🎠NEW! Arizona Theatre Newsletter
Scottsdale Arts will present a wide range of events throughout December, offering both holiday programming and contemporary performance across the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA), and Scottsdale Civic Center.
🎠NEW! Arizona Theatre Newsletter
Holiday concerts from Mariachi Sol de Mexico and Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra appear alongside contemporary dance from Taiwanese company Hung Dance, an evening with comedian Rita Rudner, and a jazz program by Squirrel Nut Zippers. SMoCA continues its Mystery in the Museum series with “The Case of the Whispering Walls,” in addition to a winter solstice sunrise sound bath as part of its Glow Up @SMoCA series.
SMoCA will host Mystery in the Museum: The Case of the Whispering Walls on December 5, inviting visitors to solve a sequence of clues in an after-hours experience. The next morning, Scottsdale Civic Center will present the free Scottsdazzle Ultimate Play Date, a winter-themed outdoor event led by Scottsdale Public Library. Hung Dance makes its Arizona debut on December 6 with BIRDY, a work that blends tai chi, contemporary movement, and Taiwanese traditional opera elements. Rita Rudner appears December 13 at the Center for the Performing Arts, followed by Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra on December 14 with a program of seasonal repertoire.
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel continues on December 16 with “Beethoven—The Young Genius.” SMoCA will host a winter solstice sunrise sound bath on December 20 inside James Turrell’s “Knight Rise” Skyspace. Squirrel Nut Zippers will perform Jazz from Back O’ Town on the evening of December 20, returning audiences to early twentieth-century New Orleans. Mariachi Sol de Mexico concludes the Center’s major holiday programming on December 21 with José Hernández’ Merry-Achi Christmas.
Scottsdale Arts also announced early 2026 offerings, including Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern at the Center for the Performing Arts from January 9–11. Scottsdale Civic Center will present the Arizona Concours d’Elegance on January 18, featuring international vehicles in an outdoor garden setting.
Visual art exhibitions continue at SMoCA and partner venues across the city. James Perkins: Burying Painting remains on view through February 15, exploring land art and natural processes. Jeanne K. Simmons: Rooted and Casey Curran: Tidal Sky run through February 22, each considering human relationships to nature and transformation. Squidsoup: Infinite continues through August 30, 2026, offering an immersive installation of illuminated spheres. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts presents A Pivotal Point in Time: Art in Scottsdale in the 1970s through January 17, marking the Center’s 50th anniversary with works by artists active during its founding years. Scottsdale Civic Center Library shows Artists of Cattle Track through December 31.
SMoCA’s Pathfinding by Evan Roth continues through September 7, and the Scottsdale Public Art Permanent Collection remains accessible throughout the city at no cost.