42 Best Performing Arts Venues in Boston, Massachusetts

The 2,700-seat, vaudville-era beaux arts building is lavished in $35 million worth of gold leaf, lush carpeting, and rococo ornamentation, and it is the city's premier destination for touring Broadway companies. More locally, it's the home theater for Boston Ballet and all its productions, including its famous The Nutcracker.  The Opera House offers really cool guided historical and backstage tours, which must be reserved online in advance.

This lovingly restored art deco theater presents an eclectic and exciting selection of world cinema, including first-run art films, documentaries, and classics. There are six screens, and special programming highlighting experimental films is occasionally offered. The independent nonprofit art house also holds book readings, private events, and midnight screenings of cult movies. One of Coolidge’s signature programs is Science on Screen, a creative pairing of films with introductions by renowned science experts; the program has expanded to more than 40 independent theaters nationwide.

Welcome to Boston's oldest continuously operated theater, where musical magic was created, performed and transformed by the likes of Stephen Sondheim, Ethel Merman, and George and Ira Gershwin, before traveling to Broadway to become "official." Local tryouts included Porgy and Bess, Follies, Grand Hotel, and La Cage aux Folles. Today, the Colonial continues to present pre-Broadway premieres, live orchestras, and special evenings with performers and writers.  The Colonial hosts occasional historical and behind-the-scenes tours; reserve tickets online.

This gilt-wood jewel box of a stage is the preferred venue for many of Boston's classical orchestras and the home of Harvard University's many ensembles. Located in Memorial Hall, 180-degree stage design and superb acoustics afford intimacy and crystal projection. A favorite of folk, jazz, and world-music performers, the 1,000-seat Sanders hosts the holiday favorite Christmas Revels, a traditional participatory Yule celebration, and well as the José Mateo company's original Nutcracker ballet. Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Leonard Bernstein, and Oprah Winfrey have appeared at this famed seat of oratory and music.

What started as a vaudeville stage and movie house continues to cement itself as a keystone of Davis Square's growing culture through films and live entertainment (believe it or not, The Boss, Adele, and U2 have all played here). The 900-seat, five-screen theater recently celebrated its centennial and continues to delight with special evening events like silent movies set to live music as well as beloved film festivals. In the coffered-ceiling, stone-tiled foyer you may buy beer, wine, popcorn, and ice cream to enjoy during the show, whether it's a new release or an oldie but goodie.

One of the world's best acoustical concert halls—some say the best—has been home since 1900 to the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) and the Boston Pops. Led by conductor Keith Lockhart, the Pops concerts take place in May and June and around the winter holidays. The hall is also used by visiting orchestras, chamber groups, soloists, and local ensembles. Rehearsals and daytime concerts for students are open to the public, with discounted tickets. If you can't attend a concert, you can still see the magnificent hall on a free guided tour. Visit the venue's website for dates and times.

The main stage for the internationally renowned Berklee College of Music, the "BPC" is best known for its jazz and pop programs, but also has hosted some of the country's top folk, world, and rock acts, as well as pop stars like Talking Heads, Aimee Mann, Snarky Puppy, and Melody Gardot. Bargain alert: the BPC stages a wealth of excellent student and faculty shows and showcases sets and clinics by visiting artists that cost next to nothing. While the performance center is 1,215 seats strong, it's an intimate locale for any show.

Pushing 200 years old, the Charles Playhouse was formerly a church, Prohibition-era speakeasy, and jazz club. Today, it hosts the Boston edition of Blue Man Group, as it has done since 1995. This uniquely exhilarating production features a trio of deadpan performance artists painted vivid cobalt as they pound drums, share eureka moments, spray sloppy goodwill, and freely dispense toilet paper. First-timer alert: dress casual, especially if you're seated down front.

The historic Wang Theatre, which opened in 1925 and holds an audience of 3,500, and its 1910 little sister, the Shubert Theatre, partner up to create this performance-space complex dedicated to national and international productions, dance companies, concerts, and headlining comics. Check out the schedule online, and order your tickets before you come to town.

