146 Best Performing Arts Venues in England

Housed in the city's onetime cotton exchange, this innovative venue for classic and contemporary works includes a glass-and-metal structure cradling a theater-in-the-round, plus a studio space.

Along with Milan's La Scala, New York's Metropolitan, and the Palais Garnier in Paris, the ROH is one of the world's great opera houses. First established in 1732, the Royal Opera House has staged countless spectacular performances during its illustrious history, while recent shows have tended toward a more contemporary repertoire. Whatever the style, the extravagant 2,250-seat auditorium delivers a serious dose of gilt and glamour. The famed Royal Ballet performs classical and contemporary repertoire here, too, and smaller-scale works of both opera and dance are presented in the Linbury Theatre and Clore Studio. A small allocation of tickets for each performance of main stage productions for the week ahead—even those that are sold out—goes on sale online at 1 pm every Friday. If you wish to see the famed auditorium but are not able to procure a ticket, you can join a backstage tour or one of the less frequent tours of the auditorium; they book up several weeks in advance.

One of the finest repertory troupes in the world and long the backbone of England’s theatrical life, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) performs plays year-round in Stratford and at venues across Britain. The stunning Royal Shakespeare Theatre, home of the RSC, has a thrust stage based on the original Globe Theatre in London. The Swan Theatre, part of the theater complex and also built in the style of Shakespeare’s Globe, stages plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, such as Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson. Outside is the Holloway Theatre, where plays are presented in spring and summer. Contemporary works are staged at The Other Place nearby. Whichever venue you choose, the caliber of the performance will be high, and staff are very helpful when it comes to answering queries about the theaters and helping you buy tickets. Seats book up fast, but day-of-performance and returned tickets are sometimes available. Tickets are available from £10.

If you're into leading classical and contemporary dance companies, head to this purpose-built complex, which opened in 1998 and is the sixth theater on this site in its 300-year history. Choreographers like Matthew Bourne and Hofesh Shechter often bring their work here. The smaller Lilian Baylis Studio hosts avant-garde work.

The general public has never really warmed to the Southbank Centre's hulking concrete buildings (beloved by architecture aficionados), products of the brutalist style popular when the center was built in the 1950s and '60s—but all the same, the masses flock to the world-class concerts, recitals, festivals, and exhibitions held here, the largest arts center in Europe. The Royal Festival Hall is truly a People's Palace, with seats for 2,900 and a schedule that ranges from major symphony orchestras to pop stars. The smaller Queen Elizabeth Hall is more classically oriented. It contains the Purcell Room, which hosts lectures and chamber performances. For art, head to the Hayward Gallery, which hosts shows on top contemporary artists such as Antony Gormley and Cy Twombly. The center's riverside street level has a terrific assortment of restaurants and bars, though many are branches of upscale chains. Friday through Sunday, a street food market with food trucks serves cuisines from around the world.

London’s most beautiful venue for chamber music also happens to boast near-perfect acoustics. The hall has a rich history, including hosting the premieres of a number of works by the British composer Benjamin Britten, and today attracts leading ensembles from all over the world. The varied program contains lunchtime and Sunday morning concerts plus workshops, as well as concerts for babies and toddlers. The in-house bar and restaurant is a fine place to stop for pre-show dinner or drinks.

Arguably London's most atmospheric cultural space, Wilton's has been entertaining the crowds since 1743, first as an alehouse, then as a music hall. It now hosts gigs, talks, theater performances, movie screenings (often with live scores), and swing-dance evenings. The cozy Mahogany Bar, the oldest part of the building, serves a good range of quality local ales, along with snacks and meals that change according to what's playing in the theater. Hourlong historical guided tours take place about once a month (£10).

Home of the famous Cambridge Footlights Revue, the ADC Theatre hosts mainly student and fringe theater productions.

First opened in 1901, the Alexandra, or “the Alex” as it is affectionately known, welcomes touring companies on their way to or from London’s West End. Bookings and queries should be done online.

This Off West End venue, helmed by artistic director Rupert Goold, premieres excellent new plays and exciting twists on the classics, often featuring high-profile actors. A good café-bar serves tasty food, wine, and cocktails.

