In London, it’s no big secret that that many activities surrounding Trafalgar Square are free. You can view the paintings at the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, or hang out in the square and check out its sculptures without paying a pence.

Lunchtime concerts at St. Martin’s in the Fields

However, an oft-overlooked freebie occurs several times a week at the nearby church of St. Martin’s in the Fields. On most Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, St. Martin’s offers its guests free lunchtime concerts. Music ranges from classical to experimental, often featuring special performances.

Doors open at 12:30 and the concerts begin at 1 PM. (Although the concert is free, St. Martin’s suggests a donation of £3.50 to cover costs.)

Find a list of schedule of concerts, including the (more expensive) evening and jazz concerts, on the St. Martin’s in the Fields website.

And, when the concert culminates, hop over to the National Gallery and get your art on! Stay tuned tomorrow, Cheapos, for more free tips. Next stop: Madrid.

Popularity: 10% [?]

We’re always keen to dispel the myth that you must be rolling in it (money, that is) to enjoy world-class entertainment. Take the Viennese opera. This Austrian gem is well within the range of Cheapos.

Here are our three best bets for landing a night at the Opera:

Try ’standing room only’

If you are willing to stand for the duration of the performance, then you can get some of the cheapest tickets in town. The cost of a “standing room only” ticket is between €2 and €3.50 per opera. These tickest are only available at the evening box office, which opens 80 minutes prior to show time.

Snag seats for a song

In the nosebleed section of the opera house, you’ll pay anywhere from €7 to €18 for a seat in the rafters (but what rafters they are!). Considering a spot in the front orchestra could cost you €200, we consider this is a huge score. Just bring some good opera glasses.

Take a tour and skip the show

If The Marriage of Figaro isn’t your idea of fun, opt for one of many daily guided tours of the ornate and scope-worthy opera house. For €5, you can get up-close and personal with the opera house, touring even the stage and the tea salon. For another euro and a half, visit the Opera’s museum, too. A recent exhibit showcased the original compositions (on-page edits and all) of Wagner’s “Ring of the Nibelung”.

And, one last note on all of this: If you’re a student, you’ll almost always benefit from additional discounts. Bravissimo!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Photo by SagenVrabel

Attention lovers of the extraordinary! Your world headquarters will soon be set up at Merrion Square Park.

From June 15 through June 17, 2007, this Dublin city center park will play host to the Street Performance World Championship, three days worth of the ordinary, extraordinary, and downright unbelievable. From sword swallowers to bull fighters, this is one competition that will have it all.

Be sure to check out the acts and locate their venues early, as the popular performers are sure to attract a large crowd. And as this is Dublin, remember to bring both your umbrella and your sunglasses—you don’t have to be a fortune teller to know that you’ll probably need both!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Photo by furibond

After three idle years—actually we’re sure New York’s best have been quite industrious—the Beastie Boys are hitting the road once again. They’ll be performing at festivals in a few choice countries around the world and headlining Barcelona’s Sónar Festival this June. The Beasties will do two shows at the Sónar Festival, one strictly instrumental, the other traditional Beasties. They’ll hit the Catalonian capital on June 14, 15, and 16 (2007).

A celebration of experimental music, including Dizzie Rascal, DJ Nu-Mark, Mogwai, and Devo, is also on deck. Check out the festival’s site for times and tickets. The latter will run from €28 to €45.

Popularity: 8% [?]

 
Photo by www.sallepleyel.fr

There are a lot of great concert venues in Paris but few can match the fine-tuned acoustics of the new Salle Pleyel. Recently reopened after an extensive two-year renovation, the Salle Playel is crisply minimalist in design and optimal in sound quality. The music hall is located at 252, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, in the glitzy 8th arrondissement.

Those looking for an ornate, old-world concert halls experience like you’d find at the Opera de Paris, won’t find it here. The Pleyel is a venue constructed around its acoustic quality. Side balconies have been created solely to improve the hall’s sound distribution, resulting in a nearly 20% optimization of the room’s volume and reverberation time. What the Salle Pleyel lacks in belle epoque touches it makes up for in its cool contemporary design and unmatched acoustics–making it a must see (and listen) for any concert-goer in Paris.

The Pleyel welcomes orchestras, jazz and traditional performers from around the world with ticket prices ranging from cheapo (€10) to extravegant (€130).

Tip: €10 stand-by tickets are available an hour prior to concerts for those under 27, over 65, and unemployed.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Photo by barraclough

There are two world-class opera houses in Paris, and we’re happy to report that they both sell cheap last-minute tickets. Just show up an hour before the performance and wait in line – and yes, you can wear whatever you want, even jeans. Tickets prices are quite inexpensive, ranging from €5 to €10, depending on location.

Competition for last-minute seats is fierce at the historic opera house, Opéra Garnier, but tickets are almost always available at the post-modern Opéra Bastille, especially on weeknights. Both venues are under the direction of the Opéra de Paris, and both maintain busy production schedules. In April alone, there are four operas, five ballets, and two classical concerts between the two houses: information and schedules for the productions are online.

Opéra Garnier is located at Place de l’Opéra, 8th arrondissement, metro Opéra (lines 3 & 7; the connection to line 8 reopens May 18 2007). Finding the ticket office at Opéra Garnier is easy: walk through the main doors into the huge marble hall and go right.

Opéra Bastille is located at Place de la Bastille, 12th arrondissement, metro Bastille (lines 1, 5, & 8). To find the ticket office, you have to walk around the building to the right of the teenagers who lounge and smoke on the giant staircase. Ah, Paris…

Popularity: 4% [?]

Oh. My. God.

“2,” Athens’s latest everyone-is-talking-about-it stage production, choreographed by Dimitris Papaioannou (the genius behind the magnificent opening ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games) is inimitable. Showing at the recently renovated Pallas Theater (5 Voukourestiou Street, +30-210-321-3100), “2” is the kind of production one might see at any of the finest theaters in London, New York, or San Francisco.

Delving into issues surrounding male identity, sexuality, and relationships to everything from work and women to self without so much as one line of dialogue, “2″ resonates with a broad audience on a visceral and intellectual level, and has drawn packed houses every night.

To obtain a ticket, go to Ticket Shop and see “2″ advertised on the home page. Scroll down a bit and click on “Δείτε ή κατεβάστε το video (2,35MB),” written in red, to see a montage from the production. Click on “ΣΧΕΔΙΑΓΡΑΜΜΑ (τμήματα – τιμές),” also in red, to see seating options and prices. We highly recommend splurging and buying a ticket close to the stage. Tickets begin at €10 and top out at €100.

Due to its popularity, “2” has been held over. It is currently scheduled to run through March 4.

Popularity: 2% [?]