I've been to this venue a few times but most recently for a TV show taping and red carpet event. It's conveniently located near several parking garages and across from the antique mall and next to an indoor ice skating rink. It's handicap accessible and has beautiful architecture. Lots of art shows held around here. Great venue but could offer more outdoor benches. read more

Pasadena Civic Auditorium - America's Got Talent taping - Event Planning & Services Near Me - Pasadena, California

The Pasadena Civic is one of the oldest auditorium venue in LA. 84 years old and still in very good shape. Beautiful inside and is a truly a gem. The format is similar to Pasadena playhouse but much bigger. Many shows were perform over the year here. Not many people remember that Michael Jackson Moonwalk debut is in here ! Parking is about $12 and is pricey, I suggest you go park other place nearby can be half the cost or even free. Paseo across the street is $9 daily rate vs $12, but you can find many street parking. The layout is simple and is easy to find your seat. To get to the balcony is like going to the third floor, the second floor it seem use for the performer or vip. read more

See all

Omgoodness Johnny Mathis is amazing!!!!! Why is this not multiple nights even over a month or something????? The comedian was stellar! But what an honor to see Mr. Johnny Mathis!!!! Absolutely amazing! It's so sold out I'm stoked to have a proper intermission: just enough time to use the restroom to refresh and then look for a drink! Second half , here I come!!!wish I could share this with my husband and friends and my mom. An amazing orchestra and band! Played so many great songs all hits! Even a Mancini in there. What a true artist to give the story and love surrounding the music! read more

Beautiful auditorium for events that can accommodate more than enough people for any size. I came here years ago for my brother's graduation (from Western University. Western University always holds their graduations at this auditorium) and my family and his friends were able to sit on the 1st floor, very close to the stage (have to come early to get good seats). Seating is stadium style and padded. The sound system provided enough sound for anyone (even in the way back on the 2nd floor) to hear the ceremony. The projector screen was large enough for anyone to see it as well. The a/c worked just beautifully, especially in a big room like this, you don't want the a/c system to fail. Parking wise, there are several lots that you could park at (various prices... the further away you are, the less you will pay). The most convenient parking lot is at the Paso Mall (which is right across the street... you can get a 90 minute validation from any of the stores at the mall. And just to let you know that Brookstone validates w/o a purchase). There are also plenty of excellent restaurants to choose from as well, after the event you attend here. read more

The historic and grand Pasadena Civic Auditorium...it has hosted the Emmy's, People's Choice, American Idol and most recently the 2013 Miss CA USA/Teen USA Pageant, for which I was fortunate enough to be chosen as a backstage Makeup Artist this weekend. Staff was very accommodating when I asked where the "Glam Squad" was supposed to meet and they pointed me in the right direction and handed me a complimentary bottle of water. Nice touch! The Glam Squad: http://s605.beta.photobucket.com/user/makeupndesign/media/Miss%20CA%20USA%20and%20Miss%20Teen%20CA%20USA%20Glam%20Squad/MISSca_zps62ad3ad2.jpg.html#/user/makeupndesign/media/Miss%20CA%20USA%20and%20Miss%20Teen%20CA%20USA%20Glam%20Squad/MISSca_zps62ad3ad2.jpg.html?&_suid=136035967937508534234560829328 The theatre itself is quite majestic, architecturally speaking, acoustics okay but seating a bit cramped. However, I feel no matter where you sit in this venue, you will have a great concert viewing experience. I would definitely love to return to watch another show here the next time I am in the area. There is ample parking, at a price of course. You can park across the street in the mall parking lot or the one adjoining the auditorium. I believe the theatre had undergone some renovations a few years prior. And from what I've seen in trying to navigate through the catacomb-like paths to the dressing rooms backstage, I would say they may want to continue the renovating throughout the auditorium, including the backstage area. Believe me when I tell you it really was built back in 1931. I know the audience doesn't see all that but I swore the ceiling would come crashing down on me any minute from the looks of the peeled paint, cracks and water stains that lined the edges of the walls. Just an observation. I usually visit the adjoining convention center. It's a newer, more modern venue and hosts IMATS yearly, the International Makeup Artist Trade Show. I go ever year to stock up product, enjoy the makeup shows and learn new makeup techniques. But I love the old historic charm of the auditorium if I'm comparing the two. Side note: the girls were super sweet amidst the crazy chaos; the only downside was me getting the lovely task of covering up a tattoo near one of my girl's ladies parts. Ah, the joys of being a Makeup Artist...reduced to covering a crotch tat. Perhaps if I was a straight male it would've been more of an enjoyable experience. Just sayin. read more

Needs restrooms. Badly. Don't drink anything before the concert/show or you will miss it. Too bad, because otherwise, a really cool venue.