The city's premier dance company performs at the Boston Opera House. Shows have included Romeo and Juliet, classic Balanchine, and La Sylphide. And, of course, if you're visiting during the holidays, be sure to score seats to The Nutcracker.

This group serves as a clearinghouse for an amazing array of local dance companies' classes, performances, and workshops. Visit the alliance's website for upcoming performances and venues.

With an aim to "inspire change, build community, and celebrate difference," the Boston Gay Men's Chorus has a repertoire that ranges from holiday favorites to show tunes to chamber selections to pop hits. With more than 300 members, the group performs at the New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall and has been directed by conductor Reuben Reynolds for over 20 years.

The charismatic founder and conductor Benjamin Zander—whose signature preconcert chats help audiences better understand the blockbuster symphonies they're about to hear—heads up the Boston Philharmonic. Performances at Harvard's Sanders Theatre, the New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall, Symphony Hall, and a variety of other locales often encompass symphonies by Beethoven, Mahler, Shostakovich, and Brahms, plus lots of concertos.

Under the agile baton of Keith Lockhart, Boston Pops (largely Boston Symphony musicians) perform a bracing blend of American standards, movie themes, and contemporary vocal numbers (with top-tier guests) during May and June at Symphony Hall, plus 40 festive holiday-season concerts. Outdoor concerts on July 3 and 4 at the Hatch Memorial Shell are followed by concerts at the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home, Tanglewood, in Lenox, Massachusetts, in July and August. The free outdoor concerts are packed; be sure to arrive early with blankets, folding chairs, and a picnic.

Founded in 1881, the Boston Symphony is one of America's oldest and most venerable orchestras, with dynamic Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons at the helm. Its home season at Symphony Hall runs from September through April. In July and August the music migrates to Tanglewood, the orchestra's bucolic summer home in the Berkshire Mountains in Lenox, Massachusetts. Including tours to Carnegie Hall and China, and the Boston Pops concerts, the BSO performs more than 250 concerts annually.

For the last half century, The Brattle has served as the square's independent movie house, screening indie, foreign, obscure, and classic films, from nouveau to noir. Occupying a squat, barnlike building from 1890, it is set improbably between a modern shopping center and a colonial mansion. The resident repertory company gained notoriety in the 1950s when it made a practice of hiring actors blacklisted as Communists by the U.S. government.

Check the website for current offerings and events, like the usually sold-out Valentine’s Day screenings of Casablanca; the Bugs Bunny Film Festival in February; March's Underground Film Festival; Trailer Treats, an annual fundraiser featuring classic and modern movie previews; and DocYard, a stunning series of documentaries. At Christmastime, expect seasonal movies like It's a Wonderful Life and Holiday Inn. Enjoy a rotating selection of local beers and wines.

Performances (and classes and workshops) by local and visiting choreographers take place at Julie Ince Theatre, an intimate space that draws a multicultural crowd. Styles range from classical ballet to contemporary and world dance, beginner street dance moves to advanced hip-hop. Occasionally, when weather permits, performers take to the streets for fun pop-up outdoor sets.

This gorgeous beaux arts theater and historic landmark was built with opera performances in mind, so it's fitting that Boston Lyric Opera uses it for some performances today. You'll also see smaller traveling productions. It's owned by Emerson College, which uses the stage for ArtsEmerson, its presenting arm that focuses on contemporary theater from around the globe.

Look for the orange-, red-, and yellow-lit marquee on Washington Street, and you'll find the Paramount. Three performance spaces make up this 1930s-era complex owned by Emerson College. Its main stage features an art deco vibe and performing artists from all over. Smaller, alternative productions—think classic and art films, professional puppet shows, circus arts—can also take place in a black box theater or a screening room. ArtsEmerson schedules all events.

