The main form of entertainment in Chengdu is Chinese traditional opera. The city is home to Sichuan's leading opera troupe, famous throughout the country and this is a great place to see some authentic Chinese art on stage.
The main difference between Sichuan Opera and Beijing Opera lies in the fact that the themes of the former are more provincial and related to everyday life than their Beijing counterparts. All the opera here is performed in Sichuanese, a special rhythmic dialect and the costumes and face paints are colorful and impressive.
Currently the best place to see Sichuan style opera is in the Chengdu Theater on Minzhong Lu and the Jin Jiang Theater on Huaxingzheng Lu.
Along with the influx of investment and the inevitable cranes and skyscrapers that are modernizing Chengdu, a fairly lively bar and cafe scene has emerged, helped by the fact that this is a stop off point for many travelers en route to Tibet.
There are a few good bars around the Traffic Hotel serving good beer (the local brew is Blue Sword which goes down very well with spicy food!) and also doing western style food. Paul's Place is currently pick of the bunch.
These are good places to meet other travelers and swap stories, to exchange some books or to use the internet. After dark, many of the bars in Chengdu get quite lively, staying open until the small hours of the morning. If you are after something a bit more hardcore, try the Huigui Reunion Bar on Yihuan Lu. This place is filled with cool city kids shaking their heads to the techno music blaring out.
There are thousands of Tea houses dotted about the city which are nice places to soak up some local atmosphere. If it's something more active you seek, try the stadium on Renmin Zhong Lu where the Chengdu teams often have matches.