1679 Best Performing Arts Venues in USA

This Tower District venue stages Broadway-style musicals.

Consistently ranked one of the top small rodeos in the country (and a tradition since 1908), this six-day event features a parade and nightly rodeo events, such as barrel racing and saddle bronc riding.

For a nostalgic dose of Americana, catch a show at the Echo Drive-In on summer weekends. For a year-round movie fix, the Roosevelt Twin Theatre and historic one-screen Uinta Theatre are both located right downtown.

This company's intimate and passionate performances on stages throughout the city, including H Street’s Atlas Performing Arts Center, highlight some of the most offbeat plays in Washington. The company offers lesser-known works by such playwrights as Fengar Gael, Kate Hamill, and Qui Nguyen.

Comprising the Leona Wagner Black Box Theatre, the Jeanne Wagner Theatre, and the Studio Theatre, the Center is home to the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company and the Repertory Dance Theatre and also provides performance space for many of the city's smaller theater companies, including Plan-B and Pygmalion Productions.

This spacious theater holds about 1,400 people (standing-room only except for the 21+ balcony seating area), primarily stages rock, alternative, and blues shows, plus occasional comedians. Legends like Miles Davis and Prince have performed here, and more recent acts have included Hot Chip, Ingrid Michaelson, and Cat Power.

Rotunda Cinematheque has two all-digital theaters showing independent and foreign films.

The nonprofit theatrical company is known for its excellent revivals of classic musicals and plays. Its main stage, the American Airlines Theatre, is the former Selwyn—the venerable home to the works of Noel Coward, George S. Kaufman, and Cole Porter in their heyday. The Roundabout's other Broadway venues are Studio 54 and the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. The two Off-Broadway stages at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre on West 46th Street show a mix of classics and works from up-and-coming playwrights.

The excellent Loyola music department hosts regular performances at its Roussel Performance Hall, including guest appearances by internationally known performers and the occasional opera.

This three-day event in early May is a 140-mile drive along the longest remaining section of the "Mother Road." More than 800 classic and custom automobiles participate.

This three-day event in early May is a 140-mile drive along the longest remaining section of the "Mother Road." More than 800 classic and custom automobiles participate.

Chuckle through your meal at the Medieval-themed dinner theater The Royal Dumpe Dinner Theatre, the oldest dinner theater in the country.

The Royal George is actually a complex of three theaters: a spacious main stage, a smaller studio theater, and a cabaret space. Popular plays and long-running musical comedies are the draw here.

With a beachfront location in the middle of Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian’s Ahaaina luau is an exceptional, upscale event with hula, fire dancing, live music, Hawaiian-inspired and luau-favorite dishes, and more. Options range from "standard dinner and show" to "premium dinner and show." The three-hour event is held two nights a week (Monday and Thursday); be sure to reserve in advance during the high season.

Held at the Roycroft Campus, the Roycroft Festival encompasses an antiques show, juried art show, and crafts and art sale with live entertainment twice a year. The two-day festivals are held in late June and early December.

Drag shows came close to extinction on the Strip until RuPaul transferred the momentum of his TV competition—with 17 seasons and counting—into a live spin-off. The format allows performers to rotate in and out of the revue, so the line-up isn't consistent, though don't look for the actual RuPaul beyond surprise appearances or special occasions.

This 1,690-seat theater is the local venue for touring Broadway shows, big-name comedians, and the Vucurevich Speaker Series, which has attracted prominent names such as the violinist Itzhak Perlman and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. The theater is part of the sprawling Rushmore Plaza Civic Center complex, which also includes an ice arena for a minor-league hockey team, a convention center, and two arenas.

Nearly 100 antiques dealers from throughout the United States and Canada participate in this annual fair, which spotlights rustic furniture and decorative arts. A jury selects the 50 or so rustic-furniture makers showing here; styles include contemporary and traditional pieces. The annual two-day fair is held in early September on the grounds of the Adirondack Museum.

The events roster at this modern, 73,000-square-foot hall includes opera, classical music, and dance performances, as well as concerts by big-name contemporary rock, pop, jazz, and country musicians.

Built in 1927, the Saenger has impressive ceiling decorations, a chandelier that came from a château near Versailles, and Italian baroque–style flourishes. As an anchor of the revitalized New Orleans theater district, it hosts an impressive Broadway in New Orleans series as well as national comedy and music headliners.

This funky little cultural center is a vibrant venue that brings together all sorts of artists and art lovers. Live music takes over the stage several evenings of each week, and there are not one, but two monthly open mics for literary folks. And these are just a smattering of the offbeat arts events offered. When you visit, don’t forget to take a selfie with Ellie, the big pink elephant out front.

New Yorkers come out of hibernation en masse at the end of April to witness the extremely popular annual Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. In addition to the blooming cherry trees, there are Taiko drumming performances, Japanese pop bands, samurai swords, martial arts, tea ceremonies, and more.

In recent years, the former power plant overlooking the Arkansas River, now known as Salida Steam Plant Event Center, has become the arts and culture hub of town. The theater hosts several concerts and productions each summer, ranging from drama and comedy to music and cabaret, and two art galleries house exhibits featuring local and regional artists.

Every August, thousands of people from all over the country converge on the tiny town of Ninilchik, on the Kenai Peninsula 37 miles outside of Homer, to celebrate music, food, and fish. Over the course of a three-day weekend, countless vendors of art and crafts set up shop while approximately 50 musical acts take to the four stages, drawing awareness and bolstering support for the protection of Bristol Bay waters and fishing habitat. There is camping all around the festival, as well as a number of nearby lodges and not-so-nearby hotels.

Recognized for its development of new regionally and locally written plays, this year-round company, which is based in a handsome old building, presents thought-provoking plays while promoting arts education for Utahns in kindergarten up through the university level.

The ballet brings a vast repertory of classic and contemporary ballets to several venues countywide, as well as in-studio performances.

The home of the San Diego Opera and Broadway San Diego, the Civic Theatre is the city's largest performing arts venue, with musicals, ballets, theatrical productions, and concerts held throughout the year.

The company has earned serious kudos for its diverse company and provocative programming, including its annual Trolley Dances, (usually in September) which take place at various trolley stops throughout San Diego. Other performances are held at venues around the city.

Now performing at the beautifully renovated Jacobs Music Center, which reopened in 2024 after an extensive restoration and expansion to fit 1,835 guests, the world-class orchestra's events include classical concerts, concertos, and many other acoustically impressive events throughout the season. Outdoor summer concerts are held at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park at the Embarcadero ( 222 Marina Park Way), on North Harbor Drive beyond the convention center.

San Juan College Theater presents performances by the San Juan Symphony and other concerts, student recitals, and theatrical performances.