We visited Van Wezel Performing Arts to see a musical today. The theater is lovely, well-built and acoustically well-designed.Seating is plentiful, also well-designed with the stage and performances easily viewed by audience members. Built right on the water, the views are gorgeous and there is outdoor seating where you can relax and enjoy a beverage.Parking is convenient and there are many handicapped spaces if needed.The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and willing to assist patrons in any way required. I recommend a trip to Van Wezel Performing Arts

Great theater. Wish I had more leg room. We were in the front roll so that may be the reason. The Orchestra area took up some leg room. The sound was great and the lighting. The seats were comfortable for a theater. Drinks were allowed during the show.

This was my first visit. I was truly amazed buy this venue! I would definitely return there for another concert. I got to see Collective soul.

This is a smaller auditorium with excellent acoustics. The only problem is that there is no center aisle. Plenty of parking. Will call easy and fast. Nice bar and promotion table. Easy and fast in and out. I enjoyed our evening here. All seats offer excellent views of the stage and with the great acoustics probably not a bad seat in the house. Right on the bay. Great shows here. It is wonderful to have this in Sarasota. Always something going on here. If you live here you already know. If you are visiting, check it out before you come and buy tickets in advance. Draws from all over the west central coast.

Nice small venue to see a show. Not really a bad seat in the house. However the valet service needs major improvement. Drop off was easy but they need to hire more staff to retrieve vehicles. The line was insanely long and people started to lose their patience. It was easier to just get your keys and get your car yourself.

Visiting my old buddys I worked with many years, I did many shows here old days as a rodie..always loved this place so much I retired and moved here.lol.

Beautiful location. Easy in and out parking also valet. Wonderful acoustics. Comfy seats. 50 year Anniversary this 19/20 season with top tier shows for every taste in music and Broadway theater.

CAROL BURNETTI not only liked the Gary Moore show with Carol but the carol Burnett hi jinx on her own show.I found her live reminiscence of the old days unsatisfying.It’s evident she is old feeble and on an ego trip.On stage for only part of the time taking boring tributes and same old questions.My ticket was almost $200 and was not worth it.Carol hang it up you have more money than you need.Sorry Carol I still love you.BEACH BOYS 5 ️I feel like I have been reborn....Simply Fun,Fun,Fun.Great performance.Beyond expectations.Don’t miss them.

Absolutely stunning! I was not a fan of ballet, until now! Presented this way I was blown away! And the auditorium was really nice. It was probably the tenth time we have seen the Nutcracker but this was the most memorable.

Beautiful performing arts theater in SarasotaGreat shows, Today was the Russian Ballet performing the Nutcracker

Stop the Book of Mormon. It was outstanding. The ushers in the hope were great assistance. I was there with my Walker, using the easy access aisle. Great View very comfortable.

We saw the Dave Koz Christmas Show. We had seen it several times over the years. This was absolutely the best !!!The guests with him were superb and their interaction with each other was a joy and more intimate than in the past. This was perfect for the theaters smaller stage. It was an awesome evening of entertainment.

That we enjoyed /loved The Book of Mormon. Havent laughed so hard in ages. Just moved from Salt Lake City having lived there 20 years. Amazing production.

1 StarWhat a horrible experience we had at Les Miserables tonight. Went for my daughter’s birthday. Pouring rain, takes an hour to get through the line to get in. They let 200 people in while the actors are performing, this was a mess! Horribly handled by the staff of the theater! This place is also a death trap, no middle row access, if there is ever an emergency people will be seriously injured! I felt sorry for the actor’s! Shame on the staff!!!!Two words.Death trapHorrible crowd controlYou should credit money back!!!

It was a wonderful evening yesterday at Van Wezel. Salute to Vienna with its music and waltzes were so beautiful!!!The only thing Id suggest would be a colorful background - some slideshow, a themed background or even some lights show would enhance the joy tremendously!

Last show we have seen was Les Miserables right before Covid-19 hit the country. It was superb.

First time here to see Waitress. Discovered that the seating arrangement was awful. Dont purchase seats in the middle otherwise youve got to climb over at least 20 people. Dont get seats near the aisle because then the acoustics seem lacking and you have to deal with people climbing over you to get to their seats. Its safe to say well avoid seeing another show here if possible.

My girlfriend treated me to the show Cirque Dreams Holidaze. Wonderfully quirky, funny and the talent was beyond words! We are so lucky to have such an incredible venue like the Van Wezel. Simply lovely with gracious, friendly staff.

