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If you want a night out in Palo Alto that feels bigger than the town, start with the Stanford Live calendar. The university's performing arts presenter brings orchestras, pianists, jazz bands, dancers, comedians and touring theater to campus through most of the year. It runs one of the best concert halls on the West Coast, a cabaret room underneath it and the 8,000-capacity Frost Amphitheater. Tickets are open to anyone.
This page explains what Stanford Live is, how its 2026 to 2027 season is shaping up, which venue is which and how to buy tickets. Every show named here comes from Stanford Live's own published calendar as of late October 2026. Dates can change, so confirm on live.stanford.edu before you go.
Who Stanford Live is
Stanford Live describes its mission as presenting a wide range of the finest performances from around the world and connecting them to the university's ideas and research. It says it presents more than 100 performances each year across music, dance and theater. Iris Nemani has led the organization as the McMurtry Family Director since April 2024, after more than 35 years in arts programming, including as chief programming officer at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre.
Stanford Live also works with campus partners. The Department of Music, the Department of Theater and Performance Studies and other units list some of their own events through its site and Stanford Live runs programs for Stanford students and for K-12 schools. Guest curators shape parts of the season, including a comedy series and a classical music series.
The venues
| Venue | Size | What plays there |
|---|---|---|
| Bing Concert Hall | 842 seats in vineyard terraces | Orchestras, recitals, jazz, global music, large dance and family shows |
| The Studio (Bing Studio) | Up to about 300 standing, 160 at cabaret tables | Comedy, jazz and blues, folk, spoken word, small theater |
| Memorial Auditorium | About 1,700 seats | Big dance companies and touring productions |
| Memorial Church | Historic church | Choral concerts, including the annual Chanticleer holiday show |
| Frost Amphitheater | About 8,000 | Outdoor concerts, mainly late spring to early fall |
Bing Concert Hall and The Studio
Bing Concert Hall opened in January 2013. Its 842 seats rise in terraces around the stage and Stanford Live says every seat is within 75 feet of the conductor. The Studio sits underground on the hall's north side and changes shape for each show, from cabaret tables to rows of seats to a standing club. Both share the ticket office and main entrance at 327 Lasuen Street.
Memorial Auditorium
For productions too big for Bing, Stanford Live uses Memorial Auditorium on Jane Stanford Way, across from Hoover Tower. Stanford Live calls it the largest indoor facility on campus designed for regular performance use. This season it hosts three major dance and drum events.
Frost Amphitheater
Frost Amphitheater opened in 1937 and reopened after a major renovation in 2019. Stanford Live and its partner Goldenvoice present about 20 large concerts there a year and the venue also hosts commencement, student festivals and the Stanford Live Arts Festival with partners such as SFJAZZ, the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Ballet. The indoor season calendar does not list Frost dates; outdoor lineups are announced through the year.
The 2026 to 2027 season
The season's theme is America at 250. Stanford Live says it is highlighting composers and performers who arrived in the United States from elsewhere and built their creative lives here. Below is a selection from the published calendar.
Fall 2026
- November 4: Guitarist Raphaël Feuillâtre, Latin Passions, Bing Concert Hall.
- November 8: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, Bing.
- November 11 to 15: Bob Marley: How Reggae Changed the World, featuring Duane Forrest, The Studio.
- November 18: Soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen in recital, Bing.
- December 6: Hélène Grimaud piano recital, Bing.
- December 9: Canadian Brass, Making Spirits Bright, Bing.
- December 10: A Chanticleer Christmas, Memorial Church.
- December 13: A Christmas Show with Camila Fernández, Bing.
Winter 2027
- January 20: Kodo: LUMINANCE, the Japanese taiko ensemble, Memorial Auditorium.
- January 30: The Surge: An Ode to Sinéad O'Connor, directed and choreographed by Sonya Tayeh, Memorial Auditorium.
- February 20: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Bing.
- March 13: Stanley Clarke and Hiromi with the PUBLIQuartet, Bing.
- March 17: I AM by Camille A. Brown and Dancers, Memorial Auditorium.
