Tel Aviv – The Cultural Hub of Israel
Tel Aviv is a young city and was founded only one century ago. Despite that, it does not lag behind the ancient Israeli cities including Jerusalem when it comes to cultural life. On the contrary, Tel Aviv is the cultural hub of Israel and visitors of the city who are interested in world-class culture and entertainment, do not leave it disappointed.
More than one half of all Israel’s major performing arts centres are located in Tel Aviv including five of nine largest theatres. Their stages host over 50% of all performances in Israel, while the Tel Avivians and visitors of the city account for three quarters of all attendants. Some of most visited theatres are:
- Tel Aviv Performing Arts Centre. The centre which opened in 1994 is home to the Israeli Opera and the Cameri Theatre but it also hosts a number of dance performances and art exhibitions. It is visited by about 1 million visitors per year.
- Frederic R. Mann Auditorium (also known as The Culture Palace). The venue which is located at Habima Square is home to the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra but it also hosts concerts of the world’s finest philharmonic orchestras including the the London Symphony Orchestra. In addition to being the stage of classical music concerts, The Culture Palace also hosts pop and rock music concerts.
- Habima Theatre. The national theatre of Israel is located in the Habima Square. It was founded as early as 1905 in Moscow by Nahum Zemach, while the theatre building in Tel Aviv was built in 1945. It is considered the Israeli national theatre since 1958. Between 2008 and 2011, the Habima Theatre was closed due to renovation.
- Beit Lessin Theatre. The theatre which is based in the former home of the Cameri Theatre since 2003 is one of the finest theatres in Israel. In 2005, it won the Israeli Theatre Prize for its production Mikveh.
Other theatres in Tel Aviv which are worth visiting as well include the Gesher Theatre, Enav Cultural Centre, Tmuna and Tzavta.
Tel Aviv is also famous for its outstanding dance scene. Must see venues include the world-class Batsheva Dance Company, the Israeli Ballet and Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theatre. The latter is Tel Aviv’s central venue for classical and modern dance.
In addition to classical music concerts and opera which take place on a daily basis, visitors of Tel Aviv can also enjoy numerous pop and rock concerts as well as a variety of film festivals in the Tel Aviv Cinematheque and the many cinemas throughout the city.
During the day, visitors of Tel Aviv can enjoy a wealth of art galleries and museums such as the Eretz Israel Museum, the Palmach Museum, Beth Hatefutsoth, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the Etzel, Batey Haosef Museum and many other less famous but equally exciting museums and galleries. Also worth visiting is the Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Centre which regularly hosts various cultural events and exhibitions.