Page 142 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

Favorita, with nightly DJ sets and dancing, as well as rather too frequent karaoke.

Tues–Sun usually 6pm–late.

I Candelai Via Candelai 65 091 327 151, candelai.org; map. Seat of a cultural
association that organizes music events all over Sicily. Good student vibe, and very
unpretentious; check the website for DJ sets and live music events. Moves to
Sferracavallo in summer. Sept–June Tues–Sun evenings only.

Zsa Zsa Mon Amour Via Angelitti 32 zsazsamonamour.com; map. Live rock, metal
and funk bands, and the place to come if an Iron Maiden tribute is your kind of thing.
It’s west of Stazione Notarbartolo, off Piazza Campolo. Oct–June evenings only.

MUSIC, CULTURE AND THE ARTS

There’s always something going on in Palermo, and you can check the current cultural

calendar at the tourist office, in the arts publication Lapis or the daily newspaper Il
Giornale di Sicilia. Teatro Massimo is the first choice for classical music, but lots of
other smaller theatres and concert halls have good music programmes too. Independent
arts centres put on a really mixed bag of concerts and events, and although there’s no

major venue for live bands (top British and American artists rarely make it further
south than Naples) the Comune regularly stages open-air gigs in the summer, usually in
the Giardino Inglese and other city parks. Mainstream Italian-language theatre is less
accessible to foreign visitors, but a couple of more offbeat venues are worth checking
out, while puppet theatre is easily the best night out at the theatre in Palermo (see La

Festa di Santa Rosalia). Cinemas show the latest films dubbed into Italian – it’s rare
to find films in their original language with subtitles – and the main central screens,
ABC and Imperia, are right next to each other at Via Emerico Amari 160–166.

THEATRES AND LIVE MUSIC VENUES

Agricantus Via XX Settembre 82A 091 309 636, agricantus.org. Arts centre
near the Giardino Inglese, owned by and named after Italy’s most outstanding World

Music band (check out the album Tuareg or the soundtrack to the film Bagno Turco).
Regular live music and dance sessions, as well as theatre, readings, festivals and
events, and a bar that’s open until 1.30am. Tues–Sun evenings only.

Nuovo Montevergini Via Montevergini 8 091 612 4314,
nuovomontevergini.com. Alternative culture, Palermo-style, in a monumental
deconsecrated convent that supports its own theatre, arts festivals and events

programme, from dance and live music to poetry and film. Bar open daily until late.

Lo Spasimo Via dello Spasimo, La Kalsa 091 616 1486. The former church hosts
an excellent series of concerts, classical and jazz, many of them free. Undergoing
restoration at the time of writing, but may re-open soon.