1683 Best Performing Arts Venues in USA

One of the largest crafts events in the Southeast, the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands is held for three days twice a year, in mid-July and mid-October. More than 200 of the 700 members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, who qualify after a stringent jurying process, take over both the concourse and arena of the Harrah's Cherokee Center in downtown Asheville to display and sell their clay, wood, metal, glass, fiber, leather, jewelry, and other crafts. The fair, which has been in operation for 75 years, also features live mountain music.

Housed in the beautifully restored 1892 Creede Opera House, this theater stages at least seven plays, plus concerts and other events, every year between May and September. Family events are also on tap throughout the summer.

Founded in 1995, this scrappy playhouse with a sense of humor offers a variety of comedy and improv classes and performances as well as original theatrical works.

Formerly known as Philharmonic Hall and Avery Fisher Hall, David Geffen Hall is the residence of the New York Philharmonic ( www.nyphil.org); the orchestra's season is September to June. The hall reopened in late 2022 after a two-year, $550 million renovation to its acoustics and public areas, including a new welcome center that is part ticket office, part lounge. Select performances from inside the concert hall are streamed live, free of charge. A popular Young People's Concert series is on Saturday afternoon at 2 pm four times throughout the season. Lincoln Center presents Great Performers, Mostly Mozart Festival, and White Light Festival in this hall, too.

This huge complex, composed of an impressively high-tech group of theaters, hosts more shows—from classical orchestras to interactive experiences to Hamilton—than any other performing arts center in the world. Spread over a four-block area, the eight theaters are connected by a soaring glass archway to a futuristic symphony hall. The complex anchors are the round Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre, built in 1991, and the ornate Ellie Caulkins Opera House, which occupies the former Auditorium Theatre built in 1908. The other six theaters include the small Garner Galleria Theatre and the midsize Kilstrom Theatre. The symphony, ballet, and opera have their seasons here. The complex has been run by the Denver Center for the Performing Arts since 1972.

Who'd want to miss a parade that delivers 12 entertainment-packed minutes of Disney characters and royalty; a steampunk-inspired, fire-breathing dragon; elaborate towering floats; and handsome pairs of dancers twirling to some of Disney's best tunes? This parade, which runs daily at 3 pm, celebrates Walt's legacy with vignettes highlighting the glamour, drama, and fun of classic films like Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan while also catering to fans of contemporary box-office hits like Tangled and Frozen. The colorful pageant of floats features inventive technology, a cast of nearly 100 energetic performers in amazing costumes, and a score that invites singing along with familiar medleys.

From the 50-foot-long topiary garden float of Disney royal couples led by dancers in ball gowns with iridescent feathers to the 32-foot-tall airship float finale with Mickey and Minnie, the parade energizes spectators as it rolls past. A Lost Boy from Peter Pan might grab your hand and kiss it. A stilt walker might lean into your camera for a snapshot. You'll hear viewers gasp or shout when the towering 53-foot-long, green-eyed Maleficent Dragon, created with help from Tony Award–winning designer Michael Curry, rears its head and spews flames. Duration: 12 minutes. Crowds: Heavy. Audience: All ages. For people with disabilities: There are viewing areas for guests in wheelchairs along the route; ask any cast member for guidance. A sign-language schedule is available at Guest Relations. The parade runs from Frontierland to Town Square. Find shade beneath a Frontierland porch at least an hour before showtime. If you've seen the parade, this is a good time to head for popular rides in Fantasyland or Tomorrowland while crowds gather along the route. During busy periods, the parade might also take place at noon; try to catch the early showing.

This is dinner theater on steroids—you (and several thousand other people) get to eat a finger-lickin' good (silverware is optional) four-course meal while animals kick up the dust on the arena floor to the accompaniment of dramatic music, lighting, and pyrotechnics. The pace is quick, and the service is quicker. In a sequence timed as tight as a traffic signal on a four-lane highway, you'll watch rodeo clowns picking on cute girls in the audience, kids chasing chickens running in all different directions, knights jousting on horseback, and a chorus of costumed singers belting out rousing patriotic songs. Vegetarian and gluten-free meals are available by advance request.

Though half a century old, this theater maintains the glamour of its early years, richly decorated with crystal chandeliers, classical theatrical drapes, and a 24-karat gold dome. Part of the Los Angeles Music Center, this pavilion is home to the L.A. Opera though a large portion of programming is made up of dance and ballet performances as well. Ticket holders can attend free talks that take place an hour before opera performances.

Reservations for the talks aren't required, but it's wise to arrive early, as space is limited.

When this stunning, state-of-the-art venue opened in the heart of Downtown, it elevated the arts for Orlando. Encompassing three unique stages, it's where major Broadway productions found a home; where musicians such as Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, and Elvis Costello have performed; and where opera, symphonies, ballet, and comedy shows fill the calendar year-round.

