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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.
On Fridays from 5 to 8:30 pm from mid-May through the end of August, jazz groups from all over the country perform to packed crowds at the Pavilion Café in the Sculpture Garden. Listeners dip their feet in the fountain, sip sangria, and let the week wash away. Make sure to arrive early to snag a spot.
Founded in 2010, this orchestra is made up of D.C.'s finest freelance classical musicians. Their main purpose is to provide free classical orchestra performances to local communities in D.C. Performing all over the city, this is one of the best classical music experiences in the area.
In a Washington tradition, bands from the four branches of the armed services perform from June through August on weekday evenings on the U.S. Capitol West Front steps. Concerts usually include marches, patriotic numbers, and some classical music. Setup begins at 4 pm, with the concerts starting at 8 pm, but look out for scheduling changes or notices on individual bands' social media accounts. Food is permitted, but glass bottles and alcohol are not allowed.
Since its founding in 2005, the Capital Fringe Festival has grown each year, and it currently offers no fewer than 50 productions (and more than 300 individual performers) over a several-week period in July. Local and national performers display the strange, the political, the surreal, and the avant-garde to eclectic crowds at all times of the day in venues throughout the city. With tickets around $15, this is an affordable theater experience. Tickets go on sale in June.
Don't forget your Fringe Button, a pin that grants the holder access to all festival events and benefits from local retailers.
Be ready to party at the Festival Bar, in Georgetown, where performers, musicians, and patrons rock into the wee hours on festival days.
Since its first concert, in 1925, the 500-seat Coolidge has hosted most of the 20th and 21st centuries' greatest performers and composers, including Copland and Stravinsky. Today, the theater draws musicians from all genres, including classical, jazz, and gospel, and the hall continues to wow audiences with its near-perfect acoustics and sight lines. Concert tickets must be reserved in advance through the Library's website. Because of the Library's security procedures, patrons are urged to arrive 30 minutes before the start of each event.
The Georgetown University Art Galleries are composed of two distinct exhibition venues: the Maria & Alberto de la Cruz Art Gallery and the Lucille M. & Richard F.X. Spagnuolo Art Gallery. During the academic year, the galleries present exhibitions featuring works by highly acclaimed professional artists, studio art faculty, and graduating art majors and host various innovative, interdisciplinary public programs.
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.
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