After left-leaning mayor Francesco Rutelli took office in the early 1990s, the arts have been promoted and sponsored like never before in Rome. Rutelli's successor, Walter Veltroni, continued the trend.

In 2002 Rome gained a new concert hall, designed by Renzo Piano. It offers what the city long lacked: a high-tech, high-capacity venue for hosting international orchestras and musicians. There are plenty of cultural events throughout the year, and some at outdoor venues during the warmer months. For all outdoor events in the evening, take a jacket or sweater and something to cover your legs -- despite the daytime heat of a Roman summer, nights can be cool. Events generally are poorly publicized; you can find out what's scheduled by keeping an eye on the posters announcing events and reading listings in newspapers and specialized publications.

The most comprehensive listings of what's going on in the city (movies, museum exhibitions, concerts, sporting and cultural events) are in the weekly roma c'è booklet, which comes out every Wednesday. It has a short English-language section at the back. Schedules of events are also published in the daily newspapers, in the Trovaroma Thursday supplement of La Repubblica newspaper, in the Guest in Rome booklet distributed free at many hotel desks, and in fliers available at Azienda di Promozione Turistica di Roma (APT) offices and city tourist information kiosks. A biweekly English-language periodical, Wanted in Rome, available at many newsstands, has good coverage of events in the arts. Look for posters outside churches announcing free concerts and recitals of religious music.

Depending on the venue, concert tickets will cost between EUR7 and EUR25. Often, seating is open (identified in Italian as posti non numerati). Inquire about this when you buy the tickets; you may have to arrive early to get a good seat. Get opera and concert tickets in advance at the box office, or try just before the performance.

After-hours entertainment in Rome consists mainly of late-night cafés, music clubs, and discos. Most spots except the big discos have a clubby vibe, with a regular clientele. The "in" places, especially the discos, change like the flavor of the month and may fade into oblivion after a brief season of popularity. Many simply change name and stylings from one year to the next. Hubs of after-dark activity are Piazza Navona and the Pantheon area, Trastevere, and Testaccio. The Spanish Steps are strictly for tourists.

The best sources for an up-to-date list of late-night spots and of who's playing what at the music clubs are the weekly entertainment guides, roma c'è and Trovaroma.