51 Best Performing Arts Venues in Washington, D.C., USA

A hidden gem in Dupont Circle, this 120-seat theater offers a rich variety of classic and modern plays and musicals, with a focus on powerful storytelling in an intimate setting.

The Lincoln Theatre is a historical venue from 1922, back when Washington natives Duke Ellington and Pearl Baily were joined by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, and Louis Armstrong. Today, the 1,200-seat theater presents modern musical artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Hozier, and Billy Idol, as well as comedic performers like Demetri Martin, Tig Notaro, and Ilana Glazer.

A nearly 1,500-seat theater on the campus of George Washington University attracts students and outsiders alike to its pop, classical, and choral music shows, modern dance performances, musical theater, and lectures by high-profile political and celebrity speakers.

Free classic, international, and art films—from Steven Spielberg's first feature-length film, Duel, to Béla Tarr's Macbeth, filmed inside a Budapest castle—as well as classic video art, are usually shown in this museum's large auditorium each weekend. Sometimes films complement the exhibitions. For more information, pick up a film calendar at the museum or visit their website. Guests must register in advance.

Under the leadership of music director Gianandrea Noseda, the orchestra performs classic works by repertoire including classical and popular concerts, commissioned work, and genre-mixing collaborations at the Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap National Park in summer, and on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol (Memorial Day, Labor Day, and July 4) with some of the world's most renowned talent appearing as guest artists.

Though rebuilt several times, The National Theatre has operated in the same location since 1835. It now hosts touring Broadway shows, from classics like Porgy and Bess and Chicago to contemporary shows like The Tina Turner Musical. Ticket prices vary with each show.

Duncan Phillips's mansion is more than an art museum. On Sunday afternoon from October through May, chamber groups from around the world perform in the elegant Music Room. Plus, on the first Thursday of the month, from 5 to 8:30 pm, the museum offers Phillips After 5, treating visitors to musical performances, food and drink, gallery talks, films, and more.

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.

Known for its author readings and its comedy, with guests ranging from comedian Tina Fey to Nancy Pelosi, the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue has been named one of the most vibrant congregations in the nation. The intimate space, founded in 1852, hosts religious events as well. Tickets to performances are open to all.

One of the country's most distinguished Jewish performance venues offers an ambitious range of programming that includes work by noted playwrights, directors, designers, and actors. Past performances have included one-person shows featuring Sandra Bernhard and Judy Gold as well as edgier political pieces.

The company's classical and contemporary dances are performed from September through June, with works by choreographers like George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, Marius Petipa, Sir Frederick Ashton, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and more. The main shows are mounted at the Kennedy Center, Harman Center for the Arts, Warner Theatre, and THEARC in Southeast D.C. Each December, the company also performs The Nutcracker at the Warner Theatre.

Concerts and recitals by visiting musicians augment the choral and church groups that frequently perform in this breathtaking cathedral. Recitals on the massive pipe organ are offered every Sunday afternoon, and the choir often sings evensong at 5:30 during the week.

Founded in 1956, the Washington National Opera presents a diverse repertory of grand operas plus world premieres, international tours, live recordings, radio broadcasts, and innovative education and community-engagement programs. The operas are performed across three main venues of the Kennedy Center in their original languages with English subtitles. In 2012, the WNO created the American Opera Initiative, which commissions young composers and librettists to write short chamber operas. In 2002, the WNO also started the Cafritz Young Artists of Washington National Opera, one of the nation's most competitive professional training programs, providing two years of intensive study to a carefully selected cadre of young singers and collaborative pianists.

One of the city's oldest arts organizations stages high-quality classical music, jazz, gospel, world music, modern dance, and performance art in major venues around the city. Past shows have featured the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Yo-Yo Ma, the Chieftains, Herbie Hancock, and Savion Glover.

This company performs neglected classics as well as contemporary literary plays in the Undercroft Theatre of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church. In recent years, they have produced lesser-known works by Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw. Contemporary plays such as Tryst by Karoline Leach and David Marshall Grant's Pen are also offered.

This clearinghouse for information on upcoming shows, festivals, and jam sessions in the metropolitan area also publishes a regular newsletter and welcomes volunteers.

At more than 200 events a year, the all-volunteer society presents folk and traditional musicians and dancers from all over the country. Venues around the D.C. area host events ranging from contra dancing to storytelling to open group singing.

In collaboration with various local professional theaters, the NAS offers a staged reading series of science-themed plays, and on the third Thursday of the month, the DASER (D.C. Art Science Evening Rendezvous) Salons focus on the fusion of culture and science. Events are free to the public but be sure to go online and register in advance.