Collective Soul was awesome. Great local concert venue

First time at Van Wezel. We had seats at the end right near the stage.Parking was a breeze. There seems to be plenty of spots and they do offer Valet parking.I thought the seats were comfortable but they are awfully close together. A big person like me, 6’2” and 235, would have the need for more elbow room. I was sitting on the very end and I was ok. There is no center aisle and you will get plenty of “squat thrust” exercises getting up and down to allow people in/out of the middle seats. This seems to be a common complaint about the Van Wezel. I do hope the new building, if it is ever built, will keep this in mind.The sound could have been lowered slightly. It was loud, real loud at times. The deep bass was just too much. I like the rumble but not at the expense of my hearing.Lighting was excellent. No issues there. Getting in/out of the building was a breeze. It seems a smaller venue than say the Barbara B Mann. However, smaller venue means less people which means better seats, easier parking, and quicker exits.Prices are reasonable for some shows and absolutely absurd for others.In summation- I would definitely go to the Van Wezel again. If you get the chance, please try to go see a show. You’ll love it.

Saw Travis Tritt here. Great location. Really nice.Just make sure you don’t have to use the bathroom if you get the middle seats!!! No middle aisle...so the middle only if you have a good bladder that can last. :)

Lovely. Intimate Atmosphere and always stunning, Broadway level performances.

I went there to take pictures in front of building its a beautiful place.

Another Sun City Center Minibus adventure!! A truly enjoyable evening. Saw Escape to Margaritaville - a musical Written by Jimmy Buffet that included his most popular songs - woven together in play format. The music and actors/singers/dancers were outstanding.

We recently attended a show at the Van Wezel. We also had tickets for the dinner beforehand. If you want a very nice evening with a great meal and entertainment, I suggest this venue, you will have a great time

We came to see Les Miserables and were in a security line for 1/2 hour. We got inside and they had already started the show and wouldn’t let us in. Was it the fault of Van Wezel because they had too few security detail? Yes!! Was it the fault of Les Miserables because they didn’t hold off the performance for a mere 15 minutes? Yes!! It leaves a bad experience in everyone’s evening. I’ve been here for lots of shows and have NEVER had such a bad experience. Step up YOUR performance Van Wezel!

What? Whos idea was it to leave out the center aisles? One of the most uncomfortable concert halls I have ever seen. We were seated in the middle of the hall and it was difficult to get to our seats and totally impossible to leave at the break. I dont even want to think what would happen in an emergency. Acoustics seemed good for a hall of that size.

Great place to see a show. Only wish they has a central aisle. Other than that a wonderful place.

Incompetence at Van WezelLast night my wife and I attended the performance of the National Tour of Les Miserables at Van Wezel.To say that entering the theater was a disaster is an understatement. The hall was unprepared and poorly managed to bring patrons in and get them seated on time. We arrived 30 minutes before showtime and were not seated until 20 minutes after the show began and missed the beginning of the performance. This is inexcusable and entirely due to the poor execution of the management and security staff. The security screening process was inadequate, extraordinarily slow, and created a severe bottleneck outside. I am formally requesting a refund.

The pre-show buffet was really nice. The room has a lovely view of Sarasota Bay until the sun goes down. The theater is really nice, with the exception of the lack of aisles. Stupid. Great sound system.

Should have a center aisle. Beautiful place. Favorite Things concert was wonderful.

Excellent show, the sound system is awesome. The staff does a great job assisting with seating. The wheelchair section is ample. The onl

The Van Wezel is an excellent performance Arts center. Its a beautiful 1700 seat concert theater on the bay. I enjoyed performing there, and the staff was terrific. I highly recommend...

Excellent show! Everything was great but the usher directed us to the wrong seats.

Well designed hall with comfortable seating and convenient parking. We had Mattisons buffet before performance and it was excellent. Great venue

Great shows. The seating is just weird in this venue. Too small for the growth of the area. But well staffed and friendly folks to help u to ur seats.

Great venue. Around 2000 seats. Comfortable seating. Good acoustics. Plenty of free parking.

It is Superbowl Sunday. I have to work today. I was awoken at 4am by horrible, out of pitch, BLASTING heavy metal music that was playing from a MILE away at this performing arts hall. Is it seriously necessary to burst the eardrums of an entire city so that your toxic masculinity can be projected across Sarasota? I think not. Have some respect.

Friendly staff and even though my seats were pretty high up, it still feels intimate.

We are so lucky to have the Van Wezel here in Sarasota. Great acts come into our small town. We love to support the arts. Once was so creative, totally deserving of all the accolades.

