Fall for the arts this autumn in San Diego! Thanks to the balmy fall weather, the arts and culture scene takes to the streets in San Diego. Stay outside and enjoy art fairs, outdoor concerts, dancing in the streets and much more. End the day by heading inside to enjoy a film festival or two.
Below are just a few of the great annual arts and culture events happening in San Diego this fall.
This page is updated as soon as event details are available. Events are subject to change or cancellation, so please check with event organizers for the most up-to-date information.
When: Now - Oct. 4, 2023
Enjoy an exciting season of music, movies and more at San Diego's picturesque waterfront concert venue, the Rady Shell @ Jacobs Park.
When: Now - Oct. 8, 2023
Set to Joe Iconis’ anarchic and tuneful score, this musical at the La Jolla Playhouse is a rock ‘n’ roll portrait of an artist seeking greatness and coming to terms with his own legacy. It’s a heartfelt trumpet call to the moral idealists, the outraged, the outlaws and the outsiders.
When: Now - Nov. 15, 2023
The popular Humphreys Concerts by the Bay features top name entertainers performing on an outdoor stage adjacent to a picturesque marina at Humphreys Half Moon Inn on Shelter Island.
When: Sept. 1 - Oct. 8, 2023
Featuring an iconic score from Kander and Ebb—including “Maybe This Time,” “Mein Herr,” “Don’t Tell Mama,” and, of course, the title song—this Tony Award–winning musical is reimagined in a visionary new staging by Globe favorite Josh Rhodes (Guys and Dolls, Bright Star).
When: Sept. 1-3, 2023
Join the Barona Band of Mission Indians for a weekend of contest dancing in all categories, camping, drums and cultural immersion.
When: Sept. 7-10, 2023
FilmOut San Diego is one of the longest-running film festivals in Southern California and the only LGBTQ film festival in the San Diego area bringing the best in LGBTQ+ and cult genre films to San Diego!
When: Sept. 8-10, 2023
The Sycuan Pow-Wow is a time for people to get together, sing, dance, renew old friendships and make new ones, and a time for young people to meet and court.
When: Sept. 9-10, 2023
Attendees can explore different facets of art from local, regional and international professional artists while enjoying street food, wine and beer, live entertainment, and the surrounding breathtaking views.
When: Sept. 16 - Oct. 16, 2023
Through comedy and music, this remarkable play, directed by the acclaimed Chay Yew, recounts the immigrant experience, how this country gets made, and the dreams of those who make it.
When: Sept. 16-17, 2023
Each fall, tour guides lead groups of audience members on and off the trolley to view original pieces of site-specific choreography. More than 50 community and company dancers perform at various sites.
When: Sept. 19-24, 2023
This outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. With standing room only productions in London, on Broadway, and across North America, THE BOOK OF MORMON has truly become an international sensation.
When: Sept. 23-24, 2023
CRSSD Festival is a two-day electronic music festival at the 12-acre San Diego Waterfront Park featuring three stages and 36+ performers. In addition to the music, the festival will offer craft beer, mixed drinks, food, and more.
When: Sept. 23-24, 2023
Adams Avenue Street Fair is SoCal's largest free two-day music festival held each year during the last weekend in September in the community of Normal Heights.
When: Oct. 3-15, 2023
This brilliant staging has taken the world by storm and has been hailed as “Les Mis for the 21st Century” (Huffington Post), “a reborn dream of a production” (Daily Telegraph) and “one of the greatest musicals ever created” (Chicago Tribune).
When: Oct. 3-14, 2023
The San Diego Italian Film Festival showcases the best of new Italian film with a series of premieres ranging from dramas and comedies to documentaries.
When: Oct. 3-8, 2023
SDFFF aims to not only be a platform to amplify Filipinx visions, voices and stories but also foster new interest in filmmaking and cinema as art throughout the local and global Filipinx community.
When: October 7-8, 2023
Just steps from the beautiful Pacific Ocean on Girard Avenue, bask in beautiful San Diego sun while meandering through over 150 handpicked artist booths, for a weekend of fine art, along with delectable wines, craft beers, scrumptious food, and live music.
When: October 18-22, 2023
SDiFF offers world premieres, never before seen studio releases, the best in independent filmmaking and a full schedule of glamorous parties and intimate events with filmmakers.
When: October 26, 2023
You're invited to Art Party, a dynamic new event at The San Diego Museum of Art with music and dancing, hands-on art activities, captivating performances, delicious food, refreshing beverages, and other enchantments.
When: Nov. 7-12, 2023
For nearly 25 years, people all around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story, and the music that make MAMMA MIA! the ultimate feel-good show.
When: Nov. 8 - Dec. 31, 2023
Celebrate the holidays as the Old Globe Theatre is once again transformed into the snow-covered Who-ville, right down to the last can of Who-hash.
When: Nov. 8-12, 2023
The Coronado Island Film Festival is planning for a return to our traditional festival format with in person screenings, special engagements, panels, culinary cinema series, and of course red carpet moments! Additionally, the festival plans to curate a select number of films that will screen online as part of our virtual fest.
When: Nov. 17 - Dec. 24, 2023
All the traditional elements of Dickens's A Christmas Carol are intact—including the iconic ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future—but with a comic local twist. Audiences of all ages will cheer Ebenezer Scrooge's rediscovery of the Christmas spirit in this riotous Dickens mash-up filled with music and laughter—all set in "wintery" San Diego.
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