3 Best Performing Arts in London, England

Opened in 1871, this splendid iron-and-glass-domed auditorium hosts everything from R&B, pop, and classical headliners to Cirque du Soleil, ballet, and RuPaul's Drag Race, but it is best known for the annual July–September BBC Promenade Concerts. Bargain-price standing-room (or promenading or sitting-on-the-floor) tickets for "the Proms" are sold on the night of the concert. The circular 5,272-seat auditorium has a terra-cotta exterior surmounted by an 800-foot-long mosaic frieze depicting figures engaged in advancing the arts and sciences. The hall is open most days for daytime guided tours and Tuesday through Sunday for afternoon tea.

Once a church, this spacious venue is home to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the English Chamber Orchestra performs here regularly. The hall also hosts a wide range of choral and chamber concerts, plus the occasional folk, rock, and world-music gig.

For decades, the Royal Court was one of Britain's leading showcases for exciting new theatrical voices and premieres of groundbreaking works, and it still continues to produce important British and international dramas. Ticket prices range from £12 to £49.