Classical music is well served by the Bern Symphony Orchestra, which performs regularly at the Casino (Herrengasse 25) and the Stadttheater (Kornhausplatz 20), the latter also staging occasional opera.

Aside from major theatre productions at the Stadttheater, most nights of the week see a host of fringe shows in the many Old Town cellar studios. The Käfigturm theatre (Marktgasse 67) is the best known, with experimental drama, cabaret, pantos and comedy, and the Puppentheater (Gerechtigkeitsgasse 31) has striking and funny puppet shows, but there are literally dozens more – drop into the Stadttheater ticket office at Kornhausplatz 18 (Mon–Sat 10am–6.30pm, Sun 10am–12.30pm) for details.

All cinemas in the city cut their prices on Mondays to Fr.12 from the usual Fr.16, and there’s plenty of mainstream choice. Both the Cinématte (Wasserwerkgasse 7; www.cinematte.ch) and the Kunstmuseum (Hodlerstrasse 8; www.kunstmuseumbern.ch) run programmes of non-commercial films.