2 Best Performing Arts Venues in Helsinki, Finland

Grand gilded operas, classical ballets, and booming concerts all take place in Helsinki's splendid Opera House, a striking example of modern Scandinavian architecture. All events at the Opera House draw crowds, so buy your tickets early.

Since it opened in 2011, the Helsinki Music Center has been praised for its acoustics and daringly unusual design, dominating one side of the Kansalaistori square and facing the Kiasma art museum and the Oodi Central Library. It's home to the Sibelius Academy and two symphony orchestras, but hosts all kinds of music in its main Concert Hall, "black box" auditorium, and Camerata venues. The guided Sound Architecture and Hidden Corners tours introduce visitors to what happens here. In the summer there are free afternoon concerts in the main foyer. There's also a café and the Terrace Restaurant, and the Fuga classical CD and record store is housed here too.