Santiago de Cuba
The most discovered 'undiscovered' spot in Santiago still retains its smoke-filled, foot-stomping, front-room feel. Hidden in the genteel Tivolí district,…
Must-see entertainment in Cuba
Havana
Aside from its funky murals and psychedelic art shops, the main reason to come to this alleyway, Havana's high temple of Afro-Cuban culture, is the…
Trinidad
One of Trinidad's (and Cuba's) classic venues, this casa is an alfresco affair that congregates on the sweeping staircase beside the Iglesia Parroquial…
Gran Teatro de la Habana Alicia Alonso
Havana
Havana's fabulously renovated 'great' theater is open again and offering up the best in Cuban dance and music. Its specialty is ballet (it's the…
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Matanzas
Restoration of this 1876 building abutting Hotel Velazco was completed in 2014 and every inch, flourish and cornicing of its former glory is well worth a…
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Holguín
There's at least one National Union of Cuban Writers and Artists per province in Cuba, but if you visit only one, make it here. Situated in the lovingly…
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Holguín
Holguín's premier theater is an art deco treat from 1939 on Parque Calixto García. It hosts both the Teatro Lírico Rodrigo Prats and the Ballet Nacional…
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Varadero
A roquero’s (Cuban rock fan's) delight on the edge of Parque Josone, honoring the previously banned Beatles in a bar that evokes the decidedly un-Cuban…
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Camagüey
If a show's on, go! Second only to Havana in its ballet credentials, the Camagüey Ballet Company, founded in 1971 by Fernando Alonso (ex-husband of number…
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Casa de la Trova Victorino Rodríguez
Baracoa
Cuba's smallest, zaniest, wildest and most atmospheric casa de la trova (trova house) rocks nightly to the Vodou-like rhythms of changüí-son. One night…
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Santiago de Cuba
When Santiago gets too hot, noisy and agitated, you need a dose of Iris, one of Cuba's suavest and best jazz clubs, where you can sit in a comfy booth…
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Holguín
Old guys in Panama hats croon under the rafters, and musicians in guayaberas (Caribbean dress shirts) blast on trumpets, while ancient couples in their…
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Trinidad
Trinidad's spirited casa retains its earthy essence despite the high package-tourist-to-Cuban ratio. Local musicians to look out for here are Semillas del…
Havana
An institution since its 1939 opening, the world-famous Tropicana was among the few bastions of Havana's Las Vegas–style nightlife to survive the…
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Santiago de Cuba
Santiago's shrine to the power of traditional music is still going strong five decades on, continuing to attract big names such as Buena Vista Social Club…
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Casa de la Trova Patricio Ballagas
Camagüey
An ornate entrance hall gives way to an atmospheric patio where old crooners sing and young couples chachachá. One of Cuba's best trova (traditional…
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Bayamo
Six blocks northeast of the bus station, opposite Plaza de la Patria, lies one of the Oriente's most impressive theaters. Constructed in 1982, the theater…
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Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís
Habana Vieja
Plaza de San Francisco de Asís' glorious church, which dates from 1738, has been reincarnated as a 21st-century museum and concert hall. The old nave…
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Conjunto Folklórico de Oriente
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago’s oldest folklórico group was formed in 1959; they are currently bivouacked at the Teatro Heredia. They perform a huge range of Afro-Cuban dance…
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Cienfuegos
Best theater in Cuba? The Tomás Terry is certainly a contender. The building is worth a visit in its own right, but you'll really get to appreciate this…
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Bayamo
One of Cuba's best trova houses, in a lovely colonial building on Maceo. Pictures on the wall display the famous '70s afro of Bayamo-born trova king Pablo…
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Tumba Francesa La Caridad de Oriente
Santiago de Cuba
For pure tumba francesa dancing check out the Tumba Francesa la Caridad de Oriente, one of only three of these French-Haitian groups left in Cuba. They…
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Holguín Province
A fine cultural center in the main square that hosts live traditional music on a Saturday night and provides taped stuff at other times. The courtyard is…
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Trinidad
A fun live-music venue aimed at those practicing their salsa steps. It can also connect travelers to dance teachers for private lessons during the daytime.
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Santiago de Cuba
Every Saturday night, the side streets branching off this main thoroughfare teem with street food, music and crowds for a city-wide outdoor party.
Trinidad
A must for rumba fans, this open patio on Trinidad's music alley has an eclectic menu incorporating salsa, son (Cuban popular music) and trova …
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Havana
Known also as the 'theater of a hundred doors' (in reference to the French windows adorning its exterior), this neoclassical gem is a masterpiece of…
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Habana del Este
In an old shirt factory abandoned in the 1990s, when it became a rubbish dump and public urinal, this new state-sponsored community arts project was…
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Havana
Some label it a tourist trap, but this restaurant–entertainment space bivouacked upstairs in a deceptively dilapidated Havana tenement plays some of the…
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Santiago de Cuba
The Ballet Folklórico Cutumba is an offshoot of the Oriente group formed in 1976. You can usually see them rehearsing at their HQ, the Teatro Galaxia from…
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Havana
If you're looking for something inherently Cuban, tag along with the local habaneros for some very caliente action at this outdoor venue known…
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Santiago de Cuba
Anything Havana can do, Santiago can do better – or at least cheaper. Styled on the Tropicana original, this 'feathers and baubles' Las Vegas–style floor…
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Havana
Launched with a concert by renowned jazz pianist Chucho Valdés in 1994, this Miramar favorite is run by national Cuban recording company EGREM, and the…
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Havana
The largest stadium in Cuba holds 55,000 people and was built before the revolution, in 1946. It’s the home of Havana’s widely revered (or reviled,…
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Baracoa
This venue does a wide variety of shows including some good rumba incorporating the textbook Cuban styles of guaguancó, yambú and columbia (subgenres of…
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Cienfuegos
Uneac's a good bet in any Cuban city for live music in laid-back environs. Here it's quite possibly Cienfuegos' best venue, with an outdoor patio hosting…
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Havana
One of two such establishments in the city, this legendary place is where Cubans and tourists who don't want to be treated like tourists go for full-on…
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Havana
Size-wise the Karl Marx puts other Havana theaters in the shade, with a seating capacity of 5500 in a single auditorium. The very biggest events happen…
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El Tablao Centro Cultural Artex
Havana
Bang in the city center, cleverly hidden in a basement beneath the Gran Teatro, this dark club is perennially popular, particularly with mature locals,…
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Havana
Housed in a classic art deco rascacielo (skyscraper), the América seems to have changed little since its theatrical heyday in the 1930s and '40s. It hosts…
