Downtown San Diego is the center for arts and culture in the region, and offers an incredible array of special events and entertainment opportunities. Whether you're looking to take in a Broadway play, a rock concert, a grand opera production or a stroll through a world-class museum, Downtown San Diego has it all. And, with world-famous Balboa Park nearby, visitors and locals can enjoy more than 85 international culture organizations, 15 museums, sumptuous dining and many other great attractions.

The following is a list of links to organizations and venues that provide information about the latest performances and special events. This information will help make your entertainment experience in Downtown a memorable one. For information on other attractions and points of interest in Downtown, visit our Travel and Tourism section.

Performing Arts

San Diego Civic Theatre
www.sdcivic.org
Located in Downtown on 3rd and B Street
Elegant and plush, the 2,967-seat San Diego Civic Theatre is the largest, most prestigious and best equipped performing arts theatre in San Diego. It’s home to the San Diego Opera, California Ballet, La Jolla Music Society, and Nederlander’s Broadway/San Diego.

Balboa Theatre
The Historic Balboa Theatre is a 1920's vaudeville, 1,500-seat performing arts theater located at Horton Plaza. The theater is being renovated into a 1,300 seat live performance facility and is projected to open in the summer of 2007.

Broadway / San Diego
www.broadwaysd.com
Presents local audiences with the best from Broadway and around the world, staging everything from rock concerts and international dance performances to blockbuster musicals and legitimate drama. Held at the Civic Theater, playgoers have enjoyed great performances including the Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserables, Riverdance, Fiddler on the Roof and Cats.

San Diego Opera
www.sdopera.org
Each season consists of five major productions of grand opera at the Civic Theatre in Downtown, plus recital and concerts by some of the world's leading artists. The mainstage season runs from January through May. Audiences have enjoyed sold-out concerts and recitals by Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Marilyn Horne, Kiri Te Kanawa, Cecilia Bartoli, Thomas Hampson and Renata Scotto.

The Globe Theatres
www.theoldglobe.org
Producing 14 mainstage productions per year from all periods and styles, ranging from Shakespeare to an increasing emphasis on the development and production of new works. Located in Balboa Park, the internationally acclaimed Globe Theaters are comprised of the Old Globe Theater, Cassius Carter Center Stage and the Lowell Davies Festival Theater. The Globe is one of the largest producing theaters in the nation and houses artists that construct costumes and sets for each show.

San Diego Repertory Theatre
www.sandiegorep.com
The "Rep" is the most prominent Downtown theatre and the third largest theatre in San Diego. Born of a street theatre group that included Whoopi Goldberg, the San Diego Repertory Theatre became the resident theatre company of the Lyceum at Horton Plaza, offering an eight-play subscription season.

San Diego Performing Arts League
www.sandiegoperforms.com
A non-profit umbrella organization serving more than 130 theatre, music and dance companies and their audiences. The League develops cost-effective, collaborative programs that bring new audiences to the arts and strengthen San Diego's performing arts with new sources of income and management support. The League also operates the half-price ticket booth in Downtown San Diego.

San Diego Symphony
www.sandiegosymphony.com
Concerts are presented in the historic Copley Symphony Hall and other venues throughout the area, and feature highly acclaimed guest artists. The Symphony produces an exciting subscription concert series during its primary season from October through May. From July through September, the Symphony presents an outdoor ten-week Summer Pops season. This increasingly popular season mixes classical favorites with pop music and innovative programming.

La Jolla Chamber Music Society
www.ljcms.org
The most comprehensive presenter of classical music in San Diego, the La Jolla Chamber Music Society offers a rich and varied season, featuring the world's finest artists, ensembles, visiting orchestras, ballet and special events. Audiences can attend over 40 events each year with many of the venues at Downtown's Civic Theater or Copley Symphony Hall.

San Diego Art + Sol
www.Sandiegoartandsol.com
Offers a complete guide to cultural itineraries, and direct links to hundreds of arts and culture websites. Search for arts and culture events from the largest and most extensive arts and culture calendar available. Updated daily!

Visual Arts

Balboa Park
www.balboapark.org
Located just a few blocks from Downtown, Balboa Park is one of the finest cultural complexes in the country. The Park hosts a multitude of cultural and recreational organizations and is home to fifteen museums including the popular San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego Aerospace Museum, San Diego Museum of Art, Museum of Photographic Arts and the Mengei International Museum. Balboa Park also offers great restaurants, wonderful picnic areas and seven gorgeous gardens.

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
www.mcasandiego.org
One museum with two distinct, complementary locations in Downtown San Diego and La Jolla. The MCA is a visual arts institution with an international constituency. It culturally enriches the lives of residents and visitors from around the world with collections, exhibitions, and programs that focus on the art and artists of our time.

The San Diego Children's Museum/Museo de los Ninos
www.sdchildrensmuseum.org
A cultural and education institution with a multicultural audience. The Museum offers interactive exhibits for both adult and children's enjoyment and learning experience. Its mission is "Learning through The Arts".