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Whether you’re looking for theater, jazz, dance, cinema, cabaret, comedy, or something classical, Washington, D.C., has some of the most exciting and thought-provoking entertainment in the country. Since the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1971, the city’s performing arts culture has grown steadily. Washington now hosts the third-largest theater scene in the country, as well as a rich offering of nightly music opportunities featuring local, national, and international talent, and so much more. No city outshines the District on the magnificence and variety of its arts venues.
Diverse theaters offer everything from Rodgers and Hammerstein to experimental fare. The Kennedy Center and the historic National Theatre bring in primarily big-time touring shows, but the 65-year-old Arena Stage offers the best in regional theater. Meanwhile, relative newcomers like the Studio Theatre, Woolly Mammoth, and northern Virginia's Signature Theatre offer a palette of performances as varied as any in the country.
The city also has its share of every kind of music imaginable, from classical quartets to the most current EDM sensation. With venues ranging from DAR Constitution Hall to the Verizon Center near D.C.’s Chinatown to northern Virginia’s Birchmere Music Hall, music can be found wherever you are, both in the city and its many suburbs.
Those looking for cinema can catch unusual foreign fare, rare documentaries, independent features, and classics. As for dance, Washington has more than enough options for ballet, modern dance, and more.
Specializing in independent, foreign, and documentary films, this theater is beloved by D.C. movie enthusiasts both for its selection and its state-of-the-art facilities. The Washington Post has often declared it D.C.'s best movie theater, its concession stand is fabulous, and it is one of the city's few movie theaters that serve alcohol.
This classic movie house from 1923 is D.C.'s only nonprofit film center. The theater offers a wide array of studio films and independent and foreign films, plus monthly showcases of the best in French, Israeli, Czech, and Greek cinema. The theater also offers programming for families and children.
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.
