7 Best Performing Arts Venues in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Holding sway at 10:30 am Sunday morning, the Chatter chamber ensemble's classical-to-modern music program draws a devoted crowd of regulars. Free cappuccino and a spoken-word performance round out the one-hour shows. Expect the best of local and guest performers—Santa Fe Opera stars have been known to pop in during the season. Arrive early, as the seating is open and limited; it's best to buy tickets ahead of time online. Check online as well for their special first Friday "Late Works" evening programs at 9 pm and the Chatter Cabaret series at the Albuquerque Museum on occasional Sundays at 5 pm throughout the year.

Of the three notable performance halls in UNM's Center for the Arts, Popejoy Hall, with just under 2,000 seats, is the city's go-to for the New Mexico Philharmonic, blockbuster Broadway touring shows, dance performances, concerts, comedy acts, and lectures. Rodey Theatre, a smaller, 420-seat house in the same complex, stages experimental and niche works throughout the year while Keller Hall, a 274-seater with superb acoustics, is the perfect home for the much-acclaimed annual John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium for new music (in spring) and the university's excellent chamber music program.

Flamenco music and dance speak to something in Albuquerque’s soul, and for folks new to the tradition or yearning for a taste, this venue—with food and wine to match—is the perfect spot to kindle that flame. In an intimate, appropriately sultry setting, enjoy the four-course prix fixe menu offered with evening performances or small bites with the Sunday matinee. Arrive early, and be dazzled by the world-class artists performing here.

Albuquerque Little Theatre is a nonprofit community troupe that's been going strong since 1930. Its staff of professionals teams up with local volunteer talent to produce comedies, dramas, musicals, and mysteries that range from Amadeus to The Odd Couple and Singin' in the Rain. The company theater, across the street from Old Town, was built in 1936, and though its facade has been redesigned in recent years, there are still many clues that the original design was by John Gaw Meem. It contains an art gallery, a large lobby, and a cocktail lounge.

Housed in the 100-seat Cell Theatre, FUSION Theatre Company has been central to the professional theatrical scene here ever since its 2001 founding. Building on its acclaimed annual “Seven Works” short-works play festival, FUSION has doubled down with creative initiatives that serve its deep commitment to community, from art shows and AMP Concerts productions to film screenings and more. Set in a historic railroad-industrial area (on the city’s developing Rail Trail), FUSION’s programming takes place in the Cell, their 708 performance/gallery space, and the 1,200-seat outdoor Meadow facility.

The highly respected New Mexico Philharmonic dips deeply into the full realm of classical repertoire, from the less expected to Handel's Messiah at Christmas. Most performances are at the 2,000-seat Popejoy Hall or the National Hispanic Cultural Center's superb Roy E. Disney Hall; in summer they occasionally suit up for outdoor performances at the ABQ BioPark.

The stunning KiMo Theatre, an extravagantly ornamented 650-seat Pueblo Deco movie palace, is one of the best places in town to see any type of show. Jazz, dance, blues, film—everything from traveling road shows to an inspired city-sponsored film series (Hitchcock pre-Hollywood, for example)—might turn up here. Former Albuquerque resident Vivian Vance of I Love Lucy fame once performed on the stage; today you're more likely to see Laurie Anderson, Wilco, or a film-festival screening.