Lensic Performing Arts Center

First time at this theater and here's my honest review. The building and interior were nice and clean and had the old school vibe of yesteryear. Went to see 'Bladerunner' with the musical ensemble playing the soundtrack. Overall a solid 'C' grade, and here's why. - The staff was nice and courteous, but directed us to the wrong seats on our ticket. - Giving the music ensemble applause before they even played showing that their performance was worthy of applause was a bit pretentious. There was lots of gratuitous clapping for unproven performances or doing what was expected of them. - The Santa Fe crowd was a bit snooty. You're in NM, not Malibu, CA, drop the attitude. The First Lady we met was just full of herself. Luckily when we moved to the correct seats, the peeps sitting next to us were more down home friendly and down to earth. - Worst of all were the seats. Old school seats that barely reclined and then we were front row mezzanine and didn't have any leg room at all. We were sitting straight and proper as if a young kid in prep school for the duration of the movie. Horrible seats. - Then the movie looks like it was played in original 1982 format. No, updated remastered version or digital clean up at all. I didn't mind. But if you're charging that much for tickets, then 1. Make sure you let the audience/ticket buyer know or 2. Make the visual worth the cost of the ticket. The music ensemble were actually good and blended seemly in the movie and disapprear. So, as they should be. However, if we had seats in the front row, then their presence would definatey visually impair the movie viewing.

I had a wonderful experience while attending the Complexions show on July 13th. Parking across the street was easy and affordable ($7), and I was warmly welcomed by staff upon arrival. The lobby is beautiful with lots of gorgeois detail, the restrooms were clean, and the venue itself is stunning, there truly isn’t a bad seat in the house. I sat in Row O, which had a bit of extra legroom. The show was phenomenal from start to finish—the dancers were incredibly talented and captivating. While I had a minor issue with parking validation, the staff was helpful and advised me to follow up for a possible refund which I am still waiting to hear back from. Overall, a fantastic night—I’m looking forward to returning for more performances!

Great acoustics, lighting & sound system. It's not your magnificent theater architecture that you'll find in larger cities, but the energy & ambience of the artists & the great folks that run the space ensures a very nice experience! I always enjoy myself at the Lensic & take my students. A vast array of artistry that rivals large cities.

Such a beautiful theatre, inside and out. Hosting a wide range of performances. I've really enjoyed each show I've seen there.

Very kind people and a nice place to enjoy some blues guitar. Great place to enjoy Billy F. Gibbons and the Bfg Band, I recommend this place.

Absolutely gorgeous old venue. Outside is seamlessly integrated into the architecture of Santa Fe and the inside feels regal in an old-style. The house staff, from the tech to the hospitality is all top-notch. A great venue to play!

Not since the magic that was the Paolo Soleri have I experienced anything as beautiful as the Lensic Theatre. So far this year I have attended shows by Jesse Cook, Robert Earle Keene, Billy Gibbons and was looking forward to Dave Mason, unfortunately he had to cancel due to medical reasons. And now ..... In little more than a month..., the mystical, magical Ottmar Liebert +Luna Negra. This will be THE SHOW OF THE YEAR! His music will inspire love in your heart and in your soul. See y'all at the show!

Had a glorious time here seeing Sammy Rae & The Friends as well as Sir Women. Staff was highly polite and conversational with us while waiting patiently for the doors to open. Merch tables were quick and efficient. 10/10 would recommend seeing artists perform here.

Jock Soto was a complete disappointment! The introduction went on WAY too long. Had no idea what they were talking about or what the intention was. It started late and the blessing went on for over twenty minutes!!!!! Was supposed to start at 6pm but didn't start until 45 minutes later.

What an exceptional venue to attend concerts, etc. The theater, first opened in 1931, is beautiful. The staff extraordinary, and the website reservation process smooth and easy to navigate. The wide variety of offerings should have something for everyone. I am looking forward to my next visit.

We are at the Lensic to see Tanya Tucker. The theater is beautiful. My 1st time here at the lensic.

This is the heart of performing arts in Santa Fe. The theater has that beautiful architecture that was popular 50+ years ago. In its infancy, it was a movie theater. I can remember back when going to the movies, the theaters were so luxurious with large entries and sprawling staircases. Lensic reminds me of them. Performances offered are a diverse collection including HipHop, Roseanne Cash and Seth Meyers coming up this last quarter of 2023. And tickets are affordable.

