Are you in Salt Lake City and looking for something to do this weekend, or want to be inspired and entertained? Look no further.
The Salt Lake County Arts and Culture website glowingly claims that “since its earliest days, Utah’s citizens have made arts and culture an integral part of our lives and our thriving community.”
Ever since pioneers arrived in the area in the mid-1800s, they were putting on plays and building centers for the arts, including the Social Hall and the Salt Lake Theatre, according to the Deseret News.
“Utah territorial governor Brigham Young once said if he were stranded on a ‘cannibal island’ and challenged to bring civilization to the natives, he would build a theater,” according to a previous Deseret News article.
This integral part that the arts has played in Utah communities can be seen in a 2016 National Endowment for the Arts report and 2015 poll that indicated that Utah leads the nation in performing arts attendance.
And thanks to the effort of these early and modern Utah citizens, Salt Lake has venues for everyone.
Abravanel Hall

Home of the Utah Symphony, Abravanel Hall was constructed from the imaginations of Maurice Abravanel, O.C. Tanner and Jack Gallivan and has become a “landmark embodying superb musical performance,” according to visitsaltlake.com. The site describes how every detail was considered to create this lavishly decorated and acoustically engineered hall, “built especially to balance pitch-perfect acoustics with visual magic.”
Since 1979, it has housed works by world-class composers like Sergei Rachmaninoff, Niccoló Paganini and George Gershwin, performed by world-class classical musicians. This includes regular performances by the Utah Symphony, guest artists, film events accompanied by the symphony and seasonal concerts for the holidays.
Salt Lake Film Society’s Broadway Centre Cinemas and Tower Theatre


Providing access to independent and international films and documentaries is the mission of the the Salt Lake Film Society. Broadway Centre Cinemas and Tower Theatre are both local vaults operated by the society.
Prepare to be more than entertained when you visit.
When a sibling duo founded the SLFS in 2001, which later became a 501c3 nonprofit, they set out to provide “access to a diversity of film that went beyond the Hollywood mainstream and reflected the lives and cultures of everyone in our society,” as described by the group’s site.
And while you’re there, you can stop by their artisan snack bar.
Whether you’re looking for a dramatic depiction of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery, a comedic, yet touching story set in Nazi Germany or a look into the inner turmoil of a Spanish film director, Salt Lake Film Society theaters provide an a-typical theater experience for those looking to be educated, informed and, yes, still incredibly entertained.
Eccles Theater

There’s something for everyone in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City at the Eccles Theater. Ballet, musicals, drama, comedy, lectures and music all flourish at this performing arts and rental venue, according to artsaltlake.org. Since it opened in 2016, the Eccles Theater has received “unprecedented attendance,” according to the site, and seen the likes of Lindsey Stirling, Huey Lewis and Tim Allen, along with crowd favorites like “Hamilton” and “Wicked.”
More information on the Eccles Theater can be found on visitsaltlake.com.
Capitol Theatre

Originally known as the Orpheum Theater, the Capitol Theatre has been described as a landmark as it has served the Salt Lake arts community for over 100 years. Capitol Theatre is another diverse spot for performing arts, but with a generations-long draw from visitors. Dance, opera, music, vaudeville and film lovers will be served at this historic gem, according to visitsaltlake.com.
Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center

If you’re still looking for more access to performances in Salt Lake, have no fear. With three theaters, ongoing art installations and a rotating art gallery, the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center has become home to local dance companies and artists, according to visitsaltlake.com. Since 1997, dance, music and drama have come together at this venue to a create a well-rounded hub for entertainment
Utah Museum of Fine Arts



Experience a “breadth and depth of human history and creativity” at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts at the University of Utah. Visitors to UMFA experience a global perspective of fine art, which makes the museum the only in the region to collect and maintain a collection of this diversity, according to the UMFA website.
Further, the site proudly shares that since its beginning in 1914, the museum has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and was declared the state’s fine arts museum by the Utah State Legislature.
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art

Contemporary aesthetics and issues come together at this “cultural powerhouse” of a museum. Utah Museum of Contemporary Art strives to educate and raise awareness of issues through art, specifically in the style and context of modern times. UMOCA is perfect for those who prefer an innovative, modernly evocative style of painting, installation and sculpture, which can be previewed on the UMOCA website.
Urban Arts Gallery
Conveniently located at The Gateway in downtown Salt Lake, the Urban Arts Gallery houses work by over 100 artists in and around Utah. This “broad spectrum” of artists exhibit styles in street and modern art and encourages diversity, according to the Urban Arts Gallery “About” page. The UAG, as well as the Urban Arts Festival, are sponsored by the Utah Arts Alliance.

Hope Gallery

Father-son duo Soren and Thomas Edsberg bring 19th-century art to this corner of the Intermountain West. Danish-born Soren arrived in Utah 20 years ago as an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University and has since established this haven for 19th-century paintings, etchings, engravings and watercolors, especially those of Scandinavian origin.
The State Room
Lovers of live music in an intimate setting (299-person capacity) can visit The State Room. Its site indicates that it has been “voted Salt Lake’s best live music venue” by City Weekly. This 21+ venue has been serving rock and roll, R&B, indie folk and pop fans alike since 2009.
The Depot

Adjacent to the historic Union Pacific Depot, the Depot live music venue has become “the premier venue for national touring acts,” according to the Depot website. It is a 1,200-capacity, four-story venue which invites old and new favorites like B.B. King, Robert Plant, Brockhampton and Cody Jinks to share their talents with Salt Lake City.
Kilby Court

Interact with your favorite artists at this “DIY, garage rock atmosphere” venue. As Salt Lake City’s longest-running all-ages venue, according to the location’s website, Kilby Court invites music fans to experience their backyard style concert experience, which has been a “springboard stage for beginning local and touring artists” since its opening. Past visitors have recounted that they saw the Head and the Heart, Macklemore, and Kishi Bashi at Kilby Court when they were still just up-and-coming artists.
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square

Home of the world-famous Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, the Tabernacle Choir stands as a 152-year-old relic of religious history and musical excellence in Salt Lake. For 90 years and counting, the Tabernacle Choir has performed its weekly public show/radio broadcast “Music and the Spoken Word” every Sunday morning, becoming the “longest continuous broadcast on the air.” And every Thursday, the Tabernacle Choir rehearsals are also open to the public in this historic tabernacle, which is so “acoustically sensitive” that a pin dropped at the pulpit can be heard from the back of the room, according to the Tabernacle website. To learn more about Tabernacle Choir performances, you can visit the site.