Must-see entertainment in New Mexico

  • Santa Fe Opera

    Santa Fe

    Many visitors flock to Santa Fe for the opera alone: the theater is a marvel, with 360-degree views of sandstone wilderness crowned with sunsets and…

  • Father with son on shoulders at an Isotopes baseball game.

    Albuquerque Isotopes

    Albuquerque

    First of all: yes, the city’s baseball team really was named for the episode of The Simpsons, ‘Hungry, Hungry Homer,’ when America’s favorite TV dad tried…

  • Alley Cantina

    Taos

    It figures that the oldest building in Taos is a comfy bar. Built almost four centuries ago by Pueblo Indians, and briefly the office of New Mexico’s…

  • KTAOS Solar Center

    Taos

    Taos' best live-music venue, at the start of Ski Valley Rd, shares its space with much-loved radio station KTAOS 101.9 FM. Local and touring acts stop by…

  • Peñasco Theatre

    Santa Fe Region

    Historic theater that offers myriad programs, concerts, movies and classes throughout the year, including weeklong youth circus camps in summer, thanks to…

  • El Flamenco

    Santa Fe

    Run by Spanish codirectors Antonio Granjero and Estefania Ramirez, this top-flight flamenco company was actually founded in Madrid in 1998, before moving…

  • Frye's Old Town Shootout

    Central New Mexico

    In summer, the kids won't want to miss downtown Frye's Old Town Shootout. It celebrates the Second Amendment in all its ten-gallon hat, buckskin-jacket…

  • Sandia Casino

    Central New Mexico

    One of the first casinos to open in New Mexico, this lavish property is best known for its elegant 4000-seat outdoor amphitheater, which has become…

  • Taos Chamber Music Group

    Taos

    As well as classical music from baroque to contemporary, this ensemble also performs folk- and jazz-flavored compositions from all over the world, with…

  • El Morro Theatre

    New Mexico

    After a seven-month repair project, downtown Gallup's centerpiece reopened in 2019. This beautifully restored Spanish Colonial–style theater, which…

  • Lensic Performing Arts Center

    Santa Fe

    A beautifully renovated 1930 movie house, the theater hosts touring productions and classic films as well as seven different performance groups, including…

  • Flying J Ranch

    Southeastern New Mexico

    Families with little ones will love this 'Western village,' 1.5 miles north of Alto, as it delivers a full night of entertainment, with gunfights, pony…

  • Isleta Casino

    Central New Mexico

    This swanky casino is located south of Albuquerque, on the other side of the Rio Grande from the Isleta Pueblo. Like other major New Mexico casino resorts…

  • Taos Center for the Arts

    Taos

    In a remodeled 1890s adobe mansion, the TCA programs local and international performances of everything from chamber music to belly dancing to theater, as…

  • El Rey

    Albuquerque

    Now under new management, it hosts everything from electro-pop to dub-step acts. Over the years, it's featured such stars as Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James…

  • Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts

    Southeastern New Mexico

    Larger than you’d expect in small-town New Mexico, and enjoying a stunning mountain setting in Alto, this community theater hosts drama, music and dance…

  • Jean Cocteau Cinema

    Santa Fe

    Revived by George RR Martin in 2013, this is the top cinema in town for indie flicks; also has book signings, occasional live concerts and an in-theater…

  • Buffalo Thunder Resort

    Santa Fe Region

    This large casino in northern New Mexico is part of a resort that also holds a Hilton Hotel, a spa and a golf course. It's 14 miles north of Santa Fe.

  • Fountain Theater

    New Mexico

    Home of the nonprofit Mesilla Valley Film Society, this splendid old adobe theater screens foreign and art films.

  • Popejoy Hall

    Albuquerque

    On the UNM campus, this is one of the city's main venues for local opera, symphony and theater.

  • Center for the Arts

    New Mexico

    The American Southwest Theatre Company performs at the Center for the Arts on the NMSU campus.

  • Las Cruces Symphony

    New Mexico

    The Las Cruces Symphony performs at the NMSU Music Center Recital Hall.

  • Launch Pad

    Albuquerque

    This retro-modern place is the hottest stage for local live music.

  • Vanessie of Santa Fe

    Santa Fe

    You don't really come to Vanessie for the food, though there's nothing wrong with it. No, the attraction here is the piano bar, featuring blow-dried…

  • Guild Cinema

    Albuquerque

    The only independently owned, single-screen theater in town programs great indie, avant-garde, Hollywood fringe, political and international features…

  • Fort Union Drive-In

    New Mexico

    One of New Mexico's few remaining drive-in movie theaters lies just north of town and has great views of the surrounding high desert. Call or check its…

  • Santa Fe Playhouse

    Santa Fe

    The state's oldest theater company performs avant-garde and traditional theater and musical comedy, typically with evening programs Thursday to Saturday…

  • Engine House Theatre

    Central New Mexico

    Check the calendar for occasional random events – from film festivals to flamenco dance performances – in the Mineshaft Tavern’s cozy, old-fashioned…

  • Tingley Coliseum

    Albuquerque

    This indoor arena plays host to the state fair, the New Mexico Brew Festival and various hobbyist events, from gem to gun shows.

  • KiMo Theatre

    Albuquerque

    The gorgeous, historic KiMo Theatre sees performances by big-name national acts, as well as local ballet, theater and cinema.

  • Warehouse 21

    Santa Fe

    This youth-oriented arts and activity center in a 3500-sq-ft warehouse by the Railyard occasionally hosts live-music acts.

  • Storyteller Cinema

    Taos

    Catch mainstream flicks at Taos' only movie house, a seven-screen theater right off Paseo del Pueblo Sur.