Performing Arts

Whether you seek music, world-class opera, dance, theater, or even a circus performance, Santa Fe excites, inspires, and entertains with its extensive variety of performing arts. Build your trip to The City Different around these events!

Live Outdoor Music Series

Free, live music is a staple during the Santa Fe summers. Try the Santa Fe Plaza Concert Series (ampconcerts.org) on the Plaza for some of the best local and national talent— from jazz to bluegrass to rock ’n’ roll. At the Railyard, you can find a similarly excellent series (ampconcerts.org), and listen while drinking and eating at one of the area’s great restaurants. For a grassy, family-friendly concert experience, try the series at SWAN Park or Music on the Hill at St. John’s College.

Opera & More

Featuring stunning views, the open-air Santa Fe Opera presents world-class performances in an architectural wonder of a building, set in a peaceful and rugged landscape. There’s not a bad seat in the house! Plan your trip for July or August to catch the annual performance season of international operatic superstars. Nationally renowned band concert performances show through September (santafeopera.org).

Classical, Orchestral, Chamber Music

There is no shortage of organizations presenting music in The City Different throughout the year! New Mexico Performing Arts Society nmpas.org Performance Santa Fe performancesantafe.org Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival santafechambermusic.com Santa Fe Desert Chorale desertchorale.org Santa Fe Pro Musica sfpromusica.org Santa Fe Symphony santafesymphony.org Santa Fe Women’s Ensemble sfwe.org

Theater

Visit Theatre Santa Fe (theatresantafe.org) for the lowdown on the 20+ local theater companies, offering everything from Shakespeare to contemporary productions throughout the year.

Santa Fe Plaza Concert

Circus Arts

Throughout the year, local circus troupe Wise Fool New Mexico awes audiences with its socially conscious performances that include puppetry, theater, and of course, the circus arts. Their annual Circus Luminous attracts enthusiastic crowds every Thanksgiving weekend.

Flamenco

This passionate, age-old dance form of illustrious pageantry and costume is authentically alive in Santa Fe. Internationally known and native New Mexican dancer María Benítez produced many proteges, among them native born La Emi, who performs at The Lodge at Santa Fe and through Heritage Hotels (emiarteflamenco.com). You can also enjoy a dinner performance at El Flamenco Spanish Cabaret downtown (entreflamenco.com), and at El Farol on Canyon Road (elfarolsantafe.com).

Venues

Built in 1931, the historic Lensic Performing Arts Center in the heart of downtown, just off the Plaza, hosts everything from the symphony to movie nights. State-ofthe-art production capabilities meet a classic vibe in this 800-person capacity Spanish-Moorish-style theater. Other large performance venues include the 450-seat St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art, and the 400-seat James A. Little Theater on the New Mexico School for the Deaf campus.

DID YOU KNOW?

You can choose from more than a thousand different live performances in Santa Fe throughout the year.