What a beautiful concert venue! Saw The Lion King there. Nicely staged, great voices, clever sets. Engaging cast, too!I know cities that would give almost anything to have such a venue that can accommodate the range of offerings provided by this venue. Residents of Sarasota and other near cities are so fortunate to have this gem in their downtown/area!Hats off to the folks who work hard to keep the gem polished....

We went and saw The Book of Mormon. We made our reservations late, so we deserved to sit in next to last row. I had trouble understanding what they were saying. Next time Ill move faster.

I love the Van Wezel, there is ample parking close to the venue it is small but thats the attraction . you can see the stage from any seat

A Classic Sarasota Arts center. Went to see the Moscow Ballets Nutcracker and it was phenomenal. Great seats, spacious venue, and ample parking

Great performance by the sons of Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce, also on lead guitar, Eric Claptons grandson.

Nice sized theater. Would have been better if they included a center aisle in their original seating plan though.

They put on great shows here. Ive seen many concerts and plays here and they never disappoint. The catered meals are good too!

Nice theater. Seats are very small. Not a bad view in the place. Line for drinks and bathroom at intermission are the worst Ive experienced in a theater.

Great acoustics!I just strongly dislike anyone in a venue with a cell out!Van Wezel, ... please ban phones from performances!PLEASE!PLEASE!

Venue is great and the dinner was very well presented and especially attentively served!! Rita was great entertaining. The stage team at Van Wezel should be embarrassed by not having a correct and comfortable chair for Loui!!!! His performance was a disappointment!

Lovely performances, thin aisles. Difficult to let everyone past. I would hate to be inside in an emergency. Great view of the stage from most anywhere.

Saw the Beach Boys. Great concert - great stage, sound and comfortable seats!

I just watched COLLECTIVE SOUL here and they ROCKED THE HOUSE! Last year, Bob Dylan made an appearance. I just LOVE this intimate venue!

I have preformed and been to many concerts at the van wezel, its very clean and the seats are comfy.

We went to see Dave Koz at this location and it was very enjoyable. The staff was knowledgeable, the venue was clean, and there were a lot of bathroom stalls. We loved seeing Dave Koz!!

We watched an amazing four person performance with a ton of kids. It was awesome.

Broadway quality at Florida prices.Sets were amazing. Voices fabulous.

We saw the ten tenors and had dinner at the mattisons. Everything was superb. Just lovely. The tenors are a must see.

Parking, access to the hall and driving out Were very good. The Hall itself is a marvel in unbelievably terrible engineering However.

Enjoyed the Orchestra and my seating. Good parking and very good staff

We started the year off right with a Saturday Matinee performance by our Sarasota Orchestra doing us proud as they awakened our memories with a magical rendition of the Bugs Bunny Symphony. It was an auspicious beginning to the 30th Year for this touring group and a joyful initial celebration of Bugs Bunnys 80th birthday this July. Looking forward to seeing the rest of this seasons performances by the Sarasota Orchestra at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall!

I love the Van Wezel. Because its a small venue ALL the seats are good!

Awesome Experience. Great show. Continuous Laughter.

I enjoyed the Margarita Festival celebrating my birthday! Met wonderful people while attending! Food/drinks were great and plentiful!

Weve been to Van Wezel many times and have never been disappointed in any way. Great shows, fabulous performances, amazing concerts.

Dave Koz and his annual Christmas special was outstanding! Weve been going for the past few years and will continue to do so as long as the Good Lord continues to bless us with the ability to do so!!

Nice venue. Wonderful seating. Book of mormon was fabulous.

Good outdoor concert area, get in early to get your seats.

Teriffice venuie. lack of center aisle makes entering and exiting awkaward

We visited the Van Wezel to see the Lion King. Fabulous! This center is smaller than I expected, but that was wonderful because the crowd was not overwhelming. No long lines for drinks or the bathroom. Everyone was friendly. Wonderful experience

I like that this performance hall is centrally located in Sarasota. The staff are nice, fair ticket prices and plenty of parking. What I dont care for is the seating arrangement. The rows are super long and there are no aisles in the middle, so there are constantly people having to get up to let others get to their seats. I also dont find the sound to be that great. You would expect good acoustics at a performing arts center.

Lovely place and we saw 2 shows during our stay.

The staff was outstanding! Helpful and thanked us for coming! Academy of St. Martin In the Fields was wonderful!

