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Our comprehensive list of virtual tours and events

Tom Cramp

Contributor

Being stuck indoors doesn’t mean you can’t still explore some of the most famous museums in the world, attend classes and events, or listen to live music. Here is our comprehensive list of online tours and activities taking place globally right now that will allow you to stroll through places you may never have been before and connect with people from around the world, all from the safety and comfort of your own home.

ART EVENTS AND VIRTUAL TOURS

  • Experience New York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum from home with this link that will allow you to take a virtual tour, take online art classes, get an in-depth understanding of the collection and watch live stream interviews with Guggenheim staff members for a closer look at the museum’s architecture, exhibitions, and history.

  • The Art Institute of Chicago is the third largest art museum in the world and can be explored via their virtual tour function. Other online activities include interactive features, educator resources, audio tours, videos and more.

  • The British Museum’s online services offer everyone unparalleled access to objects in the collection for free. Learning resources are also available for parents trying to keep their kids engaged while schools are shut.

  • Take in the façades of the Louvre through your high resolution computer screen and you can almost smell the Seine. The museum’s exhibition rooms and galleries such as Egyptian Antiques, the Remains of the Louvre’s Moat, and the Galerie d'Apollon can all be viewed online through virtual tours.

  • Google Art Project is offering access to the permanent collections of the Musée de l'Orangerie. The platform offers virtual tours in the two oval rooms of Water Lilies by Claude Monet, designed between 1915 and 1926 in Giverny, and also, thanks to the zoom function, to immerse in the whole of the eight monumental compositions of the impressionist Master.

  • 360Stories gives visitors access to an online tour of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Detailed descriptions of his pieces are informative and engaging, while the museum also offers fascinating insight into the maverick painter’s life. 

  • Explore the entire Museo del Prado collection piece by piece on their website; paintings are accompanied by in-depth descriptions and technical data that will thrill historians.

  • The Rijkmuseum has 80 galleries that hold 8,000 objects, telling the story of 800 years of Dutch art and history, from the Middle Ages to Mondrian. There are 11 online exhibits available for free that give deep insight into some of the museum’s most treasured items.

  • Washington’s National Gallery of Art has several online resources available to the public. Ten digital education resources are great for kids missing out on school, while video and audio tours of current exhibitions, family interactive activities and an online cache of the gallery’s collection means that there is something for everyone here.

  • Everyone who's visited the Uffizi Galleries will know that you have to wait long queues. This is because only small groups of visitors can enter, to not spoil the magnificent works kept there. Luckily enough, the website has a virtual tour of the whole site via Google Maps.

  • Get an inside look at facilities at the NASA Glenn Research Centre such as NASA Glenn Hangar, the 8 x 6 Supersonic Wind Tunnel, the Simulated Lunar Operations Laboratory (SLOPE), the Ballistics Impact Lab and many more through their interactive virtual tour operating system.

  • The UK’s world renowned National Portrait Gallery is hosting a virtual tour of self-portraits by female artists called Mirror Mirror. Descriptions of paintings and artists give visitors a deeper understanding of the art.

  • Virtual tours of some of Vatican City’s most prestigious sites, such as the Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Rooms, Niccoline Chapel, Pio Clementino Museum and more, are freely available online for you to peruse at your leisure.

  • Google Arts and Culture is a useful platform that has a wealth of online resources such as walking tours through British forests and Italian cultural sites, lab experiment videos, street art tours and more. Several museum and gallery tours are also available.

  • Cirque du Soleil have uploaded show footage and fan-favourite videos to their website for anyone to watch for free. There are also interactive resources and virtual reality behind-the-scenes activities for anyone to take part in. 

London's National Portrait Gallery

FASHION EVENTS

  • Ethical Fashion Talks are being hosted on the 4th of April by Emmanuelle Rienda, founder of Vegan Fashion Week. The discussion is free to join if you register online, and their goal is to ignite conversations within the industry by educating, elevating and drawing connections between their most important values; respect for human life, animal rights and the environment.

  • International fashion brand WWD launched a new sustainability campaign on March 18, with an entirely digital agenda of content, a fashion week and summit. It will be running until the end of April, and you can get involved by heading to their website.

MUSIC EVENTS AND VIRTUAL PARTIES

  • We have started the ASMALLWORLD Artists Sessions where we will have two great artists performing every week, to make staying at home a bit more entertaining! Every Wednesday and Friday at the same time (7pm Zurich, 6pm London, 1pm New York), a great DJ, musician or another talent will take over the ASMALLWORLD Instagram account and entertain you with an hour of live streaming.

  • American singer, songwriter and guitarist Ben Gibbard is the lead vocalist and guitarist of the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie. You can catch his weekly livestreams on Thursdays at 6pm PT. He also has his previous sessions saved on his YouTube channel.

