The main venue for sports, arts and leisure in the county is the Pickaquoy Centre in Kirkwall. The centre, which boasts a swimming pool and health suite in addition to a range of other facilities, hosts major concerts, gigs, performances and sporting competitions.
The 243-seater New Phoenix Cinema shows blockbusters (in 2D and 3D), world films and live theatre performances via satellite link.
You’ll also find a swimming pool in Stromness, with steam room, sauna, spa and fitness centre, and smaller pools in the islands of Hoy, Westray, Sanday and Stronsay.
Other leisure services include museums and the Orkney Library and Archive in Kirkwall, and Stromness Library. You can study local history through primary sources in the Orkney Archive, view images in the photographic archive and listen to recordings in the sound archive.
The library service also operates mobile vans to take books to outlying areas and island communities.
The Orkney Theatre – part of the Kirkwall Grammar School complex – is a state-of-the-art venue for all manner of concerts, performances and events, with seating for 384 people.
In Stromness, West Side Cinema screens feature films and documentaries from around the world.
There are many clubs and activities available throughout Orkney from football, rugby, hockey, badminton, golf, fishing and swimming to traditional music clubs, cultural festivals and crafts.
Orkney also has a thriving arts sector, covering music, visual arts, literature, drama, dance, crafts and more.