mandalay

    This classic a-nyeint group became world famous in the 1990s when their jokes and rants against the Myanmar government brought them a string of prison…

  • VivaManila

    Manila

    Nonprofit VivaManila is an arts-and-culture organisation run by passionate locals who are on a mission to revive downtown Manila to its pre-war glory…

  • City of Dreams

    Macau

    In addition to a sprawling gaming floor, this colossal hotel-casino-mall complex is home to four sleek hotels, several restaurants (that include award…

  • Kingdom of Dreams

    Delhi

    An entertainment extravaganza, Kingdom of Dreams offers live Bollywood-style shows that are out-and-out sensory assaults. Performances are supported by…

  • Venetian

    Macau

    Said to be one of the 10 largest buildings in the world, the Venetian is 980,000 sq metres of what might be described as Casino Gothic architecture,…

  • Singapore Symphony Orchestra

    Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay

    The neoclassical Victoria Theatre & Concert Hall is home to Singapore's well-respected flagship orchestra, which makes its performing home at the 1800…

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