As the metro area's premier presenter of worldwide music and dance, Global Arts Live has a truly global roster featuring exciting contemporary artists in their Boston debuts (like the Bad Plus and Freshlyground), as well as world-music icons, such as South Africa's Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Ireland's Mary Black. Performances unfold at many venues, such as the Institute of Contemporary Art, Royale, Paradise Rock Club, and Somerville Theatre.

Acclaimed for performances of baroque and classical music, Boston’s Grammy-winning Handel + Haydn Society is one of the country's oldest performing arts organizations in America. The annual performances of Handel's Messiah have been a holiday favorite since 1854, and all concerts feature antique or replica instruments ensuring the music is performed as it was the day it was written. Performances are held at Symphony Hall and other Boston venues.

Screening independent, foreign, classic, and experimental films rarely seen in commercial cinemas, the Harvard Film Archive is open to the public Friday through Monday. The 188-seat theater, with pristine film and digital projection, is located in the basement of the stunning brick-and-glass Carpenter Center for Visual Arts, Le Corbusier's only American building. A division of Harvard Library, this is one of the country's largest and most significant university-based motion picture collections—more than 36,000 global audiovisual items from almost every period in film history. Tickets are $10; seniors and students, $8.

The oldest (1844) collegiate theatrical company in the United States still has all-male casts, though women participate in the troupe's staging and production. Its single annual madcap show plays at its theater in February and March, then tours to New York and Vegas. The troupe infamously honors actors as Man and Woman of the Year in an annual awards ceremony, complete with a celebrity roast and drag-queen and boa-laden party parade through the streets of Cambridge for the chosen woman. The 2024 honorees were Barry Koeghan and Annette Bening.

Boston's largest resident theater company consistently performs a high-quality mix of 21st-century plays and classics under the artistic direction of Loretta Greco, and commissions playwrights to produce original dramas. The Huntington performs at two locations: its own recently renovated theater at Boston University and the South End's Calderwood Theatre Pavilion at the BCA.

This troupe is building an exciting, contemporary repertory under Cuban-born José Mateo, the resident artistic director-choreographer. Performances, which include Dance Saturdays and an original Nutcracker, take place October through April at the Sanctuary Theatre, a beautifully converted Gothic revival church at Massachusetts Avenue and Harvard Street in Harvard Square. The vibe is intimate, with 250 cabaret-style seats, each with its own perfect view. Also enjoy the theater's Dance for World Community annual festival in Harvard Square in June.

The nine screens of this iconic theater are devoted to not only smash hits, but also first-run independent, avant-garde, and foreign films. The concession stand offers hip goodies like coffee, empanadas, and homemade cookies, and the Kendall Bar serves beer and wine. 1 Kendall Square stands where Hampshire Street meets Broadway, a 10-minute walk from the Kendall Square T station. Validated four-hour parking ($3) is available in an adjacent garage. If you're walking, be advised the area can get a bit desolate at night.

For almost 50 years, this company has mounted a top-notch mix of productions, classic and new, musical and nonmusical. Performances over the years have included O'Neill's Death of a Salesman, Moss Hart's Light Up The Sky, and Sondheim's musical Into The Woods.

The MAC in East Cambridge supports diversity within the performing arts, engaging with the community through jazz, dance, and visiting programs. The two spacious galleries showcase international visual arts, and the theater itself is a showstopper with ornate Victorian details and theater lighting. Galleries are open Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm (Thursday until 8 pm).

One of the world's acoustic treasures, the New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall is ideal for solo and string quartet recitals, yet spacious enough for chamber and full orchestras. The pin-drop intimacy of this all-wood, 1,050-seat hall is in demand year-round for ensembles visiting and local. The New England Philharmonic and Boston Baroque perform here regularly. Dozens of free faculty and student concerts, jazz and classical, are a best-kept secret. The lobby box office is no longer open for purchasing tickets. All tickets must be purchased online.

Odyssey Opera, under the able leadership of founder and conductor Gil Rose, presents classic and modern operas at various venues throughout the city, including the Huntington Theatre, Strand Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion at Boston Center for the Arts, Jordan Hall, B.U. Theatre, and Suffolk University's Modern Theatre.