10 Best Performing Arts in Downtown, San Diego

The great acoustics here are surpassed only by the incredible Spanish baroque interior. Not just the home of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, the renovated 2,200-seat 1920s-era theater has also hosted major stars like Elvis Costello, Leonard Cohen, and Sting.

Drawing international performers, the opera's season runs January–April. Past performances have included Die Fledermaus, Faust, Idomeneo, and La Bohème, plus solo concerts by such talents as Renée Fleming.

This renovated theater offers a variety of performances including ballet, music, plays, and even stand-up comedy. In addition to architectural splendor, the space offers unsurpassed acoustics.

The spacious factory setting that houses Bread & Salt feels like a modern art warehouse, though its name nods to its long history as a former Wonder Bread factory. Still adorned with much of the industrial machinery and exposed brick, Bread & Salt now houses rotating exhibits from local and national artists, as well as group events such as motorcycle shows and live music showcases. It's also a partner with La Jolla Athenaeum, and puts on experimental and avant-garde concerts throughout the year.

The ballet holds performances at the Spreckels Theatre and a few other area venues from November through May. At Christmastime, they dance a mean Nutcracker.

After being home to the long-running Triple Espresso, the Horton Grand Theatre hosts productions from the likes of San Diego Musical Theatre as well as Intrepid Theatre Company, whose shows include Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Woody Guthrie's American Song.

The glamorous new home for outdoor summer and spring concerts presented by the San Diego Symphony sits on the same spot where its former outdoor concert space sat, but with a dazzling new upgrade. An $85 million, two-year project, the Rady Shell is a large and stunning space to catch a concert or symphony performance during the warm summer months—or any time of year, really—with space for up to 10,000 attendees, with typical seated performances accommodating around 3,500. In addition to the sounds and bayside sights, the Shell also has top-notch dining options, including a prix-fixe menu from Blais by the Bay, tacos from Lola 55, and sandwiches from Biga.

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

The orchestra's events include classical concerts and summer and winter pops, nearly all of them at Copley Symphony Hall. Their outdoor summer concerts are held at the newly opened Rady Shell at Jacobs Park at the Embarcadero ( 222 Marina Park Way), on North Harbor Drive beyond the convention center.

A landmark theater erected in 1912, the Spreckels hosts comedy, dance, theater, and concerts. Good acoustics and old-time elegance make this a favorite local venue.