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鈥
Must-see entertainment in Asia
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鈥
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鈥
Tumen Ekh National Song & Dance Ensemble
Ulaanbaatar
The Tumen Ekh Song & Dance Ensemble at the State Youth & Children鈥檚 Theatre is the most popular tourist cultural show in town, featuring traditional鈥
Osaka
The classical performing art most associated with Osaka is bunraku, which makes dramatic use of highly sophisticated puppets. Visiting the theatre is a鈥
Shanghai
The Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe has popular performances here most nights from 7.30pm. It鈥檚 a short but fun show and is high on the to-do list of most鈥
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鈥
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鈥
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鈥
Hanoi
This atmospheric venue tucked behind the Opera House is the place in Hanoi to catch live jazz. There鈥檚 a full bar, a food menu and high-quality gigs鈥
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鈥
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鈥
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鈥
National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts (Weiwuying)
Kaohsiung
This 9.9-hectare, Dutch-designed building resembling a giant stingray is the premier centre for art and culture in southern Taiwan. It has a state-of-the鈥
Seoul
Sounding like 'mellow out' in English, this small live-music bar is very Yeonnam-dong 鈥 Hongdae's mellower, cooler sibling. The dark industrial-chic space鈥
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鈥
Bandung
In the southern part of the city about 3km from the centre, this is a school for traditional Sundanese arts 鈥 music, dancing and pencak silat (martial鈥
Nanjing
K奴nq菙, an extant form of Chinese opera originating from Jiangsu, is staged at this intimate theatre every Saturday evening at 7.15pm. The English鈥
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鈥
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鈥
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,鈥
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鈥
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 鈥 live music鈥
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鈥
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鈥
Wuhan
Vox Livehouse is Wuhan's indie music venue of choice. Cover charge ranges from free to 楼220; call or check online for opening dates. It's on the south鈥
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Most famous for its critically acclaimed musical Miso, this theatre company also produces a number of traditional nonverbal musicals.
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.
Guangzhou
Two steps from the metro exit, 191 Space is a throbbing dive that features live indie gigs from China and overseas every weekend.
Asakusa & Sumida River
If you鈥檙e 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鈥
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Japan's most important theatre for traditional performing arts stages kabuki, gagaku (music of the imperial court), ky艒mai (Kyoto-style traditional dance)鈥
K艒rakuen & Akihabara
Tokyo Dome (aka 鈥楾he Big Egg鈥) is home to the Yomiuri Giants. They're the most consistently successful team in Japanese baseball.
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鈥
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鈥檚 finest鈥
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鈥
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鈥
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鈥
Delhi
An entertainment extravaganza, Kingdom of Dreams offers live Bollywood-style shows that are out-and-out sensory assaults. Performances are supported by鈥
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,鈥
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鈥
