The Best Performing Arts Venue in Mumbai, India

Background Illustration for Performing Arts

Nowadays, Mumbai's arts scene has gone as online as any other major city's, so your first stop should probably be the Internet. For movies, go to www.bookmyshow.com to book tickets at most Mumbai theaters. For some of the best cultural goings-on-about-town, check out the websites www.mumbaiboss.com and www.bpbweekend.com. If you're old-school, you can check out the fortnightly culture calendar "Programme of Dance, Music and Drama," available free at the Government of India Tourist Office. The daily Times of India usually lists each day's films, concerts, and other events; on Friday the paper publishes a guide to city events called What's Hot that can be purchased at any newsstand. The afternoon paper Midday publishes highlights of the coming week's events in its pullout What To Do? Where To Go?, also available online (www.mid-day.com). Program information and details usually appear on the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation's (MTDC) city-guide programs, shown regularly on hotel in-house TV stations.

Performance tickets in Mumbai are usually quite inexpensive (from free to Rs. 500) and can be purchased from box offices or from the ticket counter at Rhythm House (across the street from the Jehangir Art Gallery), an iconic Mumbai music store so legendary that locals write wistful essays about it. They still sell CDs and DVDs in the download era, and for now, people still buy them. The helpful staff is also a valuable source of info on what's happening around town.

National Centre for the Performing Arts

Nariman Point Fodor's choice

This huge complex is home to the gracious Jamshed Bhabha Hall, a 1,000-seat auditorium that is Mumbai's ballet and opera theater, the Piramal Gallery, which hosts photography and art exhibitions, the Godrej Dance Academy Theater, a main venue for classical Indian dance performances as well as workshops and master classes, and several additional theaters, including the Tata Theatre, a grand 1,000-seat auditorium that regularly hosts plays, often in English, and classical concerts by major Indian and international musicians. Note that some NCPA performances are open to members only.