Beautiful theater in the heart of Santa Fe with a busy schedule of performances that features an eclectic mix of music, dance, and theater. The interior, which is wonderfully restored, is worth a visit in itself. The proscenium stage is large enough to accommodate sizable performing groups. The acoustics are good and sight lines are excellent. Definitely worth checking their schedule if you're planning a visit to Santa Fe. Easy walking distance to the Plaza and nearby hotels. If you live or are staying further afield some advance planning/extra time to find parking, particularly in high season, would be a great idea.

I don't think it's coincidental that I'm reviewing a performing arts center for the first time in, I dunno, over three years. Thank you Delta, Alpha and Omicron, you've successfully held me back from enjoying live music for the better part of my forties, effin Rona. I'm still masking, but I'm also finally back, and one of my favorite spots to see an intimate show is the Lensic in Santa Fe. What a gem. The chairs are cushion-ish, lights are low, there's no bad seat in the house however if you're hanging in the balcony, bring binoculars, you'll need 'em for facial expressions. Art and sculpture along the walls recall a Santa Fe of yore -- cathedral bells and adobe flower pots -- and the stage is deep enough to cast a pretty artificial Southwestern glow on the show. Bring cash if yer drinkin', or don't, and be glad you're driving home sober. A terrific venue to tickle your ears.

Whosever Idea it was to serve alcohol to people at these shows should be fired. Let me tell you something: people that drink alcohol at a comedy show will disrupt the show. The security you hired to take care of them was completely absent. The only thing I heard all night was heckling from the 3 people sitting next to me. Eventually myself and the audience heckled them enough to leave an hour and a half into the show. But it was not easy. They were not getting it. So we had to be pretty mean. Which ALSO completely distracted from the experience of the show. By the time we finished I felt like a huge jerk. So I explained this to management after the show, and the wrinkly old bag that was manager that night said she was sorry. And that's about where it ended. There was a time when I really enjoyed the performances here. Back when my school would bring us to the Lensic on field trips. Back when I was probably just as dense as those running the place now. Because I was 7, and couldn't tell the difference between a cozy theater, and a zoo. But now I'm a 25 year old man, and this just doesn't cut it. Save your money folks. And if you do go, take gum.

Does not enforce seating . Buy a seat in the back and just move up. Teenagers can just takeover the entire place and leave no clear view for the cheapest ticket. Informed the staff and nothing happened.

Seating is so cramped! No leg room; I was sitting in a handicapped section and when leaving, my 90 year old mother tripped, trying to get out of the EXTREMELY NARROW isle, the seating is not at all accommodating. The performance was very good but I would not be able to return unless they were to ADD SOME SPACE for leg room. I'm 5'3", I can't imagine how terribly uncomfortable it would be for a tall person! While I was there I over heard a number of people commenting on on the lack of space.

I absolutely love The Lensic Center!!! Went last night to see Arlo Guthrie with Sarah Lee Guthrie. Mid-priced seats are amazing. However, not a bad seat in the house. The sound is good. Even as a short person, I can see the stage. Everyone is very nice. I ordered tickets by phone. Good experience and got tickets within three days. It's a comfortable venue that maintains a cool temperature even when full. Ticket prices remain affordable. Just a treat to go here.

Paid to see America's foremost baritone Thomas Hampson, but Hampson isn't performing and the Lensic refused to issue a refund. It's in the fine print. Box office says, "we think you'll enjoy the concert." It's like an airline sending you to Albuquerque when you've bought a ticket to Santa Fe and saying "we think you'll enjoy Albuquerque."

Beautiful historic building. Seats are a little hard and uncomfortable but acceptable. Recommend seating near to the front, it's a pretty big venue and sound doesn't carry super well. Decent restrooms, no problem with too long waits at intermission. Might want to carry a coat or sweater to wear inside in the winter. I bought tickets to two different things a day apart and wanted to pick them both up the first day but the ticket desk person was totally confused by my request and just gave me the tickets for that night. I went back the next day early and was told to come back just before the performance because the tickets had already been bundled up for someone else to distribute. So if you do 'will call' tix, just plan on picking up just before the performance right at the venue.

The Lensic is the jewel of Santa Fe. Not only an historic and architecturally important structure, it offers the audience fantastic acoustics and comfort. It is a crime to rate this place 2 stars for any reason, including a crying child in the audience. Sometimes life happens. How often does one get to see a fantastic performance in an 80 year old architectural masterpiece that rivals any modern performance hall?

BUYER BEWARE.... At a recent adult concert that we paid a premium price to see, a young child in the balcony cried/yelled the whole time. Although many people were turning to see who was disrupting the show, nothing was done. The ushers turned a "deaf ear" to the unruly child. We left early as the noise disruption (that management chose to ignore) ruined the experience. Very disappointing. I would only recommend kids if the show was targeted at a young audience. Very good acoustics, lovely setting & could be a wonderful experience under the right circumstances.

