Korean culture is alive and well, with traditional performances staged everywhere from palace grounds to night markets. The city's most prominent performing arts centres are Seoul Arts Center (tel: (02) 580 1300; website: www.sac.or.kr) and Sejong Center for the Performing Arts (tel: (02) 399 1114; website: www.sejongpac.or.kr), which offer music, theatre, dance and film as well as art exhibitions.

The National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts (tel: (02) 580 3300; website: www.ncktpa.go.kr), National Theater of Korea (tel: (02) 2280 4125; website: www.ntok.go.kr) and Chongdong Theater (tel: (02) 7511 500; website: www.chongdong.com) have regular traditional Korean performances. Seoul Nori Madang (tel: (02) 410 3168/9), an outdoor amphitheatre, and Namsangol Hanok Village (tel: (02) 2266 6923; website: http://fpcp.or.kr) have free outdoor performances in summer.

Dinner theatres such as at the traditional Korea House (tel: (02) 2266 9101/3; website: www.koreahouse.or.kr) combine traditional Korean table d'hôte with a folk music and dance show. The popular show, ‘Cookin' Nanta', which uses kitchen skills and tricks to create a spectacle, is held at the Nanta Theatre (tel: (02) 739 8288; website: www.nanta.co.kr).

Cinemas such as the 16-screen state of the art Megabox, COEX Mall, 159-1 Samsung-dong, Gangnam-gu (tel: (02) 6002 1200; website: www.megabox.co.kr), show English-language and world-renowned Korean films and are concentrated in Gangnam-gu.