Starlight Theatre is an 8,000-seat outdoor amphitheater in Swope Park, one of the oldest continuously operating outdoor performing arts venues in the United States. It opened in 1951 and has hosted Broadway touring productions, major concert acts, and the longest-running outdoor Broadway series in the country. The setting — open air, under the Kansas City sky, in one of the largest urban parks in the nation — gives performances a quality that indoor venues cannot replicate.
The summer season runs from May through September with a mix of Broadway musicals, classic rock concerts, and family productions. On warm evenings, the park's trees and lawns create a genuinely pleasant concert experience. Tickets are reasonably priced compared to indoor venues, and the outdoor setting means the sound carries well even from seats further back. Check the season schedule well in advance for popular shows, as major productions sell out.