I found a $5 parking lot in the area. The hall seats too many people. The auditorium is supposedly green, in that it takes very little energy to operate. Very bright, white, and massive. read more

Huge hall great for commencement! There are many parking garages near by, most of them charge a flat daily rate of about $10, although a few blocks away you can park for about $6-7 flat daily rate. Best part about this location is that it's walking distance to Colorado street where all the best eateries are located. read more

See all

We went American Got Talent show here. It's a great theatre for this kind of show. Not easy to find free parking space around the auditorium so you might have to park further away and walk back to the hall. read more

See all

Went here for a taping of America's Got Talent. Very nice auditorium with comfortable seats. Free chilled water and cups were available in the lobby. Mens room is to the left up the first set of stairs. Women's room is to the right up the first set of stairs. Pro tip - in the men's room, you will walk past a set of stalls and urinals. Walk by them and wind around to the left, and you will see another set of stalls and urinals. Most people won't walk that far, so you can poop in peace. read more

Saw the Nutcracker last night and was very happy. My first time in the PCA. I realy liked the seats, more comfortle sitting than Pantages. Overall for the Nutcracker the LB company did a wonderful job and the music composed ws great. read more

Pasadena Civic Auditorium - Event Planning & Services Near Me - Pasadena, California

Such a very nice auditorium. Very clean and well kept with excellent staff that is there to help you out with a friendly smile. Came here for the taping of America's got talent. It was a very awesome experience for my wife and I. Never been to a show taping or the Pasadena civic center. We were very impressed and had a wonderful night out. read more

Pasadena Civic Auditorium - The stage - Event Planning & Services Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

Close enough for small conferences. I liked the location and the closeness when I attended my annual regional conference. All within walking distance. Good restaurants in the area. read more

Easy to get to, all the seats would be good seats. The theater isn't that big. Attended a kpop concert here- Red Velvet. Sounded good. The people working there kept a close eye on people, not many food options. Small refreshment area upstairs. Would attend other events here in the future read more

Pasadena Civic Auditorium - Event Planning & Services Near Me - Pasadena, California

I visited the Pasadena Civic Auditorium to see a spin-off production of Beauty and the Beast. While the theater itself is very nice, its foyer and restroom are much too small. The line for the restroom was extremely long; patrons would certainly benefit from additional stalls. Additionally, because the women's restroom is located right off the stairs, it was absolute chaos during intermission when tons of people were coming down the stairs. The foyer is so small that it is difficult to walk just from one side to the other and it is near impossible to make it to the concession stand because everyone is tightly crowded into the small foyer. I would probably not return here because dealing with the crowds was too hectic. I would not recommend this venue to anyone with anxiety or claustrophobia issues. read more

Beautiful building. They had many American Idol Auditions here. =) read more

This is a really nice center for events and tv show recordings. I was here for America's Got Talents taping and what a fun experience it was! Upon arrival the building was nice from the outside and it was equally nice on the inside. The space was big but intimate. If your coming here and looking for parking, here is a life saving tip!! There is a free parking garage around the corner. I can't say where otherwise there would never be free parking, but arrive 15 minutes early and search the four blocks of the venue and you will find it ;) (This Has Been a Yelp Exclusive brought you you by Reva B!) Hope you enjoy this place as much as I did! One last (tip) free parking validation if you park in the garage and eat at a restaurant or shop at a store :) read more

Pasadena Civic Auditorium - My first booking for Americans Got Talent!! - Event Planning & Services Near Me - Pasadena, California

The last time I watch a concert here was last year. Spring 2019. This is a very grand place. I hope everything will go back to normal so we can watch here again. Parking read more

Park on the Paseo Mall and no need validation. If you're here for a concert or show, the best way is to park on the structure in the Paseo Colorado Parking structure on Marengo. $9 max with no validation!! It's not a far and is walking distance!! It's a nice environment to listen or see a show. It's my first time inside and it is amazing. Staffs are very nice and friendly. Shall be back soon!! read more

