arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up play-button plus tab-indicator dots close menu search facebook google-plus instagram pinterest rss twitter youtube rss-two heart Check FeaturedBadge linkedin minus apps placeholder linkedin
San Diego

Theater

Enjoy Broadway-bound plays, musicals and more

Photo By Kevin Berne

Broadway Meets the West Coast

Whether you call it Broadway West or the West Coast's West End, San Diego has earned its reputation as a premier destination for theater. In fact, San Diego is a leader among American cities in developing and sending shows to Broadway. The hit musical "Jersey Boys," which won multiple Tony Awards and spent 12 years on Broadway, originated at La Jolla Playhouse, while the Old Globe in Balboa Park has birthed such Broadway hits as "Into the Woods."

Between them, the two theaters have had a hand in nearly 60 Broadway shows — most recently the Playhouse's "Come From Away" and the Old Globe's "Almost Famous."

The broader theater scene in San Diego is extraordinarily vibrant, too. There are more than 150 stages here where audiences can experience the immense pleasures of live performance. With genres as diverse as the venues, on any night you could choose between a rollicking musical, a thought-provoking drama, a witty comedy or a bold, challenging new play in an intimate setting. There's something for every visitor in this theater-rich region, including downtown's San Diego Theatres — the Balboa Theatre and Civic Theatre — which host a wide variety of nationally touring musicals and more. 

Many shows are available at half-price through San Diego's answer to New York's TKTS booth: ARTS TIX. You can order tickets online at sdartstix.com or visit the box office which is conveniently located downtown at Horton Plaza.

Whether it's the Old Globe's summer outdoor Shakespeare festival in beautiful Balboa Park, a sing-along musical at Lamb's Players Theatre in Coronado or a daring new work at La Jolla Playhouse, put some drama into your San Diego trip — and get ready to be dazzled!

Find a place to stay

Book online or call 1-800-350-6205 to speak with a local expert

Deals just for you

History & Heritage

San Diego Org Promo Code - Get the Best Price

Haunted San Diego Ghost & History Tours
Valid: May 23, 2023 - ongoing

For a nice discount on one of our tours and to get the lowest price (prices are higher on TripAdvisor, Groupon etc..) please book directly through us. https://hauntedsandiegotours.com/ Use the code:...

Activity

75-minute Naval History Bay Tour Only $20***

Maritime Museum of San Diego
Valid: Jan 10 - ongoing

Join us at the Maritime Museum of San Diego for a high-speed 75-minute narrated Naval History Tour! The US Naval Vietnam-era PCF 816 Swift Boat Listed In National Register Of Historic Places is...

Team Building

MRDRinSD - 10% Discount from Murder n' Mayhem

Murder n Mayhem
Valid: Feb 21 - ongoing

Use discount code: MRDRINSD for 10% off tickets for all public Tours & Experiences with Murder n' Mayhem. Redeem online at murdernmayhem.com or via phone 619-781-8013 with Discount...

Related Articles and Features

See a Show in San Diego

Neighborhoods

Theatre

Stay in touch

Sign up to receive the latest news, events, and updates about San Diego. Our monthly and weekly newsletters will keep you informed about the latest and greatest happenings in the destination.

Sign Up

Explore

Plan

Stay

Follow Us

Language:

English | Change Language

Select your country or region

China FlagChinaGermany FlagGermanyGreat Britain FlagGreat BritainJapan FlagJapanMexico FlagMexicoKorea FlagKoreaSwitzerland FlagSwitzerlandBrazil FlagBrazilFrance FlagFranceAustralia FlagAustraliaCanada FlagCanada USA

Or use Google Translate

Afrikaans Albanian Arabic Belarusian Bulgarian Catalan Croatian Czech Danish Deutsch Español Estonian Filipino Finnish Francais Galician Greek Haitian-Creole Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Icelandic Indonesian Irish Italian Japanese Korean Latvian Lithuanian Macedonian Malay Maltese Nederlands Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenian Swahili Swedish Telugu Thai Turkish Ukranian Vietnamese Welsh Yiddish