2 Best Performing Arts in Belize

Overlooking the harbor from the Southern Foreshore near the Supreme Court, this stunning building houses the Institute of Creative Arts and hosts cultural and arts events throughout the year—you could hear a Maya singer or see a Garifuna dance group. Part of the National Institute of Culture and History, the Bliss's 600-seat theater is headquarters for the Belize International Film Festival, usually held in July. Dramas, children's festivals, dance, art displays, and other cultural and musical performances take place at various times. It also houses a small art gallery with a George Gabb sculpture, Sleeping Giant, which appears as the watermark on Belize five-dollar bills. Most shows are in English, with Kriol often mixed in. Ticket prices typically range from BZ$10 to BZ$40, a bargain compared to what you'd pay for a theatrical performance back home.

Here is a Belizean take on an American-style cinema, where you can watch first-run or near-first-run movies in air-conditioned comfort and with Dolby 5.1 sound. It's cheap, though usually only open on weekends. The theater, which has 300- and 125-seat rooms, is also used for live shows and is a favorite among San Pedranos. If you're thirsty, there's a bar.

If you're staying in town or south and don't want to pay the BZ$10 fee to take your golf cart across the bridge, you can park it on the south side of the bridge and walk over (no toll for pedestrians), as the theater is just a few hundred feet from the bridge.