Built between 1947 and 1949 in the Branciforte neighborhood of east Santa Cruz, the Rio Theatre's ocean-liner-inspired architecture evokes a steamship cruise to its Brazilian namesake. The former movie palace now operates as a 650-seat multi-purpose venue hosting concerts, comedy, film screenings, and community events on its 40-foot-wide thrust stage. David Crosby, Joan Baez, The Wailers, and Patton Oswalt have all performed in the renovated room. The Rio's eclectic booking philosophy, mixing indie rock headliners with documentary premieres and comedy showcases, makes it a cultural anchor for Santa Cruz's east side.
Alternative (6)Folk (1)World (1)Jazz (1)
Upcoming Shows
Recent Shows
Shows from the last 90 days
Sat, May 23
atmospheric electronics, warped Americana
Grandaddy
8:00 PM
Sat, May 16
Soul
Valerie: A Tribute to Amy Winehouse
8:00 PM
Thu, May 14
World fusion
Derek Gripper + Alam Khan + Guy Buttery
8:00 PM
Sun, May 10
Country Rock
Jim Messina
8:00 PM
Fri, May 8
Bluegrass
The Brothers Comatose
8:00 PM
Thu, May 7
Alternative Rock
Corked
7:00 PM
Sun, May 3
jazz
Pat Metheny
7:30 PM
Thu, Apr 23
Acoustic Guitar
Tommy Emmanuel + CGP
7:30 PM
Wed, Apr 22
Folk
Drew & Ellie Holcomb
8:00 PM
Mon, Apr 20
lecture
Aziz Abu Sarah + Maoz Inon
7:00 PM
Sat, Apr 18
Tribute
You Should Be Dancing
8:00 PM
Wed, Apr 15
Electronic
Professor Alexie Leauthaud
7:00 PM
Sat, Apr 11
Americana
Paul Thorn + Will Hoge
7:00 PM
Fri, Apr 10
grateful dead tribute
Jerry's Middle Finger
8:00 PM
Sun, Apr 5
folk rock
Richard Thompson
8:00 PM
Mon, Mar 30
singer-songwriter
Nick Lowe
8:00 PM
Sat, Mar 28
Lecture
Andrew McCarthy
7:00 PM
Fri, Mar 27
Comedy
Cristela Alonzo
7:30 PM
Tue, Mar 24
Rock
Jeff Tweedy
7:30 PM
Tue, Mar 10
Electronic
East Forest
8:00 PM