Must-see entertainment in California

  • Colourful neon signs outside the Castro Theater at night.

    Castro Theatre

    San Francisco

    Every night at the Castro, crowds roar as the mighty organ rises – and no, that's not a euphemism. Showtime at this 1922 art deco movie palace is heralded…

  • SFJAZZ Center

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    Jazz legends and singular talents from Argentina to Yemen are showcased at North America's newest, largest jazz center. Hear fresh takes on classic jazz…

  • Noise

    San Francisco

    The more San Francisco changes, the more this incredible indie record store, art gallery and performance space stays the same. Vinyl enthusiasts will want…

  • Booksmith

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    Throw a stone in SF and you'll probably hit a writer (ouch) or reader (ouch again) headed to/from Booksmith. Literary figures organize Booksmith book…

  • Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    The landmark 1932 New Mission cinema, now restored to its original Timothy Pfleuger–designed art deco glory, has a new mission: to upgrade dinner-and-a…

  • San Francisco Symphony

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    From the moment conductor Michael Tilson Thomas bounces up on his toes and raises his baton, the audience is on the edge of their seats for another…

  • Fillmore Auditorium

    Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights

    Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead – they all played the Fillmore and the upstairs bar is lined with vintage psychedelic posters to prove it…

  • San Francisco Mime Troupe

    San Francisco

    Uproarious, original political satire since 1961, combining musical theater, Japanese kabuki, slapstick and Italian commedia dell'arte. Performances are…

  • Hollywood Bowl.

    Hollywood Bowl

    Hollywood

    Summers in LA just wouldn’t be the same without alfresco melodies under the stars at the Bowl, a huge natural amphitheater in the Hollywood Hills. Its…

  • Fox Theater

    Oakland

    A phoenix arisen from the urban ashes, this restored 1928 art deco stunner adds dazzle and neon lights to Telegraph Ave, where it's a cornerstone of the…

  • Greek Theatre

    Los Feliz & Griffith Park

    The 'Greek' in the 2010 film Get Him to the Greek is this 5900-capacity outdoor amphitheater, tucked into a woodsy Griffith Park hillside. A more intimate…

  • Dodger Stadium

    Silver Lake & Echo Park

    Few clubs can match the Dodgers' history (Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Kirk Gibson and sportscaster Vin Scully), success and fan loyalty, and this 1950s…

  • Terrapin Crossroads

    Marin County

    Do you or did you miss the Marin of yesteryear? Terrapin Crossroads is your portal. Owner – and Grateful Dead bassist – Phil Lesh regularly plays here…

  • Wiltern Theatre

    Westlake & Koreatown

    Soaring confidently at the intersection of Wilshire and Western Blvds (get it?), this extraordinary, turquoise-hued deco landmark started life as a movie…

  • Echo

    Silver Lake & Echo Park

    Eastsiders hungry for an eclectic alchemy of sounds pack this super-packed dive, basically a sweaty bar with a stage and a back patio. On the music front,…

  • Giants Stadium

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    Baseball fans roar April to October at the Giants' 81 home games. As any orange-blooded San Franciscan will remind you, the Giants have won three World…

  • Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre

    Hollywood

    Founded in New York by Saturday Night Live alums Amy Poehler and Ian Roberts along with Matt Besser and Matt Walsh, this sketch-comedy group cloned itself…

  • Oasis

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    Forget what you've learned about drag on TV – at this dedicated dragstravaganza venue, the shows are so fearless, freaky-deaky and funny you'll laugh…

  • Audium

    Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights

    Sit in total darkness as Stan Shaff plays his unique musical instrument: an auditorium constructed in 1962 as a living sound sculpture, lined floor to…

  • ODC Theater

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    For 45 years ODC has been redefining dance with risky, raw performances and the sheer joy of movement. ODC's season runs from September to December, but…

  • Independent

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    Bragging rights are earned with breakthrough shows at the small but mighty Independent, featuring indie dreamers (Magnetic Fields, Death Cab for Cutie),…

  • Brava Theater

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Brava's been producing women-run theater for 30-plus years, hosting acts from comedian Sandra Bernhard to V-day monologist Eve Ensler, and it's the nation…

  • Beach Blanket Babylon

    North Beach & Chinatown

    Snow White searches for Prince Charming in San Francisco: what could possibly go wrong? This Disney-spoof musical-comedy cabaret has been running since…

  • World of Color

    Disneyland Resort

    Disney California Adventure's premier show is the 22-minute World of Color, a dazzling nighttime display of lasers, lights and animation projected over…

  • Swedish American Hall & Cafe du Nord

    San Francisco

    The Castro was once known as Little Scandinavia after the sailors who docked here – and the secret to their community spirit was the speakeasy running in…

  • Bottom of the Hill

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    The bottom of Potrero Hill tops the list for rocking with punk legends the Avengers, Pansy Division and Nerf Herder, and newcomers worth checking out for…

  • Sweetwater Music Hall

    Marin County

    Hosting Bay Area legends, visiting acts and up-and-comers since 1972, this lively venue (in a new location since 2012) is a must for lovers of good ole…

  • Mark Taper Forum

    Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights

    Part of the Music Center, the Mark Taper is one of the three venues used by the Center Theatre Group, SoCal’s leading resident ensemble and producer of…

  • Magic Theatre

    Gold Country

    This beloved and adorably quirky theater screens a matchless lineup of unusual films and is about a mile south of downtown Nevada City. It serves bowls of…

  • Blue Whale

    Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights

    An intimate, concrete-floored space on the top floor of Weller Court in Little Tokyo, Blue Whale serves top-notch jazz nightly from 9pm. The crowd is…

  • Comedy & Magic Club

    South Bay Beaches

    Live music and comedy right on the Hermosa strip. It has something going almost every night, including some big names: David Spade, Arsenio Hall, Alonzo…

  • Harvelle’s

    Santa Monica

    This dark blues grotto has been packing 'em in since 1931, but somehow still manages to feel like a well-kept secret. There are no big-name acts here, but…

  • Off the 405

    Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood & Westwood

    On selected Saturdays from May to September, the Getty Center courtyard fills with evening crowds for a delicious collision of art, brilliant live acts…

  • Geffen Playhouse

    Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood & Westwood

    Entertainment megamogul David Geffen forked over $17 million to get his Mediterranean-style playhouse back into shape. The center's season includes both…

  • Miners Foundry

    Gold Country

    As the name suggests, this was once an industrial building, constructed in 1856 and used to manufacture Pelton wheels. It has been brilliantly converted…

  • Los Angeles Philharmonic

    Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights

    The world-class LA Phil performs classics and cutting-edge works at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, under the baton of Venezuelan phenom Gustavo Dudamel.

  • Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace

    San Joaquin Valley

    For fans of the Bakersfield Sound, this is the first stop – just look for the huge neon homage to Buck’s famous red, white and blue guitar. Part museum,…

  • McCloud Dance Country

    Mt Shasta Region

    Dust it up on the 5000-sq-ft maple dance floor in the 1906 Broadway Ballroom. Square dancing, round dancing, ballroom dancing – they do it all. Multiday…

  • Gateway Arch, Gas lamp Quarter, San Diego, California. (Photo by: Education Images/Citizens of the Planet/UIG via Getty Images)

    Shout House

    San Diego

    Good, clean fun at this cavernous Gaslamp bar with dueling pianos. Talented players have an amazing repertoire, including classics, rock and more. We once…

  • The Belly Up Tavern is one of the most iconic live music venues in San Diego
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    Belly Up

    San Diego

    Live venue hosting a range of acts, local and international. Previous artists have included Ben Harper, BB King and Jimmy Cliff. Expect everything from…