Philadelphia is a performing arts mecca, and THE premier destination for the lively arts. The newly-constructed Kimmel Center is the home of the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pennsylvania Ballet, and the Philadelphia Opera Company. The Center, in conjunction with the old and regal Academy of Music, just a few blocks away, also hosts performances of Broadway shows, PHILADANCO (an avantgarde dance company), Philly Pops, and the chamber music society. Operating a year-round schedule, the Kimmel Center offers state-of-the-art acoustics in an architecturally stunning setting.
The Greater Philadelphia area is home to over 100 producing theaters, both large and small, and offers topnotch productions from Broadway to independents. Walnut Street just east of Broad Street is home to the great theater houses.
There are two famous music schools in Philadelphia, the Settlement Music School and the Curtis Music Institute, both offering reasonably priced concerts, with family offerings also.
In Fairmount Park, the Mann Music Center, an outdoor summer performing arts center, is the summer home to the Philadelphia Orchestra, and also holds a wide array of jazz, rock & roll, and dance performances, in a large, wide-open amphitheater in the middle of the park.
Philadelphia hosts all the top featured rock & roll, hiphop, country, and soul bands that tour the country. In arenas like the Wachovia Center, the Wachovia Spectrum, the Tweeter Center across the river in Camden, and at Festival Pier at Penn's Landing, fans can always count on their favorite performing artists visiting Philadelphia.
Every summer, the Philadelphia Folk Festival attracts lovers of folk music for a 3 day fest in late August. Lots of singing, dancing, banjo-picking, and even workshops.
Philadelphia also holds two annual film festivals: the Philadelphia Film Festival (for two weeks every April) and the Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (held in July). Both bring features, documentaries, and shorts and animations from every corner of the world.
Philly is also home to the Live Arts Festival and the Phily Fringe, held for two weeks every year starting Labor Day. From contemporary artists to independents and self-produced alternative performers, this is a lively, innovative festival with performances held in multiple locations around the city.
Philadelphia CultureFiles - An insider's guide to the region's arts and culture