Pros: Love the architecture of the building, great performance of Long Beach Ballet Nutracker , My niece and nephew enjoyed the show Cons: Nada read more

Pasadena Civic Auditorium - Event Planning & Services Near Me - Pasadena, California

This is an older venue and could use some up keep. But the service was superb. Very professional staff,security needs to be more active there was a young girl who kept making a scene at door 3 around rows FF trying to fight an older women and none of us could figure out,why security would escort her out and,she returned over 3X before finally being not allowed to return. This was highly disturbing because we could not hear the show. read more

See all

Just visited the Pasadena auditorium today for The Eckhart and Marianne Talk. The talk was great, but the ushers were a bit unaware of the point of the talk. One usher kept walking up and down flashing his light being disruptive because some people were taking pictures. The whole talk was live stream ! . What is the problem I'm taking pictures? I did not appreciate him flashing the light up and down. This really made my ego come and I was a bit upset because I was trying my hardest to stay in tune with the massage of the talk, but this guy really disrupted a part of the talk for me. I think the ushers need costumer service training for this type of event. read more

I used to hit up the civic back in the day when they had free comic book convention month. It was pretty lame by today's standards, but they always had great prices. I was a here a couple of years ago for several of the IMATS shows, and have been here for a convention or two. They filmed Red Dragon here for the opening sequence. I went to a Whole Foods hiring event a couple of years ago. That was a spectacle, because lots of homeless, druggies were in line hoping to get a gig. Scary stuff. That's all I got. read more

I've been to Pas Civic for a few events over the years, but most recently our church did Easter services there so I spent a little more time in the building than previously. It's a really great mid-sized venue. I'm guessing it was built in the 1920's as the outside facade is stylized in the Spanish Revival movement and it's a very attractive building. Great details even on the side of the auditorium where the stage entrances are. The lobby is fairly long but narrow which is typical of theaters from this time and the auditorium itself can seat around 3000 people. I'm not sure if much of the inside is original as I touched the walls (strange habit I have when I'm in buildings to feel textures) and most of the mouldings on the walls are just part of the wallpaper which was fairly disappointing, but from far away, it does look nice. As does the ceiling for the auditorium. The stage is a tad bit small, but for the Easter services, it worked fine. Just seemed the musicians were bunched together across the stage and the choir was way in the back. Sound was great. Talked to several people sitting in different areas who said the mix was good. When having an event in the center, they provide a unionized staff who runs audio/visual equipment. Backstage, it is apparent that this center is quite old! The hallways and doorways are really narrow and the ceiling is probably only 7 feet high. It's also a bit of a labyrinth of hallways and staircases trying to figure out where you are going but as I'm not sure how often I will get the chance to go backstage here, I took the opportunity to explore. The Pas Civic is located across the street from the Paseo mall so you can park in that parking structure as the parking at the Civic center is pretty pricy. It's also a short walk from Colorado and Fairoaks so there's many 90 minutes free parking, or metered parking on the street. Just remember that Green street is one way! read more

Let me begin by saying that this review is for the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra, not for the auditorium itself. I have been coming to listen to the Pasadena Symphony for a little over ten years now. My first time here was for a performance of Sergei Prokofiev's Sixth Symphony. What a fine concert that was! What makes the orchestra special is not the orchestra itself which, quite frankly, is not quite on the level of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. What keeps me coming back is the rather adventurous programming. The fact that I mentioned that this orchestra played Prokofiev's Sixth Symphony should mean something to somebody with taste. This orchestra will play all sorts of works by lesser known composers like Martinu, Nielsen, Revueltas, and so on. It is refreshing to see an orchestra dedicated to familiarizing their audience with works that deserve wider fame. Certainly the Pasadena Symphony will play its share of all Beethoven or Mozart programs. But they are also not afraid of playing thornier or more obscure works as well. I also enjoy hearing the work of Jorge Mester, a fine conductor. I have enjoyed for many years Mester's recordings of works by Penderecki, Husa, Martin, et al. Surely it is from him that this orchestra's flair for programming stems. I am very happy that we should have such a fine organization like the Pasadena Symphony - an organization dedicated to the dissemination of fine music - in our neighborhood. Happy 80th anniversary! read more

