What to Know
- The Lobero Theatre opened in 1873 as Jose Lobero's Opera House and was rebuilt just over a half-century later, in 1924
- It's billed as "California's oldest, continuously operating theatre"
- Upcoming shows include Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and An Evening With John Oates
SESQUICENTENNIALS APLENTY: We don't often get the opportunity to wish a local landmark a very happy 150th birthday, but that cheerful chance came around in 2022 when Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara marked that very impressive milestone. But a short jaunt away from ocean-adjacent icon sat another notable longtimer, a place that was also coming up on its own celebratory sesquicentennial. It's the Lobero Theatre, founded as José Lobero's Opera House in 1873, and it is marking its splashy century-plus-a-half-century moment on Feb. 22, 2023.
"SECOND OPERA HOUSE IN CALIFORNIA": This striking structure, deemed the "cultural heart" of Santa Barbara, makes plenty of "oldest" lists, or at least those rosters that detail destinations that have grandly weathered the decades, or, in the case of the Lobero, the centuries. Acclaimed artists such as Marian Anderson, Martha Graham, and Boris Karloff all graced its stage, while today? The theater hosts a bevy of lauded performers — Jack Johnson is playing the anniversary show on Feb. 21 — and continues to stand as a vibrant nexus in the theater-loving American Riviera. The Lobero's lore even extends to the places found off-stage, too: It's said to be haunted, for tales have regularly emerged of dearly departed thespians who chose to stay on, even after their engagement concluded.
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LOVING THE LOBERO: Want to get to know this eminent hub of music, performance, and more? The Ovation Series, which honors the Lobero's 15 fabulous decades, is a great place to start.