Spring 2027
- April 14: TREES, a live documentary by Sam Green with Rebecca Solnit, featuring Sō Percussion, Bing.
- April 22: Ten Thousand Hours by the Australian circus troupe Gravity and Other Myths, Bing.
- May 5: Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, Bing.
- May 9: The Verona Quartet, Bing.
The Studio has its own rhythm. The Hysterical comedy series brings stand-up comics on selected Friday nights, usually with shows at 7 and 9 p.m. Jazz, folk, a piano bar night and poetry readings fill other weekends. For holiday picks, see our guide to the holiday season in Palo Alto.
Series to follow
Several threads run through the season, which helps if you want to plan more than one night:
- Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale: Three programs at Bing, including Handel's The Power of Music on November 11, Vivaldi and the Oud on February 7 and Haydn's The Creation on April 11.
- Vocal recitals: The Drs. Ben and A. Jess Shenson Recital Series brings Rachel Willis-Sørensen on November 18 and mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb on February 24.
- String quartets: The St. Lawrence Legacy Series includes the Balourdet and Terra quartets on January 24 and the Verona Quartet on May 9.
- Guitar: A run of guitar programs includes Yasmin Williams in The Studio on November 7, International Guitar Night at Bing on February 21 and Jack West with James Nash in The Studio on April 3.
- Partnerships: Pianist Gilles Vonsattel plays Bing on April 18 in partnership with Music@Menlo.
Buying tickets
- Online at live.stanford.edu, with an order fee.
- By phone through the ticket office at 650.724.2464.
- In person at the ticket office inside Bing Concert Hall, 327 Lasuen Street, Tuesday to Friday from noon to 5 p.m. In-person purchases skip the online order fee.
The ticket office closes on New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. It also closes during the campus-wide closure between fall and winter quarters. Members get 12 months of benefits including presales and ticket exchanges. Stanford students can get free and discounted tickets to many shows.
Buy only through Stanford Live or the links it provides. The ticket office says it will not replace tickets bought through eBay, Craigslist, StubHub or other secondary markets and cannot guarantee entry with them. Frost is the exception to the single-seller rule: many Goldenvoice concerts there are sold through AXS, with AXS fees and no exchanges.
On the night
- Lobby and will call open 60 minutes before the performance. Bring photo ID to pick up tickets.
- Doors open 30 minutes before curtain.
- Late seating happens at a break chosen by the artists and some shows allow none. Stanford Live recommends arriving at least 30 minutes early.
- Parking: Stanford Live says metered and lettered campus zones are free on weekdays after 4 p.m. and all day on weekends. Our Stanford parking and transit guide has the details.
- Caltrain: Bing and Frost are about a 20 minute walk from the Palo Alto station.
Make an evening of it
- Arrive early and walk the free Rodin Sculpture Garden, which never closes.
- Book dinner downtown with time to spare. Our fine dining guide lists the top tables.
- For more music around town, see live music in Palo Alto.
Frequently asked questions
What is Stanford Live?
Stanford Live is Stanford University's performing arts presenter. It books more than 100 performances a year across classical music, jazz, global music, dance, theater, comedy and spoken word, with its home at Bing Concert Hall, The Studio and Frost Amphitheater.
Where is the Stanford Live box office?
The ticket office is inside Bing Concert Hall at 327 Lasuen Street on the Stanford campus. Stanford Live lists it as open Tuesday to Friday from noon to 5 p.m., closed on major holidays and during the university's winter closure.
Can anyone buy Stanford Live tickets?
Yes. Stanford Live performances are open to the public and you do not need any Stanford connection. Members get presale access and Stanford students get free and discounted tickets to many shows.
Does Stanford Live sell Frost Amphitheater tickets?
Stanford Live lists Frost shows on its website, but many large concerts presented with Goldenvoice are sold through AXS with AXS fees. Always start from the Stanford Live site to find the official link.
What time should I arrive for a Stanford Live show?
The lobby and will call open 60 minutes before the performance and hall doors open 30 minutes before. Stanford Live recommends arriving at least 30 minutes early to park and find your seat, since late seating depends on the artists.