A lot of fun to work at. The tech crew is always a fun and lively bunch to work with. Came here to help facilitate Stan Lai's tour of The Village in early 2011. We had to hang two projector screens through the catwalks above the stage and the crew was able to easily suspend it via stage rope. I highly recommend this venue for your next theater production. The exterior looks very modern and the interior seats were always kept very clean. read more

This was such a cool venue. We watch a taping of America's got talent last week, a really cool atmosphere. Not a bad seat in the house. I'd like to see more shows there in the future read more

first to review. OKAY OKAY, lol so i just thought of this place because this past weekend for the International Makeup Artist Tradeshow. It's undergoing tons of construction for modernizations and additions but it needed praise simply because i had the same parking spot 2 days in a row, right across the way from the main entrance, so theres my rave, as for the convention center, it's looking good these days. Tons of security, which i prefer, for the maniacs, but it is pasadena, so i don't expect much to happen in DENA. hmmm so yeah, the powerful airconditioning this weekend at the convention center gets 2-thumbs up in this hott hott heat!.....and 1k dollars later i left. but oh the fun i had :)...can't wait to get home and set up all my new goodies :) read more

I was here for my first ever Kpop concert, Redmare. I'm so glad I got to experience Red Velvet in person. They are so gorgeous. (I don't even like concerts, but this one I thoroughly enjoyed.) Originally this concert was for one day on Friday, but the demand was so popular and overwhelming that they opened a second show which was on a Thursday. So...I guess I was here for the first day. This place got packed. It was a full house. It's a pretty small venue space that can fit quite a bit of people. The outside doesn't look so large so it's not very intimidating and you can't get lost here, there's just no way. There are multiple entrance ways. There's an upstairs (where the bathrooms are at) and downstairs. Seating is comfortable, you can see the stage very clearly as long as someone super tall isn't sitting in front of you. There is security that scans you for forbidden objects. No drinks, wallets with chains, knives, etc. The experience itself was surreal. Even though the venue space wasn't big I loved it, it made for an intimate evening. Everything was perfect. Oddly I wasn't too excited mid-days before the concert, but on the day of I was anticipating it. I didn't think I would have a good time but I did (I don't really like large crowds and concerts, I'm an introvert). I knew all the songs they played and the performances and interludes were adorable and on point. My only regret is not getting a t-shirt from the venue when I should've bought it when it was on sale...$35 for a t-shirt would've meant memories too. Until next time. TL;DR Come here early to avoid long lines. Try to find street parking. Don't bring unnecessary metal objects that can potentially cause harm. Buy merchandise next time so you can fondly look back at this moment and remember Red Velvet. read more

My family and I saw a musical on a Saturday evening (for Mother's Day). The parking closest to the auditorium costed $10, so we parked in that DREADED, HARD-TO-FIND-PARKING SPOT called the Pasadena Paseo garage for $6. I cringe whenever I have to park in the Paseo's garage because I know it's going to cost me about 20 minutes of driving time trying to locate a spot closer to the location of the venue/store that I'm heading to. The auditorium has been undergoing construction expansion for at least 6 months. The construction won't be completed until Spring 2009. The existing auditorium is well maintained on the interior and exterior. There is an elevator on the right side of the auditorium that takes patrons to the 2nd floor and the executive offices. There aren't any "facilities" on the 2nd floor. There was a really LONG line downstairs for ladies waiting to use the "facilities" which was a problem because intermission was about 20 minutes. Fortunately, one of the ushers told us about and pointed us to use the handicapped "facilities" so that we could get back to our seats before the second act began. Outside the theatre there were several concession stands where patrons could buy coffee, chips and some sweet stuff like pastries. My hubby noticed that the orchestra used a lot of computer equipment to fill in for the "missing" musical instruments during the performance. Our seats were smaller than what you would typically find in a movie theatre so it was somewhat uncomfortable seating and you had to do the "tiptoe through the tulips" side walk to get past the patrons to exit the row. Another positive, my youngest and I discovered that the auditorium has/had a free WiFi hotspot and used our WiFi enabled phones to find out what restaurants would still be open after the evening performance. Overall, my youngest and i enjoyed the musical and plan on seeing it on the big screen in July. read more

Security is horribly slow. They need to get new equipment that you can walk through for faster screenings. Currently, they hand wand every person coming in and it takes forever and ruins the experience. read more

