3 Best Performing Arts Venues in Santiago, Chile

Over the past several years, Matucana 100, a converted train warehouse, has become one of the main anchors of the area surrounding Quinta Normal Park. On weekends there are outdoor dance events, and Matucana 100 frequently host fairs, art installations, and film festivals. Cafe 100---housed in a converted bus, continuing the public transport theme---sells specialty coffee and coconut water, a good complement to the nearby Soul Kitchen food truck, which serves a hearty Sunday brunch until 4 pm.

In January, the year's best plays are performed at Estación Mapocho and other venues around Santiago in a well-organized program called the Festival Internacional Teatro a Mil. The name refers to the admission price of 1,000 pesos (just under $2), although many now cost between 6,000 and 8,000 pesos. Regardless, some spectacles, particularly the often large-scale opening and closing events near La Moneda Palace, are free. 

The well-respected theater company by the name of ICTUS performs in the Sala la Comedia, a theater just outside the Lastarria neighborhood. The company's been around for more than 50 years and is one of the most important independent groups in the country.