Santa Barbara Entertainment

Entertainment in Santa Barbara is varied and lively, providing choices for all interests and ages. The city is home to several theatres, and live music is easy to find.

Nightlife

Most of the nightlife scene is focused in Old Town Santa Barbara, above all on State Street. Q’s and Velvet Jones are good places for dancing to the newest sounds. Live music can be enjoyed at SoHo, changing nightly from jazz, blues, dance, funk and reggae to Eastern European traditional folk. Joe’s Café, with its liberally strong drinks, is for many the beginning of State Street. Also on State Street are the sports bar O’Malley’s and the popular Rocks, featuring must-have lemon-drop martinis and cigars.

A more classy crowd is attracted to the bar scene and upstairs lounge at Blue Agave and The James Joyce. During warmer months, the Santa Barbara Bowl, an outdoor arena set in the local foothills, is the venue for all major concert tours.

Theatre and music

Santa Barbara is home to several vibrant theatres, staging a wide variety of productions from comedies to classics. The Lobero Theater is Santa Barbara’s premiere performing arts venue, featuring an exciting variety of modern dance, ballet, jazz, lectures, classical music, opera and contemporary music performances.

The Ensemble Theater Company, Santa Barbara’s longest running professional theatre troupe, stages a variety of classic and modern comedies, dramas and premieres at the Ahlecama Theater, situated near the historic Presidio. The Center Stage Theater is an intimate black box theatre, located on the Arts Terrace of Paseo Nuevo Shopping Center.

In recent years, Santa Barbara’s music scene has become somewhat of a magnet for the singer-songwriter crowd. A pulsating music scene offers many venues that stage regular live acts. Cold Spring, a former stagecoach stop, welcomes everyone from professionals to motorcycle-riders, and is a long-time favourite for live blues, bluegrass and more.

Soho offers live music and great Californian cuisine. Dine to the sounds of jazz, reggae, blues, folk, rock or world music. Velvet Jones is known for its awesome sound system and features top DJs or live local bands who are on the rise. Musical styles range from alternative to hip-hop to punk. The Wildcat is frequented by a stylish, younger crowd and music ranges from old school to hip-hop, house, alternative and rock.

Festivals

Santa Barbara stages a variety of festivals, especially in summer, many of which are hosted outdoors in Oak Park or along the beachfront or on State Street.

• Santa Barbara International Film Festival showcases new movies from around the globe and is attended by Hollywood stars (February).
• Santa Barbara Whale Festival features whale-watching and a children’s carnival, diving demonstrations and rubber duck races (March).
• Santa Barbara Fair and Expo is a five-day event featuring livestock, agricultural, commercial and educational displays in addition to a complete amusement park (April).
• Vintner’s Festival is a major wine tasting event offering local varieties available for sampling and a diverse mix of cuisine from local eateries (May).
• Summer Solstice Parade is Santa Barbara’s largest event. This grand street fair features parades, performers, costumes, music, dance and food (June).
• Touring and Tasting Wine Festival showcases over 70 of California’s leading wine traders, offering samples on the beach (July).
• Old Spanish Days Fiesta highlights the culture and customs of American Indian, Mexican, Spanish and early American settlers, offering live music performances, food and parades (August).
• California Lemon Festival, held in Girsh Park, puts on live bluegrass, country, folk and pop music, arts and crafts stalls and a diverse blend of lemon-based recipes (October).
• Latino Film Festival is hosted by the Museum of Mexico and it showcases movies by various Latino directors (November).