Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
Sorry! We don't have any recommendations for San Diego right now.
A diverse and sophisticated arts scene probably isn’t the first thing that visitors—or even locals—associate with San Diego. It’s a destination for those who seek out its perennial sunshine, gorgeous beaches, and beautiful scenery. Even those within the arts scene readily admit their fiercest competition is the beach! But just a little to the right of the Pacific Ocean, there are some amazing and diverse artistic offerings to prove that San Diego can hold its own.
The theater scene in San Diego may not have the commercial appeal that Broadway does, but it more than makes up for it with talent. In fact, a long list of Broadway-bound productions started right here, including Jersey Boys, The Who's Tommy, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Memphis.
Balboa Park’s Old Globe Theatre is modeled after the Shakespearian Globe Theatre in England, and hosts both an annual Shakespeare Festival as well as contemporary plays. A little bit north is La Jolla Playhouse, which was founded by Gregory Peck in 1947, and has hosted dozens of world-premiere productions, in addition to star actors like Laura Linney and Neil Patrick Harris. The playhouse has also launched the Without Walls initiative, which places theater in a new context by removing the theater entirely.
Music also has a major presence in San Diego, courtesy of the world-class San Diego Opera, which performs major works by Puccini and Mozart, and the San Diego Symphony, which caters to a diverse audience thanks to both its classical concerts and its more accessible Summer Pops series.
There’s always something new and exciting happening with visual arts in San Diego. No longer limited to a collector’s market, younger urban artists are making in-roads with warehouse gallery spaces in Barrio Logan, while galleries in La Jolla and Little Italy showcase bold works of contemporary art on their walls. The annual San Diego Art Prize highlights rising figures in the visual arts realm, and in the field of architecture, Orchids and Onions honors the best and worst in structural design—and with a sense of humor at that.
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 Athenaeum is a membership-supported, nonprofit library with an exceptional collection of books, periodicals, CDs, and other media related to arts and music. It also hosts classes, exhibits, lectures, and intimate jazz, chamber music, and the occasional folk concert throughout the year.
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 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.
Home of a giant outdoor pipe organ donated to the city, the beautiful Spanish baroque pavilion hosts concerts by a rotating lineup of guest organists on most Sunday afternoons and on Monday evenings in summer. Local military bands, gospel groups, and barbershop quartets also perform here. All shows are free.
With roots in classical and chamber music, the permanent home of the La Jolla Music Society features a range of performances from piano and jazz, to mariachi, dance, and world music. The venue's four spaces host concerts, performances, educational programs, and SummerFest—a four-week music festival featuring more than 80 world-class artists and ensembles. For the season schedule, visit their website.
Big-name concerts are held at this historic arena with room for 13,000-plus fans.
Sign up for Travel Tips & News
Thank you for your interest!
