94103, 1015 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA, US California offers all kinds of entertainment, from adrenaline-filled concerts to the finest theater and sports events, with the best music festivals in the world or town. The cities of San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, and Fresno are the central nodes of theatres, concerts, and sports. Each has its taste in culture and entertainment.
San Francisco: Eclectic Arts and Sports
- Concerts and Music Festivals: San Francisco offers a wide-ranging musical variety. The Fillmore and Warfield Theatre features the city’s indie, rock, and jazz concerts. The many summer festivals are outdoor parties with a mixture of live music, food, and art as backdrops, with Golden Gate Park being the center, such as the Outside Lands, and free summer concerts on Sundays in the Stern Grove Festival.
- Sports: The San Francisco Giants give the whole US baseball experience at Oracle Park, right on the waterfront. The San Francisco 49ers football team plays at Levi’s Stadium on the edge of Santa Clara. The city hosts cycling races and marathons such as the San Francisco Marathon.
- Theatre Performances: Theater-goers can find Broadway shows and avant-garde productions at the Curran Theatre and American Conservatory Theater. San Francisco is home to the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Symphony. This world-class institution boasts artistry and creative enterprise unmatched by most of the country’s concert and opera houses.
Los Angeles: The Heart of Entertainment
- Concerts and Music Festivals: Los Angeles is the world’s entertainment capital. It offers some of the most internationally famous music venues, with the Hollywood Bowl and The Greek Theatre regularly hosting top musical artists. Staples Center (now called Crypto.com Arena) hosts major pop and rock concerts and sports events, and significant music festivals like Coachella – albeit just outside the city – attract hundreds of thousands worldwide each spring.
- Sporting Events: LA has top-tier teams in every sport. The LA Lakers, Clippers, and LA Rams play in legendary stadiums like SoFi Stadium and Crypto.com Arena, and the LA Galaxy and LAFC are popular soccer teams.
- Theatrical Productions: Broadway or television shows on the Hollywood Pantages Theatre and Ahmanson Theatre stages bring famous productions to West Coast audiences. Classical to modern live theatrical performances are also presented at the Hollywood Bowl.
San Diego: Coastal Culture and Sports
- Concerts and Live Music Events: San Diego has an exciting music scene. Some premier international artists perform at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista. Rock, pop, and country concerts are regularly held at The Observatory North Park and Pechanga Arena. San Diego hosts music festivals, like the Waterfront Festival, showcasing emerging and established artists from around the world along the waterfront to the smell of the ocean air.
- Sports Contests: San Diego Padres, a downtown baseball stadium with magnificent views, for baseball fans; San Diego Loyal and San Diego Wave FC. If you’re a soccer fan, both teams are young and exciting, filling local crowds with energy; marathons are also popular, particularly the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon.
- Theatre Performances: Shakespeare (and not only) at the glorious Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park offers another generational option. Contemporary theatre is often the chosen medium at La Jolla Playhouse. Both hold Broadway premieres.
San Jose: Silicon Valley’s Entertainment Hub
- Concerts and music festivals: San Jose’s SAP Center draws big-name touring acts, from pop stars to classic rock bands. The San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, a week-long music festival of jazz, R&B, and Latin music performed by San Jose artists and others around the country, transforms the city around the third weekend of every June.
- Sports: Besides beaches, San Jose’s greatest sporting attraction is ice hockey: the San Jose Sharks play at SAP Center, and there’s also an MLS team, the San Jose Earthquakes, which plays at the friendly PayPal Park. For motorsports fanatics, nearby Laguna Seca Raceway stages roaring motor sporting action.
- Theater Performances: The San Jose Center for the Performing Arts is the go-to place to catch Broadway tours and contemporary productions. Local favorites include Bankhead Theater and Hammer Theatre Center, which have intimate venues. Don’t miss the best events in San Jose this season.
Fresno: Central Valley’s Growing Entertainment Scene
- Concerts and Music Festivals: Every year, the Fresno Fair, an agricultural show, presents live performances at a venue with rides and food stalls showcasing animals and crops from the region. These performances draw big-name artists such as the Backstreet Boys and Jason Derulo. Fulton 55 is a small local venue for indie and regional musicians. The Save Mart Center on the CSU Fresno campus hosts big-name pop, country, and rock artists like Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood, Steven Tyler, and the Band Perry.
- Sporting Events: Fresno is home to the minor-league Fresno Grizzlies baseball team that plays at Chukchansi Park. College sports also get a large local following from the Fresno State Bulldogs football and basketball teams.
- Theatres: Fresno’s Tower Theatre (theatre shows and concerts) and Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater (dinner and live performances) bring numerous performers to the city throughout the year, and the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra programs one or two live concerts yearly. Don’t miss the best events in Fresno this season.