Performing Arts Planner

Tickets 101

The opera, symphony, the San Francisco Ballet's The Nutcracker, and touring hit musicals are often sold out in advance. Tickets are usually available for other shows within a day of the performance.

Listing Information

The best guide to the arts is the Sunday "Datebook" section (www.sfgate.com/datebook) of the San Francisco Chronicle. The four-day entertainment supplement "96 Hours" (www.sfgate.com/96hours) is in the Thursday Chronicle. Also check out the city's free alternative weeklies, including SF Weekly (www.sfweekly.com) and the San Francisco Bay Guardian (www.sfbg.com).

Online, SF Station (www.sfstation.com) has a frequently updated arts and nightlife calendar. San Francisco Arts Monthly (www.sfarts.org), which is published at the end of the month, has arts features and events listings, plus a helpful "Visiting San Francisco?" section. For offbeat, emerging-artist performances, consult CounterPULSE (www.counterpulse.org).