The Lensic is beautiful and historic. Seeing a live performance at this venue may trump almost any other venue in the entire state. The lensic has a decent full bar for the good events, and everything is usually top notch. However there are a few downsides to some of their scheduled events. 1. If you are going to the Lensic to see spoken word or an author reading, or really anything that will have a large audience, DON'T GET TICKETS FOR THE BALCONY! If it looks like the event will be halfway full, spend the extra money and get a floor seat. The balcony gets exceedingly hot and humid. 2. If it is a film festival event, be aware that many of the other people going will be extremely pushy. And some of these film festival people are the usual people who will run you down with their car in the Trader Joe's parking lot. Also, rich 60+ white women LOVE frequenting these film festival events, and they eat their own children. 3. Parking at the lot across the street will suck a half hour of your time. Park a block away and walk over. 4. There is not a decent audio system for the balcony seats, so if you are hard of hearing, again, pay the extra for the floor seats. 5. The Lensic needs to figure out a better way for book signing situations so all the elderly people who aren't interested in buying or meeting the featured artist can get the hell out of the building, and also there needs to be a way to dissuade Lisa Law from acting like she is god every time there is an event where she barges through obvious lines of people because she has a personal social agenda.

The Lensic is a beautiful establishment. We went to see a tap performance and had balcony seating. Great view, great acoustics. You wouldn't think something like this would be centered in the downtown of a city, but it's a great find. Sometimes the tickets are a bit pricey, but worth checking out.

Saw a great talk here with some friends and it is a beautiful theater. The decor inside is really unique--being an overall newcomer to the Southwest, it was a treat to see it. And--before/after the show, one can wander around the historic Plaza.

The Lensic is a great place to see top notch performances. In fact I think it may be the only place in town to see first rate shows. Want to see a great live show? The Lensic us the only game in town. But beware - all ticket sales are final. No returns, no credits towards another purchase. Unless the performer cancels or there is a death in the family, if your plans change and you can't use your tickets anymore, kiss that money goodbye 'cuz management is not given the $$ back to you. Perhaps mngmt feels because they are the only game and there are so many tourists that they don't need to have good return policies. Or at least fair return policies. The venue is great, but I will think long and hard about purchasing tickets for shows there going forward.

I would give it more stars except for the excessive heat, in December, in the balcony seating. Seats themselves were decent and I like being near the back. Acoustics were good (not too loud), and sight lines were not awful for a short person. But I could feel heat blasting out of hidden vents after I'd climbed the stairs and before I entered the theater. Whoever controls the heat needs to understand that heat rises! Instead they need an air circulation system for the upper level.

Went here to see the symphony one night. Decent sized concert hall, great acoustics. They had a mini-bar serving drinks prior to the show and during intermission, somewhat steeply priced (but what else to expect from a ritzy concert hall). Overall an enjoyable experience.

I'm new to NM and ABQ/SF. This week was my first time at the Lensic, and I was really annoyed that there were no late arrival restrictions to the performances. People streamed in and out like they would at a show at a bar, nightclub, or stadium. It'd be one thing, I guess, if the band performing were loud and rocking, but the first band I saw was a mellow singer-songwriter group. It was super distracting to have people walking up and down the aisles and finding their seats in the dark in the middle of songs. Some of the ushers also talked together during quiet songs. Where I'm from such level of disruption is considered rude to the ticket-paying audience members and to the performers. I realize things happen and people run a little late. It's fine, imo, if latecomers get seated during the first song or two - but after that, unless it's a special circumstance, doors should stay shut. I'm reluctant to see a show at the Lensic again. Or maybe the night I went was a one-off? Other than that the sound and sight lines were good (I can't speak for the balcony.) Also, the Lensic is the only theater I've ever been to where there was no line for the women's restroom but there was a long line for the men's. :)

I love the Lensic! Cool building, eclectic and wide variety of shows, and accessible to many. Yay!

This is an extremely beautiful old theater. Very classy, with great architecture, interior and very comfortable seating. A great place to see a concert, hear music or lectures. I would highly recommend it.

Why is the line for the men's always linger than for the women's? Nice touch being able to order intermission before program starts..

We had an extremely enjoyable evening at The Lensic watching a Live at the Met performance of Nabucco. The seats were great, the staff were very friendly and helpful and its a great cause.

Just saw/heard Terrence Blanchard at the Lensic. Absolutely fantastic!

Just checked out the Santa Fe Symphony, and really enjoyed it. Nice building. Nice acoustics.