Music, theater, sports, games - none have even the smallest presence in the TES universe as has been presented so far, barring being mentioned in a book that I didn't read. Any idea what the Nirnians do for a good time? What do the kids play? Bards are a playable class, but they have no real presence in the day to day life in any of the four TES games that I've played. Any celebrities in the Hollywood/recording industry style? Everyone seems 110% driven on gaining power. You know what they say about all work and no play.

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Desele%27s_House_of_Earthly_Delights

:whistling:

It was the same for medieval England, all they really did was go to bars, have a few royal parties, and fight wars. TES Is a troubled world, too. Not too much room for fun.

Medieval times had jousting and other combat/hunting oriented games of skill, Bible plays, minstrels and troubadors, they had rooster fighting, dog fighting, bear and bull baiting, and at least six types of dance. They made the best of a chance for a good time. But, they didn't really have gentleman's clubs, and I suppose I'd rather have those than what our middle ages had.

Music - there are lot of bards, even playable class.

Theatre - in Morrowind was number of theatre-related quests, in one you could even take part in a play.
One of lesser shrines in Daggerfall was Kieran Theatre.

Sports - tourneyes and gladiator fights can be considired as more violent anologues.

There also carnivals. Festivals. Well developed book industry.

At least there are was one bard in Thirsk, who sang about your victories, .

In Morrowind, one quest added in Tribunal had the player participating in a play, the Lusty Argonian Maid was also a play (Just because Uncle Crasius is a playwright doesn't mean his plays are GOOD) they also mention another play by the same person titled Dance of the Three Legged Guar, of course we never get to see it, and considering that guar have two legs, I think that might be for the best. So we know that plays exist in Tamriel, the existence of loots and drums would also seem to indicate music. We might not see anyone performing music in the games, but we must remember that just because something isn't portrayed in game doesn't mean it doesn't exist in lore. And of course, there's also taverns, while in game, the people in places like that don't look like they're having much fun, I'm sure they're actually supposed to be much more lively, also, the Arena seems to entertain the people watching it, sure, the idea of people killing each other for other people's entertainment may seem wrong now, but a fictional setting inspired, in part, by various ancient real life cultures won't necessarily have the same values as modern society, and we don't seem to have any problem being entertained by violence as long as it's fictional and no real people are hurt. I'd imagine that most other recreational activities that existed in the Middle Ages would exist in Tamriel as well, and maybe magic would open up some new possibilities, though I can't think of any instances of magic being used for entertainment that I've seen. In any case, they may not have TV or movies or video games, but that doesn't mean they don't have ways of spending whatever free time they can get.

Yes; it was invented by uncle Sheo himself, .

Nobles also can go to the ball or to the hund.

And about tavern fun, look http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Entertainers

There was an add-on for music and entertainment in Morrowind and don't forget there is an arena.

Its important to note that the modern day vision of fun - including sports and theatre - is a recent invention that accompanied industrialization and standardized work hours. Prior to that you essentially worked all day, except for Sunday, which you spent in church.

Anyways, there are plenty of references to leisure activities in TES. Morrowind had musical instruments and a play you could perform in. Books mention archery competitions. Oblivion has the Arena, which is both blood sport and gambling. Oblivion also has several NPCs who seem to be artists in their spare time.

There is an arena in both the Imperial City and Vivec, and there used to be one in Kvatch. There are drugs (moon sugar and skooma). There is a theater in Tribunal (as was mentioned). There are is the dwemer robot arena (also in Tribunal). In Suran you have a brothel.

Granted, Oblivion did nothing for the story. It was basically GTA in Tamriel. Not to say Morrowind had a lot of this, but it certainly had plenty more back story and culture.

There were bards and musicians in almost every inn in Daggerfall. Theatre has had a large in-game presence. Then there are arenas, and various martial competitions, and of course there are all the books.
And there's a lot of alcohol.

There the Quill Circus mention in the book The Black Arrow and in many unused NPC in Daggerfall.

Also, if one were to play Daggerfall, try visiting a city at the time of any holidays. Usually a mention of a celebration happen upon entering the city.

Let's not forget the Rooftop Club in Crucible, even if it's a pretty small group.

I think the brothels in DF covered that. Then again if it's just fun, you could hang out at the local temple to see what's happening. They usually seem to have a dancer on hand. Jesters are in the courts of the kings, as well as the hire on from the mages guild.

The Court of Daggerfall has a couple of http://img97.imageshack.us/i/daggerfall.jpg/.
Elysana hangs out with the http://img8.imageshack.us/i/wayrest.jpg/.
We know what the Queen of Sentinel likes for http://img42.imageshack.us/i/sentinelv.jpg/.
At least the working stiff at this bar gets to hear some http://img718.imageshack.us/i/barwt.jpg/.
There's also http://img203.imageshack.us/i/ladyczj.jpg/.
She didn't smile at me. http://img163.imageshack.us/i/lady2a.jpg/
I got up the nerve to talk to http://img822.imageshack.us/i/lady3m.jpg/, and you know http://img180.imageshack.us/i/lady4.jpg/

You clearly are not playing on the PC.

Various mods add bards, complete with animations, dancing, etc. They're usually found in taverns.

Theatre? You participate in a play, in Mournhold.
Sports; Arena.
Games; See Sports.

No, clearly I'm not playing on a PC (I am). If bards in mods are canon to the plot than so are moogles, because you can download playable moogles in a mod. I don't count those. But, the rest - the arena and what not, I agree there. Mods though, nah - don't count.

Some mods aren't that lorebending.

Official mods, as Entertainers, do count.

Folk create profiles in the Dreamsleeve and raise the minutia of Tamriel, like anyone gives a [censored]. Dialectics is taboo. No one really knows, it seems. Though, many pretend to and some succeed. The kids talk on their bird-phones. Most like magic shows and stories. Some read. Basically, anything you can imagine we puissant of the 21^st century doing, they of Tamriel do. In their fashion of it. Which might be more lore correct. A scholar should know.

We need to remember that sometimes we don't see lore in gameplay because of tech limits. In Tamriel, people go to taverns or skooma dens or brothels, or hang out with friends, some people have hobbies like alchemy, there's the arena, lots of books, art, or simply walking about. So yes, people do have fun in Tamriel, we just don't see it yet because the technology isn't good enough. Someday, maybe when we're all old, we will see a fully realized tamriel. Just not yet.

Let's not forget the favorite recreational activity of Redguard bandits.

"It's about time I had some FUN!"

Well, I do like a good brawl. I guess fun is relative, anyways. Some people have fun kicking balls across a grassy field, can you imagine?

:laugh: Sigged.

Of course, we also have: "Seles the name, shells the game".

Oh! YES. I *knew* there was some manner of gambling in TES, buy I couldn't remember what!

A person can gamble in anything.