46 Best Performing Arts Venues in Los Angeles, California

Opened in 2011 on the CSUN campus, the $125 million Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, colloquially referred to as The Soraya, stages concerts (mostly big names in classical and jazz), live theater, speakers like David Sedaris, screenings with live accompaniment, and dance recitals throughout the year in its 1,690-seat performance hall and 175-seat black box theater. This LEED-certified three-tiered vision of gleaming glass, bright stone, and undulating warm wood puts on a world-class jazz festival every February. Particularly fun are the more intimate shows that turn the main stage into a makeshift supper club with a complimentary pre-show wine tasting, servers, and a four-course meal created by a popular nearby cafe called Humble Bee. It has a side hustle as a filming location: recently, it's been seen in Westworld, The Good Place, and Paradise. 

Though half a century old, this theater maintains the glamour of its early years, richly decorated with crystal chandeliers, classical theatrical drapes, and a 24-karat gold dome. Part of the Los Angeles Music Center, this pavilion is home to the L.A. Opera though a large portion of programming is made up of dance and ballet performances as well. Ticket holders can attend free talks that take place an hour before opera performances.

Reservations for the talks aren't required, but it's wise to arrive early, as space is limited.

This former art deco movie house from the 1930s has been given a second life as a live music venue. Legends and rising stars grace the stage of El Rey. Everyone from the Pixies and Ringo Starr to the Jonas Brothers and Lana Del Rey have performed here.

With a robust lineup from May through November, acts such as Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, and Aretha Franklin have all graced the stage at this scenic outdoor venue. Located at the base of Griffith Park, there's usually slow pre-show traffic on concert nights, but that'll give you a chance to take in the beautiful park foliage and homes in the Hollywood Hills. Paid lots are available for parking, but wear comfortable shoes and expect to walk as some lots are fairly far from the theater. Or you can park and enjoy cocktails in trendy and chic Los Feliz before a show, then walk up to the venue.

Thank goodness for Vidiots, which reopened in nearby Eagle Rock in 2023 after its original storefront had to shutter in 2017. The nonprofit and film space has become a beloved space for the community with its generous offerings of mainstream and indie films week after week. Catch a 2000s rom-com one night, a first-run classic American noir the next, and a children’s title on the weekends. Vidiots also has a separate room of amazing titles available to rent for those who want a cozy night of cinema at home.

One of the architectural wonders of Los Angeles, the 2,265-seat hall is a sculptural monument of gleaming, curved steel designed by Frank Gehry. It's part of a complex that includes a public park, gardens, shops, and two outdoor amphitheaters, one of them atop the concert hall. The acoustically superlative venue is the home of the city's premier orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, whose music director, Gustavo Dudamel, is an international celebrity in his own right. The orchestra's season runs from late September to early June, before it heads to the Hollywood Bowl for the summer.

Home to Los Angeles's first home of spoken drama, El Capitan Theatre carries on that tradition by way of film showings—specifically Disney films, having been acquired by the company in the 1980s. Watching movies in this classic movie palace, originally built in 1926, is an elevated experience, thanks to its special screenings and its elegant East Indian Revival interior. Having survived several transformations, it has been restored to almost exactly how it looked in 1926. It's also the grand venue for all Disney movie premieres during which movie fans can spot (and perhaps even meet) celebrities as they walk the red carpet on Hollywood Boulevard. Guided tours are available Friday through Sunday.

Want to feel like a Hollywood insider? Look like a local and attend an event at this Santa Monica–based American Cinematheque theater, which first opened in 1940. The name refers to its roots: this Streamline Moderne-style theater was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company to entertain its armies of workers during the war effort. Newly renovated, it offers new projection equipment, improved sound, and cushier facilities. In addition to now-standard digital films, the theater is equipped to show 35mm and 70mm reels. American Cinematheque also hosts industry events like filmmaker discussions and revivals.

The largest of L.A.'s Center Theatre Group's three theaters, the 2,100-seat Ahmanson Theatre presents larger-scale classic revivals, dramas, musicals, and comedies like Into the Woods, which are either going to or coming from Broadway and the West End. The ambience is a theater lover's delight.

Focusing on the literary arts, this performance space—located in the former Venice city hall—serves as a center for the community to hear readings from authors, poets, and locals. Along with readings and performances, workshops are available to the public (both in person and on Zoom; many are free) and the gallery hosts rotating art shows. The bookstore features a wide selection of poetry books.

Plays at this Little Tokyo theater focus on the Asian American experience and feature an Asian American cast. Its Theatre for Youth Program is a traveling production that promotes racial tolerance and understanding among students. It is also home to the David Henry Hwang Writers Institute.

Built by Sid Grauman in 1922, who also constructed the TCL Chinese Theatre, this Hollywood Boulevard movie house is famed not only for its Egyptian theme, complete with hieroglyphs and carvings, but also for being the venue of Hollywood’s first-ever movie premiere. A 100th anniversary renovation by streaming giant Netflix brought back numerous original architectural flourishes such as the theater's ornate, hand-carved, gilt ceiling, brilliant neon sign, and decorative Sphinx sculptures. The re-do updated projection tech too. Currently, the Egyptian hosts Netflix’s movie output along with the American Cinematheque’s classic film screenings. It is one of five theaters in the U.S. which can still project pre-1952 vintage nitrate film prints.

The multiple award–winning (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, NAACP Theater Awards, Ovation Award, to name a few) Fountain Theatre is committed to diverse theater and dance performances. Although the 80-seat venue may be intimate, it's a powerhouse at producing original plays in addition to revivals.