In a converted warehouse on the harbor, the Arnolfini is one of the country's most prestigious contemporary-art venues, known for uncovering innovative yet accessible art. There are galleries, a cinema, a bookshop, and a lively café-bar.

The city's main repertory theater, built in 1936 by John Maynard Keynes (one of the most influential economists of the 20th century and a Cambridge University alumnus), still supports a full program of plays and concerts. It also has three lively bars and serves snacks.

This popular festival presents dramatic productions, classical and pop concerts, and a few more locally centered fun and games, such as a rubber duck race. Most events take place in and around the grounds of Arundel Castle for 10 days in late August.

The festival takes place in late September and early October each year at a variety of venues in and around the Malvern Hills. Classical music is the mainstay of the festival (local hero Edward Elgar's music is featured heavily), with plenty of literary events as well. Tickets and full listings are available from early August.

One of the best theaters in the region has a state-of-the-art auditorium that can accommodate 200 spectators. The program is a combination of professional productions and film showings, and the Téatro Bar & Restaurant is handy for pre- and post-theater dinners.

Running for three weeks in March or April, the Bath Comedy Festival features comedy events at venues throughout the city. The festival is organized by the Bath Comedy Club, which also hosts additional events throughout the year.

This arts center, in operation since 1974, has a reputation for producing innovative new theater and dance works as well as hosting top alternative stand-up comics and classical concerts. It also hosts a number of community arts initiatives to develop local talent. Performances take place in quirky spaces all over this atmospheric former town hall. The bar, which serves snacks and shared plates, is open all day.

More than 200 feature films, many of them world or European premieres, plus shorts, talks, and workshops, grace the program of the BFI London Film Festival, which takes place over 12 days every October. There's a total of nine venues across town that are involved, but the heart of the action centers on the BFI Southbank, with the big movie theaters in Leicester Square being the focus for the galas and major releases. Booking ahead is advised.

The British Film Institute's drum-shaped IMAX theater has the largest screen in the United Kingdom (approximately 75 feet wide and the height of five double-decker buses). It shows state-of-the-art 2-D and 3-D recent releases along with reissues and special events.

The second company of the Royal Ballet, the touring Birmingham Royal Ballet is based at the Hippodrome Theatre, which also plays host to visiting companies such as the Welsh National Opera.

This gleaming theater on the banks of the River Thames by Tower Bridge is the brainchild of director Nicholas Hytner and producer Nick Starr, who together oversaw a golden age at the National Theatre before handing over the reins of the Bridge to current artistic director Rufus Norris. The program at this totally adaptable space is a blend of the classics (Hytner's Julius Caesar was a huge hit in 2018) and riskier new works, though big-name actors (e.g., Ben Whishaw, Laura Linney) are a constant.

This dramatically modern venue—which sits on 280 springs to reduce external noise—is home to Manchester's renowned Hallé Orchestra, as well as the BBC Philharmonic. It also hosts rock and pop concerts.

West of the Royal Pavilion, the Brighton Dome was converted from the Prince Regent's stables in the 1930s. It includes a theater and a concert hall that stage classical and pop concerts, plays, and stand-up comedy. 

The three-week-long Brighton Festival, one of England's biggest and liveliest arts festivals, takes place every May in venues around Brighton. The more than 600 events include drama, music, dance, and visual arts.

This renowned event, held for two weeks during mid-July each year, includes opera, drama, and concerts.

Once a Christian Science church, this spacious venue now hosts concerts in a wide range of genres including jazz, country, rock, and world music as well as tributes to the likes of Frank Sinatra and Broadway composer Jerry Herman. Its main focus, however, is choral and chamber concerts by classical ensembles such as its resident orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, along with the London Chamber Orchestra and the City of London Sinfonia. 

Kent's biggest international arts festival fills the town with music, dance, theater, and other cultural events for two weeks every October (and sometimes early November).

Held over a week in late April or early May, the Cheltenham Jazz Festival presents noted musicians from around the world.

Held annually in July, this famous music festival highlights new compositions, often conducted by the composers, plus choral and instrumental classical pieces.

For six days in early June, the festival attracts leading scientists and writers to Cheltenham.