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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/48893
License name: CC BY-SA 4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

I'm currently writing a story taking place in the recent past in which (aside from the main plot) my characters get to spend some time in a big city. They end up visiting the tourist joints but also visit some museums/concerts, go to the cinema etc. In my first draft, I've left all that terribly vague, and on rereading it's painfully obvious that I have no clue what kind of events they're supposed to be attending. Now obviously I could make something up, but I thought I'd try to incorporate real events instead.

I'm keeping this question deliberately vague as I'm not looking for specific suggestions, but merely some guidance on how to find the information I'm looking for. So let me rephrase my question to be more general:

**How can I approach researching 21st century every-day cultural events (cinema, theatre, concerts, exhibitions) online?**

Restrictions:

- The **place is fixed** and is in **another country** , so I can't simply hop over to the local library.
- However, it's a **big city** in a country with an official **language I can speak/read**. (I'm assuming that makes it easier to find relevant information.)
- The exact **time frame is still open for change** but the story takes place over the span of a few months some time **between 2000-2015**. (In fact, I'm hoping that this research will help me nail down the time frame.)
- Similarly, **the venues and event types are similarly fluid**.
- While I've visited the city, **I don't know it well enough to know which venues/events might be generally interesting** beyond the obvious tourist targets.

FWIW, I've already made some progress on this research and may in fact end up posting an answer myself, but I'm interested in other people's suggestions.

Original score: 1