This theater centers on original material and world premieres with professional actors year-round. The small venue is known for its dedication to diversity and its inclusive atmosphere, with “talkbacks" (Q&As between actors and audience members) after certain shows. Ray Bradbury regularly produced shows here for five years before his death in 2012, including a stage adaptation of Fahrenheit 451.

This theatre complex, with its own café, hosts a variety of local and traveling companies, and shows span all genres. Nestled among a number of small-scale theaters on Theatre Row in Hollywood, awards and nominations include those from the Los Angeles Drama Critic’s Circle, Ovations, NAACP, GLAADMEDIA, and DramaLogue.

Opened in 1967, the Forum is the former home of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kings; today it is the only arena in the country solely focused on concerts and special events. The original Roman-inspired columns lining the circular space are iconic, but the inside was fully refurbished in recent years. Beloved for its acoustics, the Forum features headliners ranging from A-list musicians to comedians. 

Both dramas and comedies dominate the stage at the Mark Taper Forum, next door to the Ahmanson Theatre in Downtown. A showcase for new and experimental plays, quite a few shows that premiered here have gone on to Broadway and off-Broadway theaters (a number of Pulitzer Prize–winning plays have also been developed here).

The Microsoft Theater is host to a variety of concerts and big-name awards shows—the Emmys, American Music Awards, BET Awards, and the ESPYs. This theater and the surrounding L.A. Live complex are a draw for those looking for a fun night out. The building's emphasis on acoustics and versatile seating arrangements means that all 7,100 seats are good, whether you're at an intimate acoustic concert or an awards show. Outside, the L.A. Live complex is home to restaurants and attractions, including the GRAMMY Museum, to keep patrons entertained before and after shows (though it's open whether or not there's a performance).

Named for one of Shakespeare's stage directions in Hamlet, A Noise Within is the Los Angeles area's preeminent place to see classic theater. The company boasts fierce talent among its revolving repertory of resident actors, many of whom also work in Hollywood. Audience members are never more than eight rows away from its platform stage.

Foreign and indie films, documentaries, classics, recent releases, Oscar short-film screenings—there’s not much the Nuart doesn’t show. Midnight showings, like the long-running Rocky Horror Picture Show with a live "shadow cast" on Saturday nights, continue to bring in locals. Q&A sessions with directors and actors also happen here frequently.

Opened in 1926, the opulent Orpheum Theatre played host to live attractions including classic comedians, burlesque dancers, jazz greats like Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington, and later on rock-and-roll performers such as Little Richard. After extensive restorations, the Orpheum once again revealed a stunning white-marble lobby, majestic auditorium with fleur-de-lis panels, and two dazzling chandeliers. A thick red velvet and gold-trimmed curtain opens at showtime, and a white Wurlitzer pipe organ (one of the last remaining organs of its kind from the silent movie era) is at the ready. The original 1926 rooftop neon sign again shines brightly, signaling a new era for this theater. Today the theater plays host to live concerts, comedy shows, and movie screenings.

Exceptional plays and musicals, occasionally featuring known TV and movie actors, are what this theater is mostly known for. The 650-seat playhouse is a historical landmark that’s been operating as a theater since 1925, and holds the title of official state theater of California. Tours of the venue are available by appointment.

Located inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall, this 288-seat theater serves as a space for innovative performance and visual art in addition to film screenings and literary events. The gallery features changing art installations. Tickets are reasonably priced and many are free.

The Ricardo Montalban Theatre is more than just a live performance and outdoor movie screening space. While it's famous for its comedy shows, small film festivals, and rooftop movie screenings—collaborating with well-known chefs for its food service as well as artists to create art and commerce together—its biggest goals are to support performing arts and create employment in Hollywood. So, beyond having that quintessentially L.A. experience of watching movies outdoors, you're also supporting a local business that in turn supports the local community. For a true local experience in Hollywood, this is the spot to go and check out a show.

Housing three theaters and boasting the same artistic direction for 50 years, this unpretentious venue brings a number of original plays, touring companies, poetry readings, spoken-word events, and revival shows to the stage. The Family Theatre Musical Matinee Series features family-friendly reworked classic plays. Educational programs and workshops are available for all ages.

Since opening in 1926, the auditorium has hosted nearly every major awards show at one point or another, including the Emmys and the GRAMMYs. Today, the venue and adjacent Expo Hall hosts concerts, film premieres, award shows, pageants, and special events. The Shrine's Moorish Revival–style architecture is a spectacle all its own.

With an emphasis on experimental plays by cutting-edge authors, this theater produces unique works and encourages new artists through its Young Writers Program, and NOTEworthy, a staged reading series where playwrights can get feedback about their material from the audience.

This intimate three-auditorium theater is nothing fancy, but it's one of the most cherished in the city. Two of the rooms cater to the latest first-run releases and often host Netflix screenings, while the third is host to exclusive American Cinemateque events and showings.

Vista Theater is one of the best places in Los Feliz to watch a movie. Owned by Quentin Taratino, the historic single-screen 400-seat theater has preserved much of its art deco and Egyptian-themed walls and light fixtures. Today it screens all of its films in 35mm or 70mm reels, making it one of the most fitting places to watch the very best of classic and “indie lux” movies. Bonus: the extra legroom.

Located in the heart of Beverly Hills, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is a cultural hub for a wide variety of artistic performances. A breath of fresh air, the complex is centered on the 1934 Italianate-style Beverly Hills Post Office. The interior is gorgeous, with eight Depression-era murals painted by California artist Charles Kassler depicting laborers and artisans. The building includes the 500-seat Bram Goldsmith Theater and the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater. Affordable parking is available underneath the space.