The strength of the Paris music scene is its diversity, largely a result of its absorption of immigrant and exile populations. The city has no rivals in Europe for the variety of world music to be found: African, Caribbean and Latin American sounds are represented in force both by city-based groups and touring bands.

Jazz fans, too, are in for a treat. Paris has long been home to new jazz styles and old-time musicians. Standards are high and the line-ups varied, and the ancient cellars housing many of the clubs make for great acoustics and atmosphere.

One of France's own popular musical traditions, the chanson , closely associated with Édith Piaf and taken to its greatest heights by Georges Brassens and the Belgian Jacques Brel, has been experiencing something of a revival recently. Chanson evenings in restaurants and brasseries can be great fun and a very "French" experience. Also alive and well is ballroom dancing, held at the old music halls or surburban eating-and-drinking venues known as guinguettes .

Although a lot of commercial French popular music is best avoided, the French rock, pop and techno scene is taken much more seriously than it used to be. Much French electronic music has gained international success, while on a national level, some exciting new sounds are emerging in the rock and pop scene, drawing on multicultural influences.

Classical music , as you might expect in this Neoclassical city, is alive and well and takes up twice the space of "jazz-pop-folk-rock" in the listings magazines. The Paris Opéra, with its two homes - the Palais Garnier and Opéra Bastille - puts on a fine selection of ballet as well as opera. The choice of concerts is enormous, ranging from free recitals in the city's atmospheric churches to concerts by international names and orchestras, staged in prestigious venues such as the Salle Pleyel and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. The capital's two main orchestras are the Orchestre de Paris and the Orchestre National. If you're interested in the contemporary scene of Systems composition and the like, check out the state-sponsored experiments of Laurent Bayle at the Pompidou Centre, and L'Ensemble InterContemporain at La Villette's Cité de la Musique.

Film, theatre and dance

Movie-goers have a choice of around three hundred films showing in Paris in any one week, covering every place and period. Moreover, new works, with the exception of British movies, arrive here long before they reach London and New York.

The city also has a vibrant theatre scene and several superstar directors have chosen to base themselves here, including Peter Brook and Ariane Mnouchkine, known for their highly visual and explosive productions. In addition, there are numerous venues given over to the exciting developments in dance and multi-genre stage performances, some of it incorporating mime .

Listings for all films and stage productions are detailed in Pariscope and other weekly listing magazines