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The wizards have their own equivalent of some Muggle entertainment/arts:

  • music - Celestina Warbeck and The Weird Sisters are professional musicians.
  • books - "The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore", "Armando Dippet: Master or Moron" and "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" are the known examples.
  • fine arts - portraits, paintings and sculptures are all around Hogwarts and The Ministry. Also rich families (like the Blacks) could afford to have personal portraits.
  • sports - Quidditch!
  • radio - Molly Weasley listens to Celestina Warbeck on the radio.
  • newspapers - The Daily Prophet and The Quibbler at least.
  • joke shops - there is at least one in Hogsmeade and the recently opened "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes".

Are there also any references to plays and movies?

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    One would hope that "The Adventures of Martin Miggs the Mad Muggle" comics would get a film treatment
    – NKCampbell
    Dec 29, 2015 at 15:22

1 Answer 1

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Theatre - yes.

The Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts is mentioned in the Tales of Beedle the Bard. It is a wizarding school that provides education for young witches and wizards who seek a theatrical or performance career.

There are also a couple of mentions of ballet in the books: Barnabas the Barmy's attempt to teach it to trolls, and Malfoy's sneer to Harry during a Quidditch match in HP and the Chamber of Secrets.

Films - probably not.

This seems far too "technological" for the wizarding world. They don't have telephones ("fellytones?" - Mr Weasley) or television on the whole, so I doubt they'd have cinema or films either. Although it's possible, since Pottermore tells us of a precedent with television:

While they have no need of mundane domestic objects such as dishwashers or vacuum cleaners, some members of the magical community are amused by Muggle television, and a few firebrand wizards even went so far, in the early eighties, as to start a British Wizarding Broadcasting Corporation, in the hope that they would be able to have their own television channel.

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    I would tend to agree with this - mainly on the basis of wizarding logic vs muggle logic. The entire idea of 'moving pictures' in the muggle world was seen as magic - we even have these terms "movie magic, film wizardry", etc.... - the wizarding world had, technically speaking, moving pictures already. Also - we never see instances of Muggle borns lamenting the lack of film or television. Granted, Harry and Hermione may feel comfortable enough with the muggle world they they would just go see a movie, likely though, the wizard world is awesome enough they just don't care anymore.
    – NKCampbell
    Dec 29, 2015 at 15:27
  • You forgot the infamous Troll Ballet Dec 29, 2015 at 15:32
  • Re: TV and a rabbit - I'll make an un-educated guess it's from some video game. Dec 29, 2015 at 15:33
  • @DVK 1) I did indeed! Now added. 2) Agreed.
    – Rand al'Thor
    Dec 29, 2015 at 15:36
  • I'd also say that the wizarding world is rather throwback to bygone days. Although there is a passing interest in muggle studies and artifacts, the lifestyles of the wizarding world seem more to approach the days before film and other modern electronically delivered type content was very popular.
    – Escoce
    Dec 29, 2015 at 15:43

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