Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium

Dedicated over 70 years ago in downtown Santa Cruz, the Civic Auditorium remains a major pillar of the Santa Cruz Community.

On alternate occasions since opening day, the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium has been a concert hall, sports arena, theater, ice skating rink, town hall, convention center, exhibition hall, dance hall, sound stage, banquet room, ceremonial hall, movie theater, Red Cross shelter, graduation hall and more.

The Civics’ seventy-plus years of service have reflected the growth and change in our community and in the world at large. To unravel the thread of Auditorium history is to journey a civic and cultural timeline of the latter half of the twentieth century.

The Civic has hosted Eleanor Rosevelt, H.H. Dalai Lama, Coretta Scott King, Gloria Steinem, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley & the Wailers, and Bonnie Raitt to name just a few. The building is home to the nationally recognized Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, the Santa Cruz County Symphony, and the Santa Cruz Follies benefiting senior programs. Sporting events include the Santa Cruz Derby Girls, Dad's Club and the U.S. Open Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tournament.

There’s more to come…