Dresden Entertainment

Like all big German cities, the entertainment options in Dresden are good, with a varied supply of restaurants, bars and music venues that cover many popular styles and sounds. The Neustadt is the main draw for entertainment in the city, although there are popular haunts spread throughout the town and suburbs.

Nightlife

Nightlife options in Dresden consist of swilling litres of beer in quality beer gardens, classical concerts, dancing, rock shows and glitzy nightclubs. Areas to head for include the Frauenkirche and Dresden Castle region of town; the busy Neustadt (New Town) and the more laid-back Weiße Gasse, which is near the Altmarkt.

Theatre and music

The Semperoper (Semper Opera House) is one of the world’s finest, featuring a Renaissance-style two-tiered façade and a beautiful interior. Shows here are fantastic, but tickets are hard to get. The Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra perform at the Kulturpalast, which is in the Altmarkt, while the Staats Operette, just outside the city, is for musical theatre lovers. Everything from rock and roll to disco and jazz clubs are popular in Dresden and can be found throughout the city.

Festivals

Dresden is also popular on the festivals front, with many world-renowned events talking place here throughout the year including many cultural and musical gatherings.

• The Dixiland Festival: Europe's biggest Jazz Festival is a four-day event that attracts bands from around Germany and an equal interest from citizens of countries throughout Europe, America and Asia (mid-May).
• The Dresden Music Festival: also a global event, with acts from all four corners of the globe (late May).
• The Filmnächte: is the biggest event of its kind in Europe and features a huge cinema screen and many concerts, all performed in a beautiful setting on the banks of the Elbe (June to August).
• The Striezelmarkt: Germany's oldest Christmas market is set in the Altmarkt, in the centre of Dresden, where many shops and mobile cafés get in on the act (late November to Christmas).