Albuquerque Entertainment

Albuquerque has a decent entertainment scene, as befits a city of its size. The performing arts are multicultural, with Hispanic productions sharing the stage with Anglo works, which include theatre, dance, symphony and opera. Albuquerque also gets its fair share of live popular music at the bars and nightclubs around town. The best source for entertainment information is the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau. To find out what’s happening during your visit, pick up a Thursday copy of the local newspaper, Tribune, or a Friday copy of the Journal. Another good source of information is the monthly guide, On the Scene.

Nightlife

Albuquerque has a very diverse nightlife scene, ranging from grungy lounges to trendy martini bars and Hispanic hangouts. Most of the bars are concentrated in three areas: Old Town, downtown and the trendy Nob Hill district.

If you want a clean, chic type of watering hole, head over to Nob Hill, where you’ll find bars such as the Martini Grille, a favourite spot for young professionals who enjoy having 30 different kinds of martini to choose from. If you’re interested in seeing the slightly seedy underside of Albuquerque, simply head downtown and pick from the range of 1950s-era lounge bars.

If you’d like to do a little gambling, the Indian casinos can help you out. Just outside the city limits, on the Indian reservations, are two modern and fully-equipped casinos. The Sandia Casino is the nicest, both architecturally and thanks to its spacious outdoor amphitheatre and the largest poker room in New Mexico. The Isleta Gaming Palace is on a different Indian reservation, but is also within easy access of Albuquerque.

Theatre and music

Albuquerque has several venues which specialise in live music, from rock and punk to hip-hop and jazz. For those seeking a more cultural experience, there is a wide range of performance arts to choose from. La Compania de Teatro is one of the few major Hispanic theatre companies in the United States. They stage a series of bilingual productions each year at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

The Vortex Theatre is home to the city’s oldest community theatre group, who put on a number of innovative productions throughout the year. The Albuquerque Little Theatre has been performing everything from dramas to comedies since 1930, at its venue across from Old Town. Their season runs from August to May.

The New Mexico Symphony Orchestra performs classics at the University of New Mexico’s Popejoy Hall, and occasionally at the Rio Grande Zoo.  

Festivals

Albuquerque has plenty of interesting artistic and cultural festivals to keep things exciting throughout the year. 

• The Gathering of Nations Powwow is North America’s largest annual gathering of different Indian tribes. It’s a fascinating and colourful affair, with over 3,000 traditional dancers, a street fair and a traders’ market (April).
• Cinco de Mayo is a major annual celebration across the Hispanic world, and Albuquerque throws a big party complete with Hispanic music, dancing, food and drinks (May).
• New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo is a big deal around these parts. Cowboys play a big role in New Mexican culture and this is the biggest event of the year, with a rodeo, horseback racing and live music (September).
• Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is the world’s largest hot air balloon festival, with an average of 1,000 colourful balloons participating each year. For one week, the skies above the city are filled with balloons each morning (October).
• The River of Lights is an old tradition, with the city glowing at night with quaint little lights called luminaries during the festivities. Everyone puts these lights along their adobe walls, on the edges of their houses and along the streets throughout the month, giving wonderful warmth to the cold, clear winter nights (December).