  • Award-winning Jazz Guitarist Sean McGowan is putting on a free online concert on the 10th of April from 7.30pm – 9pm EDT. Register online through this link for more information on the artist and how to get tickets.

  • Join Crescendo Communication for weekly, virtual open mics where anyone can take the stage. Whether you're a seasoned professional or you finally decided to pick up an instrument this week, they will want to hear from you! There are multiple dates available in April and the events are free, with a suggested donation of $5USD.

  • Yota Baron, an experienced flamenco singer, introduces you to the beautiful art of Flamenco Singing. Online classes taking place twice in April (4, 25) and May (9, 23), and will cost €15EUR. The classes are separated by style (Cantiñas, Soleares, Fandangos, Bulerias etc) and in every class, each style is studied individually. Class content is also focused on the history behind each style.

  • Solo guitarist and chamber musician Steve Newbrough is hosting a free classical guitar session on the 21st of April from 7pm – 8.30pm EDT. Newbrough dabbles in vastly ­different styles including electric guitar with gospel choirs, abstract 20th-century music with dancers, classical guitar on stage, and traveling the U.S. with the internationally-acclaimed Minneapolis Guitar Quartet. 

  • Charli XCX has been regularly taking to Instagram Live for her fans, check her Insta stories and posts for more info about timings.

  • Handy Instagram page coronavirusconcerts will let you know where and when your favourite artists are live streaming. They also have saved several past live streams on their page from big stars like Miley Cyrus, John Mayer, Snoop Dogg and more.

  • American heavy metal band Metallica will be live streaming one of their previous concerts on YouTube and Facebook from 8pm EDT every Monday.

  • World-famous DJ Diplo is live streaming weekly shows on Instagram as part of his Corona World Tour.

  • StageIt is an online concert venue that streams live feeds of talented artists playing shows. They have a specific section for the current situation called Shut In and Sing, which is featuring Country/Folk/Americana shows throughout April. Ticket prices vary.

HEALTH AND WELLBEING EVENTS

  • Several health bloggers and wellness experts have taken to Instagram and posted workshop videos that cover many aspects of health and wellness. La Semaine Paris are posting free bi-weekly meditation classes via Instagram Live every Monday and Saturday at 5pm, and live hairstyle tips every Saturday at 11:30am ET. Previous videos about meditation, hair style tips, yoga classes and daily skin routines are available on their Insta feed to view any time.

  • Make-up artist Shawniece Dean is hosting the perfect eyebrow class for everyday women. Tickets can be purchased on eventbrite.com and classes cost $10USD, with a range of dates available.

  • In April, Nutrionist company Nourishi Consulting GmbH are hosting online classes about methods to strengthen your immune system and how meditation can enhance resilience. Most events are free and available for reservation on eventbrite.com.

  • Daily live yoga classes are available with Spirit of the Lake Yoga & Wellness Centre via Zoom. Check their website for more information about times and prices.

  • Tune into 305 Fitness' Youtube channel at 12pm and 6pm ET every day for free high-energy cardio dance classes. Have lots of water readily available!

  • Go live with Crunch Fitness every day through their website for high-octane fitness classes. Different prices apply to different levels of membership, more info can be found on the site. Preview videos of classes are also available for viewing.

  • Keep active whilst at home with Planet Fitness through their free daily live streams at 4pm PT.

  • Gold's Gym have a wide range of on-demand fitness videos available online that are free for anyone to use. In partnership with Gold’s Gym, the temporary site for LesMills is also allowing free access to 100+ workouts during the COVID-19 disruptions.

  • On Sunday the 5th of April, the organiser of YOGA@HOME will host a free German-speaking 30-minute yoga class. Attendance is free and can be accessed through Zoom, details of the meet can be found here

  • Other free online yoga classes include Yoga For a Cause which has multiple dates in April available and Vinyasa Level 2 yoga class on the 19th of April with Dani Bee.

  • Personal trainer and popular German influencer Pamela Reif is hosting regular workout live streams on her YouTube channel. She also has several short online workout videos available to view on demand. 

  • German fitness group Prime Time Fitness are also live streaming workouts and have have videos on demand.

OPERA, BALLET AND CLASSICAL MUSIC EVENTS

  • The Detroit Symphony Orchestra have posted many videos of past shows in 4K high-definition on their website for free; anyone can go and watch these incredible shows in prestigious venues all over the world if they sign up. There are also many upcoming shows in May and later this year that can be streamed online.

  • Experience great opera and ballet at home for free with the Vienna State Opera and its livestream archives. The Wiener Staatsoper will broadcast recordings of previous opera and ballet performances daily via its streaming platform, with streams starting at 7pm, 6pm or 5pm CET respectively. Each will remain available for 24 hours. Programme details are available at their website.

  • The Paris Opera will be offering to the public its most beautiful ballets and operas to stream from its website for free. Classics such as Carmen, The Barber Of Seville, Swan Lake and more are just a few clicks away.