To quote my husband, "that was one of the worst nights I've had in a long time." This venue is so incredibly unorganized and poorly planned that it completely sucks the fun out of any night. The longest lines for any venue. Ever. Excruciatingly long lines curling, Disneyland-style, outside and spilling onto the street; an hour's wait to get a single drink. And we were there EARLY. Never setting foot in this venue again. read more

Great venue in general but if you're going to have parking for a big event, you can SAVE time but having people PAY in the beginning, ESPECIALLY if it is a flat rate. It took almost an hour to get out of parking because we had to pay afterwards. There has gotta be a more effective way for the parking there. read more

I love this auditorium. SO GORGEOUS! I go here for the Pasadena Speakers Series, which is great. You should check it out for great, intellectual lectures! The auditorium itself has good acoustics and I have no problem seeing from where we sit in the mid back area of the orchestra seats. read more

Love this venue. Went and saw Bill Cosby here. Got great 3rd row seats. Plenty of parking in the area. Many nearby stores and restaurtants to spend your time if you decide to arrive early and hang out before a show. read more

Nice venue, parking alittle pricey. Close to Old Town and a nice walk before your show. read more

This review is solely based upon the Filipino-American Symphony Orchestra (FASO) performance at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and not so much about the venue itself. If you are Filipino or know any Filipinos, you already know that we are a loud rambunctious people. This stereotype holds true even during formal classical concerts. I'm not against doing whatever feels comfortable, but there is a time and a place for everything. The mostly Filipino crowd exercised horrible concert etiquette that would make any true orchestra enthusiast cringe. Blatant cell phone use, unbelievable amount of useless chatter, and the eating of homemade snacks during the performance. WTF. In true Filipino fashion, many of the guests were late and were arriving in large parties in between movements and during the performance. Those damn ushers need to do a better job of crowd control because they failed to prevent the onslaught of late guests that could not find their seats in the dark. This was very distracting and ruined the experience of many guests that chose to arrive on time before the performance began. Some people were talking and having full conversations in the middle of a Mozart aria and at times in between movements, it sounded like a crowded restaurant. The lady behind me was attempting to sing along and match note for note the professional soprano on stage and was failing horribly. People paid good money to observe a professional singer hit impossibly high notes, not to hear a voice that sounds like a dying parrot. If you want to sing, please save it for the shower. If say, Michael Tilson Thomas conducted tonight's performance, he would have hung himself on the stage. It was that bad. But I expect nothing less from my people and I have grown to accept the beauty of our imperfections. I'm not trying to sound like a crazy librarian, but proper concert etiquette should be observed purely out of respect for the hard work of the orchestra and it's conductor. It's that simple. And for some reason, when there is a convergence of old ladies (no matter what race), the air tends to smell of baby powder and strong cheap perfume. It is a distinct pungent smell that I have never gotten accustomed to. It makes me dizzy and reminds me of visiting convalescent homes and going to church. Not that I do either of those things these days. The night was capped off with a live performance by Filipino singing sensation Cherice Pempengco. The little Ewok girl that was made popular by Ellen DeGeneres and "THE" Oprah Winfrey. She sang her usual renditions of Whitney Houston and Celine Dion hits accompanied with a full orchestra. The crowd went ape shit for this. Overall, the orchestra was solid and very professional. Each member was talented and more importantly came together to produce a lovely performance. Bravo!!! read more

I think the wallpaper or fabric gave me flashbacks. I'm breaking out my Taschen books to try to determine what sort of pattern it was, but it's not there. Let's just call it "ripply." Regardless, this venue is so incredibly beautiful, I can't even describe it. The acoustics make it so you can hear someone cough way below you, even if you have nosebleed seats. Pasadena obviously has money, which everyone knows, but they poured it into their civic center. The cons: the seats (at least at the top, where I was), are airplane close together, in every measurement, but they are comfortable. The steepness of the venue is also notable, making it so you have to bend at the waist to see below you, were, say, a local NPR star to have better seats than you and to stand up for recognition. read more

It's a really beautiful place to see a concert. It's impressive without feeling cavernous.

Excellent venue. We've had great Easter Sunday celebrations here 2 years in a row. Parking is easily accessible if you park in the Paseo, and they validate for 1hr 1/2. The seats aren't all that comfortable as it's an older theater, but it's not terrible. We had a couple of sound issues as well but other than that, all was great! :) read more