World-Class Live Theater

Sunset Center is Carmel's artistic hub. The Center's auditorium is considered by many to be the finest live music venue on the Monterey Peninsula. This intimate, 718-seat theater is home to the Monterey County Symphony and the Carmel Bach Festival. National touring acts such as Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne, the Smuin Ballet, and many others have trod the stage's boards over the years. Click here for current schedule.

Carmel-by-the-Sea has always been a mecca for creative, cultured, and artistic folks, and wherever you find artists, you find live theater. The Forest Theater Guild has been actively staging plays at the Outdoor Forest Theater since 1910. The Forest Theater is considered to be the oldest outdoor theater in the western United States. Each season there's something to delight theatergoers of all ages; past shows have included The Wizard of Oz, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and numerous Shakespeare works.

Housed in the historic Golden Bough Theater, Pacific Repertory Theatre (PacRep) has been keeping live theater truly alive. PacRep is run by a dedicated and determined group of local actors. There's nothing like an evening of live theater, and PacRep never disappoints. Productions are staged at the Golden Bough year-round and at the Carmel Forest Theater during summer months. The current schedule is online.

Local's Tip

When attending a play at the Outdoor Forest Theater, be sure to dress in layers. Summer evenings can get chilly if the fog rolls in. Come early, pack a picnic dinner, stake out your seats, and enjoy the forest setting before the play starts.

No matter which theater you're attending, consider dining at one of Carmel's more than 50 unique restaurants before the performance. And after the show, enjoy a nightcap at any of the many bars, some of which present live music.