I always enjoy this entertainment facility. Its not a HUGE facility where one feels lost in a large crowd. In my opinion, I think all seats are good seats with good views of the stage and the performance. Sound acoustics seem to be adequate for the size of this facility. The concert programs booked at the Van Wezel represent a cross section of music performers and artists. Due to the smaller size of this facility, certain performers who are used to and demand large capacity crowds will most likely choose larger venues such as those found in Tampa. Plenty of parking on the side of the arena. Handicap accessible but due to the distance from the parking area, someone requiring wheelchair access would be best served with a front door drop off. Beautiful views overlooking Sarasota Bay.

Ive been a dozen times for day time field trip shows. Place is large with comfy seats and each row is a lot higher than the previous, so youre never staring into someones head.

The Lion King - excellent. We arrived early to get good parking. The theater seating leaves a lot to be desired. Seats need to be rearranged to give a center aisle or better yet, 2 more aisles.

Magnificent performance by Belinda Davis in the Withey Houston Tribute.

Seen a great carole king musical here. Great music and songs.

Ample leg room comfortable seats and often good performers. You will know the meaning of Sarasota being gods waiting room.

Fantastic venue. Go early, have dinner or a drink before the show. Fantastic sunsets.

An old performing arts hall that has been decently kept up, but still shows many signs of age.

Im astonished that one row has about 50 seats with from edge to edge w/o a center aisle. It takes forever to crawl over people seated to get to the center seats. Fire egress would be dreadful. Egress after the performance is challenging enough.

I took my niece and her family to see Cirque de Soleil. The kids had a blast. The Van Wezel is one of the best venues Ive been to for concerts, plays and special events.

I dont know how this place conforms with state and local fire codes without aisles. If you were seated in the middle and an emergency occurred, you would never make it out.

My kids an I love their school time performances.

Clean facility.. the staff/ ushers are wonderful. Beautiful event place. No complaints. One suggestion would be the handicap access ramp (exterior) a handrail would be helpful.

Fine venue. I love that its not too large. The seating is definitely odd, with no aisles--but we all know how it works. Always a nice selection of shows!

The Van Wezel Foundation Inspiring Gala 2020 with John Fogerty was just amazing!!

Very small stage, we saw rent here and I was honestly surprised the actors didnt fall over each other. Some who have great voices were unfortunately too loud and possessed too much range for the building. Staff is super friendly tho! And I assume the drinks are rather strong based on the loud mouth behind us who smelled like straight Jack.

Went to see the Lion King and it was a wonderful experience! They were well organized and the production was spectacular! The food and drinks were a bit pricey, as expected of such a venue. Definitely glad I went!

I love going to concerts here and my daughter has had field trips here for plays! Awesome place!

The staff was very pleasant and well-organized. An intimate evening with David Foster was a fantastic program. Unfortunately we didnt get a program that told who the singers were working with him. They were fantastic and we didnt catch their names as he was introducing them. Very pleasant evening.

Really good location, beautiful scenery of Sarasota bay...great parking, well patrolled

Was there for bugs bunny at the orchestra. Truly a great experience.

Lots of volunteers to show you where to go. Nice building inside. Seating is good. Ive been before, they have good shows but some are very pricey.

Very nice theater. Great venue for any type of production. Lots of road construction which make getting out of the parking lot. Saw Menopause The Musical tonight and its well done and hysterical.

Beautiful building with Frank Loyd Wright flavor. Comfortable seating, no middle isles so everyone enters from the ends. Good view and sound at every seat. Valet parking is very helpful in the rain. We saw Victorian Winters Ballet and staff were very enthusiastic and helpful.

I saw Jackson Browne here in January of 2018. I loved this place. The acoustics were fantastic and its a beautiful place. (Plenty of free parking here, but I stayed at the Indigo which is a quick walk right across the street). I came from another city because I hate the venues in my town. I loved everything about the Van Wezel. Around the back, it is beautiful and right on the water. I sat in the very back and I still heard very well, and could see everything. All good, nothing bad to say.Side note. It is my understanding that they are going to improve this area and this venue. I dont live in Sarasota, but completely disagree with that. They have a perfect place for plays and concerts - why mess with it? I have seen my own town destroyed by improvements. High parking rates become an issue, and in the end the consumer pays for the renovations when ticket prices go up (Im not saying that will happen here, but it did in my town). Like I said, I dont live here, but I would hate to see Sarasota do ANYthing to this beautiful venue.

Very good choices of music and high-quality performances. People with mobility issues need to plan to be near the side aisles because there are no exit aisles anywhere in the middle of the audience.

Great performances by all the groups!! Every seat is a good one!