Bergen is proud of its long-established cultural tradition. In addition to internationally acclaimed musicians such as the late Edvard Grieg (composer of the Peer Gynt Suite) and Harald Sæverud, and their literary compatriots Henrik Ibsen and Ludvig Holberg, Bergen also provided the backdrop for the landscapes of painter J C Dahl. The colourful and eccentric virtuoso violinist Ole Bull also lived near Bergen, in a fantasy palace he constructed on Lysøen Island.

Today, Bergen has a lively cultural scene. Music and the arts are very popular and the public is well catered for with a number of venues and events. There is an active annual programme of festivals that cover classical, rock and jazz music, theatre and film.

Tickets for most events are available direct from the venue or from Ticketmaster (www.billettservice.no).

Music: The Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester (Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra) (www.filharmonien.no), which dates back to 1765, gives frequent concerts in Grieghallen (the Grieg Hall), Edvard Grieg plass 1 (tel: 5521 6100; www.grieghallen.no), one of Norway's foremost concert venues.

Edvard Grieg is the most famous composer to come out of Bergen, and the museum at Troldhaugen (tel: 5592 2992; www.troldhaugen.com) is no dead monument over him: rather, it hosts some 300 concerts a year in Troldsalen and actively promotes his music. Occasionally, concerts are performed at the Siljustøl Museum (tel: 5592 2992 or 5513 6000; www.siljustol.no), former home of the composer Harald Sæverud, on Sunday afternoons. It is about 12km (8 miles) from Bergen by bus.

Theatre: Den Nationale Scene (tel: 5554 9700 or 5560 7080 for tickets; www.dns.no) has three theatres, staging Norwegian plays, musicals and light entertainment. The theatre's history is intimately linked with that of Ibsen who was appointed resident ‘stage poet' in 1851. Bergen Internasjonale Teater (BIT) stages both Norwegian and international plays and dance performances up to three times a month in Teatergarasjen, which is located at Nøstegaten 54 (tel: 5523 2235; www.bit-teatergarasjen.no).

Dance: Carte Blanche (tel: 5530 8680; www.ncb.no) stages classical ballet and experimental dance at Teatergarasjen, Nøstegaten 54 (tel: 5523 2235; www.bit-teatergarasjen.no). Fana Folklore (tel: 5591 5240; www.folklore.no) recreates a rural festival with a concert of old folk tunes in the 800-year-old Fana Church and from June to August provides traditional Norwegian festive food, followed by folk music, lively dancing and singing. Bergen Folklore (tel: 5555 2006) performs traditional Norwegian folk dances and music in Schøttstuene, Ovregaten 50.

Film: Bergen Kino (tel: 5556 9050; www.filmweb.no/bergenkino) runs the two multiplex cinemas Magnus Barfot (five screens), Magnus Barfotsgate 12, and Konsertpaleet (13 screens), Neumannsgate 3. All films are shown in their original language, with Norwegian subtitles.

Literary Notes: Late 19th- and early 20th-century literature (with its themes of political democratisation, social and cultural liberation and national independence) has been inextricably linked to the political and social development of Norway. The 1903 Nobel Laureate for Literature, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, wrote his modern saga drama Lama Hulda while working as a theatre stage manager in Bergen in 1857-8. The powerful novels and the life of Amalie Skram (who lived in Denmark but was born in Bergen in 1846) provided the basis for a nine-hour-long theatrical performance in the city in 1992, as well as the material for the 1984 opera Amalie. More recently, Bergen has inspired the novels of Gunnar Stålesen. Jon Fosse, currently Norway's most important playwright and an acclaimed poet and essayist, lives in Bergen.