  • Get dance, opera and theatre on demand with Marquee TV. There is a 30 day free trial available at the moment which will give you access to a huge amount of classic work that will pass the time nicely while we are stuck at home.

  • Teatro Regio Torino have introduced a new virtual stage which every day at 6pm CET will allow fans to witness the magic of great opera from their sofa. See this link for previous performances available on their YouTube channel.

  • The New York Classical Review has made lots of links to free online classical music streams available, from distinguished musicians such as the Finnish National Opera, the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra and many more. See the link for details about times.

  • The Moscow Orchestra are performing live on the 10th of April at 7pm MSK , anyone can tune in for free. The stream can be found on their Facebook page or their official website.

VIRTUAL BUSINESS EVENTS AND SELF-DEVELOPMENT

  • Learn from the best in the world through Masterclass, an online collection 80+ classes from experts in their field. An annual membership costs £170GBP and is a good option if you want to spend your free time boosting your career or general wellbeing.

  • Attend A Mindful Society Online Conference from the 1st of May to the 4th from the comfort of your own home and hear from the following keynote speakers: best selling author and psychologist Rick Hanson Ph.D. and co-founder of The Centre for Mindful Living Elisha Goldstein Ph.D. This years theme is "Our Present Future", which addresses the inseparable nature of our present awareness and our global future.

  • Build skills with courses, certificates, and degrees online from world-class universities and companies with Coursera. Available for free and at any time.

  • Take advantage of 500+ online courses provided by Ivy League schools in the U.S. with Class Central.

VIRTUAL COOKING CLASSES AND EVENTS

  • Italian restaurateur and chef patron of Osteria Francescana Massimo Bottura is hosting daily cooking classes named Kitchen Quarantine on his instagram, starting at 3pm ET.

  • Cécile Della Torre from Cook And Speak is hosting cooking classes throughout April in support of the most vulnerable due to COVID-19. The class is free but donations are welcomed and can be made via the eventbrite.com page, which also has details about what you will need to have prepared before the class. 

  • La Semaine Paris are putting on free cookery classes every Monday and Thursday at 12.30pm ET via their Instagram page.

  • Learn how to make Sourdough with a free online class via Zoom on either the 18th of April or the 25th. Details can be found here.

  • These shows available on demand on Amazon Prime will get you in the kitchen and are a great source of inspiration to cook something you've never cooked before.

VIRTUAL WINE AND COCKTAIL EVENTS

  • Virtual wine tasting sessions with United in Bubbly are a great way to keep your spirits up whilst stuck at home. Attendees can drink some delicious bubbly, learn all about the producer, and bubbly in general. This is a chance to socialise with others all in the comfort of your own home. And get a little tipsy, too. Available dates are the 4th and the 11th of April.

  • WineVine Virtual Tasting Series is a monthly meet-up on Zoom for wine aficionados. The next session is on the 24th of April and costs nothing to join. Wine will have to be purchased by attendee. 

  • Attend this online cocktail masterclass via Zoom from Dani & Jackie's Virtual Happy Hour. Time slots are every day in April and start at 6pm ET (US and Canada).

OTHER EVENTS AND VIRTUAL TOURS

  • Tune in to short concerts from the living rooms of Broadway stars for free while the theatre is on a hiatus with Broadway World.

  • Online film magazine Talking Shorts is currently presenting a weekly online programme of seven short films with the theme of "dystopia" that have been suggested from their quarantined short film friends around the globe. The audience can then vote for their favourite film. Participation is free but donations are optional.

  • World-leading zoo-based conservation organisation Zoos Victoria own three zoos around Melbourne and are live streaming the animals while their doors are closed. Snow leopard cubs, zebras and lions can all be seen via their live feeds.

  • Washington Zoo are also live streaming their animals while guests are not allowed into the park. They have a giant panda cam, lion cam, elephant cam and a naked mole-rat cam running 24 hours a day.

  • Take a free virtual tour of some of the world's most beautiful parks such as London's Royal Parks, New York's Central Park, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Grand Teton National Park. Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado also has a selection of recorded soundscapes from the park, including tree swallows, wild turkeys and brown-tailed hummingbirds.

  • Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden are hosting live safari streams every day at 3pm EDT. Their Facebook page has more information on how to tune in.

  • The National Aquarium in Baltimore, U.S., is broadcasting live from Blacktip Reef. Blacktip reef sharks, reticulated whiptail rays and humphead wrasse can be seen swimming around on video. Other live feeds include Jellies Invasion and Pacific Coral Reef.

  • Live streams from the Coronavirus Theatre Club on Twitter are providing viewers with monologues from various theatre actors every Sunday, see their page for timings.

  • Magnet Theatre provide regular live comedy via live stream on Twitch. Prices for shows vary.

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