Santander Performing Arts Center is a historic theater in downtown Reading hosting touring concerts, comedy, dance, family shows and orchestral performances. Guests praise its ornate period architecture, strong acoustics, intimate sightlines and attentive ushers and staff.
October 17, 2026 · 7:30 PM · 136 N 6th St, Reading
Cary Elwes, who played Westley, comes to the Santander Performing Arts Center on October 17 for an evening built around one of the most quoted films ever made.
October 19, 2026 · 7:30 PM · 136 N 6th St, Reading
Dan Howell and Phil Lester, the British duo who built a following through years of internet video and their podcast, bring their Hard Launch World Tour to the Santander Performing Arts Center.
October 21, 2026 · 7:30 PM · 136 N 6th St, Reading
Collective Soul plays the Santander Performing Arts Center in downtown Reading on October 21 at 7:30 PM.
October 22, 2026 · 7:30 PM · 136 N 6th St, Reading
My Hero Academia In Concert brings the world of Deku and Class 1-A to the Santander Performing Arts Center stage, pairing a live band with scenes from the anime.
October 24, 2026 · 7:30 PM · 136 N 6th St, Reading
The Sixties Show brings its 1960s music re-creation to the Santander Performing Arts Center on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 7:30 PM.
Nearly every review underscores the clarity and power of the venue’s audio setup, making performances sound exceptional.
The sound system was great and everything sounded really good.
Great acoustics & lighting that complemented the concert.
Customers love the compact size and sightlines that ensure a close, personal feel regardless of where they sit.
It's small enough that it doesn't seem overcrowded … you're closer to the stage … very nice.
I never felt like there was a bad seat in the house.
Guests consistently laud the venue’s excellent sound system and generally unobstructed views of the stage.
Great place to see a concert … the acoustics are great.
Not a bad seat in the house.
Visitors love the theater’s ornate, well‐preserved historic architecture and the nostalgic, intimate ambiance it provides.
Everything in the lobby felt like you walked into a theater out of the 50s … It was nostalgic.
Beautiful old building … the architecture is amazing.
Santander Performing Arts Center is a historic theater in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania, located at 136 N 6th Street in Berks County. The venue hosts touring concerts, comedy shows, family programming, dance productions, orchestral performances and other live events throughout the year. It operates in tandem with the nearby arena on Penn Street, and the two buildings together handle much of the region's large-scale entertainment calendar, with the theater taking the shows better suited to a seated, acoustically focused room rather than an open arena floor.
The building is one of the most recognizable pieces of architecture in the city's downtown core. Patrons walking in from 6th Street pass through a lobby that retains the look and detailing of an earlier era of American theater design, including decorative plasterwork, carved wood trim and ornamental ceiling treatments. That sense of period character carries into the auditorium itself, which was built in an age when theaters were designed as showpieces as much as performance spaces.
The theater opened in the early 1920s as the Rajah Theatre, constructed for the Rajah Shrine as both a fraternal meeting hall and a public auditorium. Its Moorish-influenced design, unusual for Reading at the time, made it a point of local interest from the beginning. Over the decades the building hosted vaudeville bills, motion pictures, touring stage productions, civic ceremonies and concerts, adapting to whatever form of entertainment was dominant in the moment.
Like many downtown theaters of its generation, the Rajah faced an uncertain future as suburban multiplexes and newer venues drew audiences away from city centers. Preservation efforts and a series of renovations kept the building in service, and it was eventually brought under a professional venue management operation alongside the arena a few blocks away. Corporate naming rights changed the marquee more than once, first to the Sovereign Performing Arts Center and later to Santander Performing Arts Center following the bank's transition. Many longtime Reading residents still refer to the building by its original name, and the theater's identity as a restored, early twentieth century hall remains central to how it presents itself.
Programming at the theater is intentionally broad. A typical season may include classic rock and legacy touring acts, singer-songwriters, tribute bands, country and Americana performers, stand-up comedians, magicians and illusionists, children's theater, holiday productions, dance recitals and ballet, and spoken word or lecture events. The venue is also a regular home for orchestral and symphonic performances, and it plays a role in the jazz programming that Reading is known for each spring, when festival events spread across venues throughout Berks County.
The room's size is what shapes the lineup. Seating fewer than two thousand people across an orchestra level and balcony, it suits artists who want a room where the back rows are still reasonably close to the stage. Touring productions that would feel lost in an arena often work well here, and audiences get a performance experience closer to a traditional concert hall than a sports venue. The acoustics and sightlines are frequently cited as the reasons performers and promoters continue to route shows through the building.
The venue is in the center of downtown Reading, within walking distance of restaurants, bars and the arena. Doors typically open ahead of the advertised start time, and ushers assist patrons in locating seats on both the main floor and the balcony. Restrooms are available on site. Concessions, including snacks and beverages, are generally sold during events, though there is no full restaurant inside the building, so many guests plan dinner at one of the downtown establishments nearby before curtain.
The theater is a reasonable choice for family outings, and the venue is considered good for children, particularly for holiday shows, dance recitals and family-oriented touring productions. As with any ticketed event, age guidance varies by show, and some concerts and comedy performances are aimed at adult audiences. Checking the content advisory for a specific event before purchasing is worthwhile when bringing younger guests.
Downtown Reading offers several parking options within a short walk of the theater. Paid parking garages and paid surface lots operate in the surrounding blocks, metered street parking is available along many downtown streets, and free street parking can be found on some nearby streets depending on the time of day and local restrictions. Arriving early is the most reliable strategy, especially for sold-out performances or when events are taking place at both the theater and the arena on the same evening. Guests who need accessible parking will find wheelchair accessible parking available.
Because the building sits on 6th Street in a dense block of downtown, traffic patterns before and after events can be busy. Allowing extra time on arrival and departure makes the experience smoother, and some patrons prefer to park once and spend part of the evening downtown rather than moving the car between dinner and the show.
The theater provides a wheelchair accessible entrance and wheelchair accessible restrooms, along with accessible parking. Guests with mobility needs, or those traveling with someone who uses a wheelchair or walker, can contact the venue in advance by phone at +1 610-898-7469 to confirm seating arrangements and the best entrance to use for a particular event. Staff routinely assist patrons in reaching their seats and navigating the historic building's layout, which includes a balcony level reached by stairs.
Tickets for events are sold through the venue's box office operation shared with the arena, as well as through the ticketing partner handling a given performance. On site, the venue accepts credit cards, debit cards and NFC mobile payments for concessions and merchandise, so cash is not required for a visit. Event schedules, on-sale dates, door times and show-specific policies, including bag restrictions and camera rules, vary by performance and are set by the touring production as often as by the venue itself. Calling ahead is the simplest way to confirm details for a particular date.
The theater functions as both an entertainment venue and a piece of Reading's architectural history. Its continued operation keeps a working performance space in the downtown district, supports foot traffic for surrounding businesses on event nights, and provides a stage for local arts organizations alongside national touring acts. For many Berks County residents, it is the place where they first saw a symphony, a Broadway-style production or a favorite band in a room small enough to see the stage clearly from any seat.
County: Berks County
Phone: +1 610-898-7469
Website: Visit Website
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