Segerstrom Center for the Arts is a fantastic venue that hosts a real mix of arts and music events, from hit Broadway musicals to majestic ballet performances and classic orchestral concerts. Headline pop acts love to play here but you’re just as likely to find smaller, more intimate cabaret performances. This is also the artistic home to the celebrated Pacific Symphony, Philharmonic Society of Orange County and Pacific Chorale.
Since it opened its doors in 1986, over 13 million guests have descended upon this popular venue to listen to the different music genres and enjoy other arts within its walls. Once known as the Orange County Performing Arts Center, it was renamed the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in 2011 after its high-profile Orange County benefactors, the Segerstrom family, who made a generous contribution towards a large expansion programme back in 2003.
Thanks to the programme, today, the Segerstrom Center is a modern, state-of-the-art complex comprising five separate venues including a 2,000-seat concert hall, a 3000-seat opera house-style hall and a 500-seat theatre. The theatre hosts standing-room-only rock gigs and also doubles up as a club-style venue for intimate jazz performances. For a fine-dining experience, book at table at Leatherby’s Café Rouge, which is open for dinner before and after most shows. There’s also an informal café on site for light snacks and refreshments.
The huge outdoor Arts Plaza hosts many different free community performances. In the summer, the plaza morphs into an outdoor cinema which hosts its ‘Movie Monday Series’. The nearby Concert Hall walls serve as a big screen onto which favourite classic films are projected. Come armed with your own chairs, rugs and a picnic and find a good spot on the outside lawn. It’s advisable to check ahead of your visit to find out whether the films are showing.
To find out more about the history and architecture of this cultural hub, there are interesting free guided backstage tours of the centre that you can join. Check tour times in advance, as they are always scheduled around the main performances.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is located in Costa Mesa, about a 15-minute drive from downtown Santa Ana. Free parking is available.