Swarms of sci-fi and fantasy fans from around the world descend on Downtown Atlanta every Labor Day weekend to celebrate everything from zombies to Star Trek. The popular Saturday morning parade with hordes of stormtroopers and other movie characters making the route is not to be missed.

This former art deco movie house from the 1930s has been given a second life as a live music venue. Legends and rising stars grace the stage of El Rey. Everyone from the Pixies and Ringo Starr to the Jonas Brothers and Lana Del Rey have performed here.

In early autumn, the calls of bull elk fill the forest as the animals make their way down the mountains for mating season. Estes Park celebrates with elk bugle contests, live music, and elk educational seminars.

This European-style theater, with ornate balconies, murals, and frescoes, was built in 1923 and restored to its original grandeur in 1993. Cache Valley Center for the Arts brings about a dozen national touring productions here each year, including musicals, dance, comedy, and concerts.

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 nonprofit art house is a cinematic treasure. First-run, quirky independent films are shown in this intimate theater, where locally sourced food is brought right to your table (yes, there are tables). Home to the acclaimed Florida Film Festival—as well as Jewish, South Asian, and Reel Short Teen film fests—the cinema also houses the very popular outdoor Eden Bar.

Held around Independence Day, this three-day festival brings in more than a half-million visitors and draws top names in R&B, pop, and hip-hop to the Caesars Superdome. The event also includes presentations by prominent African American figures, author talks, wellness seminars, parties, food and wine events, family activities, and so much more.

In addition to premiering new international features and documentaries that are otherwise hard to catch on the big screen, this nonprofit with four theaters hosts movies by canonized directors such as Hitchcock, Godard, and Bertolucci; in-depth film series devoted to particular actors or genres; and newly restored prints of classic works. The small concession stand in the lobby serves tasty cakes and freshly popped popcorn. This is no megaplex, but updates in 2018 included new seats with more legroom and a higher slope for better views.

Set in downtown Plymouth's brightly restored 1920s movie house, this cinema and performing arts center presents dinner theater and other live comedy and music shows, plus retro movies. A balcony bar serves wine and beer.

It's a pleasure to see any show inside this grandiose art deco gem. In addition to being home to Vermont's largest musical theater company, it hosts the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, as well as big-name acts like Neko Case and Elvis Costello. The adjacent Flynn Space black-box theater is a coveted spot for more offbeat, experimental performances.

The theater at the Folger Shakespeare Library, an intimate 250-seat re-creation of the inn-yard theaters of Shakespeare's time, hosts three to four productions each year of Shakespearean or Shakespeare-influenced works. Although the stage is a throwback, the sharp acting and inspired direction consistently challenge and delight audiences. The theater is undergoing a multiyear renovation, but you can catch performances and other events at other venues in Washington, D.C.

This bar is a Cajun Country institution, and is hopping on Saturday from about 9 am until about 1:30 pm—or for as long as the Cajun band jams and dancers crowd the tiny dance floor. A regular radio broadcast (on KVPI 1050 AM) captures the event. Drive north from Eunice on Route 13 to reach the tiny town of Mamou.

Some of the hottest jazz musicians stop at the Freihofer's Jazz Festival in June for two days of music to kick off summer.

With stages set up throughout the Quarter and on the river at Woldenberg Park, the focus here is on free local entertainment—and, of course, food. A lot of locals consider this April festival the best in the city.

A National Historic Landmark, the 1852 Fulton Opera House is a crown jewel of performing arts for the region, showcasing Broadway productions, world premieres of commissioned works, and the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra. One-hour guided tours ($5) of the grand Victorian-era building are offered on Friday during summer months.

The Grand Ole Opry is the most famous country music show in the world—in fact, it’s the show that made country music famous. They’ve been broadcasting their concerts every week since 1925, making it the longest-running radio broadcast in the United States, and there isn’t a country, bluegrass, or Americana icon who hasn’t performed here. The Opry continues to be a major part of the soundtrack of the region and a destination for country fans and performers alike.

This wildly popular festival in Haines, known locally as Beerfest, offers a five-course gourmet brewers' dinner, beer-tasting sessions, a home-brew competition, and live music. Tickets, which sell out quickly, go on sale in February or early March.

With a robust lineup from May through November, acts such as Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, and Aretha Franklin have all graced the stage at this scenic outdoor venue. Located at the base of Griffith Park, there's usually slow pre-show traffic on concert nights, but that'll give you a chance to take in the beautiful park foliage and homes in the Hollywood Hills. Paid lots are available for parking, but wear comfortable shoes and expect to walk as some lots are fairly far from the theater. Or you can park and enjoy cocktails in trendy and chic Los Feliz before a show, then walk up to the venue.

Said to be the country's oldest continuously operating theater, the beautifully maintained Savannah Theatre presents family-friendly comedies and musical revues. The 600-seat theater is a throwback to the glory days of the stage. Don't miss the Savannah Live variety show and the popular holiday production A Christmas Tradition.