Entertainment:

As a cradle of Karnataka's culture, Shimoga offers a rich fare of entertainment that is a many ways different from the other regions, in style as well as substance.

Shimoga is a stronghold of the stage in Karnataka. Highly renowned artistes, playwrights and drama companies hail from this soil and perform regularly to the connoisseurs of the district. The plays could be around local folk themes or mythology or Kannada classics or standard works from other languages and Shimoga provides them very good centers for performance. Stage in this district invariably evokes the image of Yakshagana, an art form particularly popular in the malnad taluks

The distinct literary background of Shimoga also imparts lot of depth and refinement to its entertainment scenario, and the district plays host to literary evenings, poet meets, book festivals, book release and felicitation programmes on a continuing basis. The people of Shimoga are great lovers of music. Concerts, rock shows, star nights, orchestras and musical contests are permanent part of the district's entertainment menu, along with musical discourses(Harikathas) and dance programmes. There are many Bhajan Mandals for weekly congregational prayers.

‘Tunga Mahotsava’ a very new concept of ‘Evening to Morning’ Cultural extravaganza is appreciated by one and all.

Shimoga has cyber cafes for hi-tech entertainment, sophisticated and even laser disc driven cinema halls for its cineaesthetes and fans. And then there are many standard clubs for social evenings, a sports stadium, parks, play grounds and nature parks, animal and bird sanctuaries and many tourist destinations of historical, cultural and religious interests.

Shimoga's socio-cultural calendar is packed with events—The Sahyadri Utsav and other annual fairs, consumer expose, flower shows, fashion pageants, celebrations connected with Dasara and Ganesha festivals etc.

In domestic circles, kitty parties, birthday bashes, new year parties are common. And above all there is the ubiquitous TV and its Kannada channels in particular, key their audiences perpetually spell bound with their soap operas, sitcoms, film songs and films.
For entrepreneurs in the amusement and leisure industry, the district's cultural and natural backdrop presents irresistible business propositions.