Entertainment
Expert recommendations of the top dance, theater, and classical music venues.
Chaoyang Theater
"Slick and loud acrobatic show, with the biggest stage, which allows for impressive stunts."—Nancy Pellegrini, classical/performance editor, Time Out Beijing. Acrobats in vivid clothing use bicycles, seesaws, swings, silk ropes, and barrels to perform amazing feats of nerve and balance. Nightly show, 36 Dongshanhuan Beilu; tel. +86 10 6507 2421. www.acrobatics.com.cn
Forbidden City Concert Hall
"An aesthetic and acoustical triumph for China."—Nancy Pellegrini. Solo and orchestral performances by local and visiting musicians. Tip: savor the park grounds before the concert, and during intermission. Tickets vary. Xichangan Jie, within Zhongshan Park; tel. +86 10 6559 8285.
The Red Theatre
Flashy martial arts show with Vegas-style special effects: fogs, lights, neon, and magic. Tickets from $25. 44 Xingfu Dajie; tel. +86 10 6710 3671.
Tianqiao Acrobatic Theatre
"Refreshingly creative takes on acrobatic standards, by performers young enough to have a stage innocence that the more jaded acrobats lack."—Nancy Pellegrini. Contortions are part of the fun. Tickets from $12. 95 Tianqiao Market; tel. +86 10 6303 7449.
2Kolegas
"Punk-ska bar on the grounds of a drive-in movie theater."—Matt Gross, Frugal Traveler, New York Times. Listen to local bands from the vast lawn. Ian Sherman, of Time Out Beijing, calls 2Kolegas a "fixture on the underground circuit." No cover. 21 Liangmaqiao Lu; tel. +86 10 8196 4820.
