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Portland is quite the creative town. Every night top-ranked dance, theater, and musical performers take the stage somewhere in the city. Expect to find never-ending choices for things to do, from taking in true independent films, performance art, and plays, to checking out some of the Northwest's (and the country's) hottest bands at one of the city's many nightclubs or concert venues.
Given the city’s unabashed passion for craft cocktails and beer, local wines, and artisanal coffee, it makes sense that Portland abounds with cool lounges, coffeehouses, and bars. Hard-core clubbing and dancing has a bit less of a following here than more casual bar-hopping, and Portlanders do like to combine noshing and sipping—you’ll find an abundance of nightspots serving exceptional food (and often offering great happy hour deals on victuals and drinks), and quite a few full-service restaurants with popular side bars and lounges. Nightlife and dining really overlap in the Rose City.
Housed in a handsomely restored 1891 armory, Portland Center Stage puts on around 10 contemporary and classic works on two stages in the LEED-certified green building between September and June. These are first-rate productions with exceptional onstage and behind-the-scenes talents.
With a reputation for commissioning and staging new work by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwrights, this celebrated theater company performs seven to nine productions a year including regional premieres and classics. The company currently stages its productions at Portland Center Stage's Ellyn Bye Studio, while it awaits construction of a new state-of-the-art theater at 1515 S.W. Morrison Street, which is slated to open in late 2023.
This long-running company presents four shows during its fall–spring season, geared to both the toddler and teen set. Starting in 2023, performances will be staged in a new permanent space, The Judy.
This talented rep company performs five often edgy, sometimes dark, and typically funny plays, at the CoHo Theatre in Nob Hill.
