This guide covers the live music and performances in and around Pasadena for October 2026, plus the last Saturday of September, with dates, times, and sources for every entry. The free Levitt VIBE summer series under the Gold Shell ended September 12, and the Rose Bowl's October calendar holds UCLA football and charity runs rather than concerts, so October belongs to a different set of rooms: the symphony's opening night, a candlelit string concert, a closing musical at the Playhouse, and a schoolhouse venue just across the line. Every show was verified on September 17, 2026 against its venue or a published event listing. Your host is Alejandro Espitia, Broker Associate and REALTOR with Apex Realty and Investments, California license 01213999, with 18+ years across Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside, in English and Spanish.
Saturday, September 26: a free Fall Rodeo at One Colorado
One Colorado's Fall Rodeo: Boots, Bites, and Western Beats lands Saturday, September 26 at 4:00 p.m. in the open-air complex at 20 E. Union Street in Old Pasadena, a free afternoon of live music and bites before the evening shows start. It is not a ticketed concert, just free programming in the courtyard, and a natural way to spend a warm September Saturday in the district.
Saturday, September 26: On The Spot Live Music Show with Marley Bleu
The On The Spot Live Music Show featuring Marley Bleu plays Saturday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m. at 2588 E. Colorado Boulevard, an East Colorado live-room date that rounds out the month. Set times and any cover details are on the event listing linked below.
October 1 to 4: The Visit closes at the Pasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse's production of The Visit, the musical running September 9 through October 4, enters its final week with performances Thursday, October 1 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, October 2 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, October 3 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., with the closing show on Sunday, October 4. The Playhouse is at 39 S. El Molino Avenue, and tickets are on the theater's site, linked below.
Saturday, October 10: Candlelight Pasadena plays best of Cantonese pop
Candlelight Pasadena brings its Best of Cantonese Pop program to the Pasadena Presbyterian Church on Saturday, October 10 at 8:15 p.m., a candlelit string concert built around the Cantonese pop catalog, with no named touring artist, just the music and the setting. It is the kind of evening that fits a date night in town, and tickets are on the event listings linked below.
Saturday, October 24: Pasadena Symphony opens with Brahms
The Pasadena Symphony opens its 2026-27 season on Saturday, October 24 at Ambassador Auditorium, 131 S. St. John Avenue, with two performances at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Brett Mitchell conducts Benjamin Beilman on violin through Joan Tower's Made in America, Barber's Violin Concerto, and Brahms's Symphony No. 1. It is the headline musical event of the Pasadena month, in one of the best-sounding rooms in the county.
Thursday, October 29: Theo Katzman at Sid The Cat Auditorium
Just across the South Pasadena line, Sid The Cat Auditorium at 1020-1022 El Centro Street hosts Theo Katzman on Thursday, October 29, one of the schoolhouse venue's fall concert dates. The venue shares its block with Sid's Bar, so it is an easy music-and-a-drink night for Pasadena east-siders.
Live music and performances in Pasadena, September 26 to October 29, 2026
| When | What | Where | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, September 26, 4:00 p.m. | Fall Rodeo: Boots, Bites, and Western Beats | One Colorado, 20 E. Union St. | Free outdoor music event |
| Sat, September 26, 7:30 p.m. | On The Spot Live Music Show, ft. Marley Bleu | 2588 E. Colorado Blvd. | Live music show |
| October 1 to 4 | The Visit, musical | Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave. | Final performances, closes October 4 |
| Sat, October 10, 8:15 p.m. | Candlelight Pasadena: Best of Cantonese Pop | Pasadena Presbyterian Church | Candlelit string concert |
| Sat, October 24, 2:00 & 8:00 p.m. | Pasadena Symphony: Brahms Symphony No. 1 | Ambassador Auditorium, 131 S. St. John Ave. | Season opener, Brett Mitchell conducting |
| Thu, October 29 | Theo Katzman | Sid The Cat Auditorium, 1020-1022 El Centro St. | Evening concert in South Pasadena |
Dates and times as published by the venues and event listings named below as of September 17, 2026. Small-room shows can move, so confirm on the venue's own calendar before heading out.
Every show in this guide was re-verified on September 17, 2026 against the venue or a published event listing. The Levitt VIBE series ended September 12, and the Rose Bowl's October calendar holds UCLA football and charity runs rather than concerts. Anything that could not be confirmed for these exact dates was left out.
Where the shows are listed
- Pasadena Symphony 2026-27 season
- Ambassador Auditorium, Pasadena Symphony venue page
- Concerts in Pasadena, AllEvents listings
- Live music in Pasadena, AllEvents listings
- Pasadena Playhouse, tickets and events
- Sid The Cat Auditorium, venue home
- Rose Bowl Stadium events calendar
What a live calendar says about a neighborhood
Live music is one of the fastest ways to read a neighborhood: the rooms that book original acts, the parks and courtyards that throw free parties, and the walking distance between them all shape what a typical week feels like. A month with a symphony opener and a closing musical in the same town is a month with real cultural density, and that matters if you are weighing a move. Alejandro Espitia of Apex Realty and Investments brings 18+ years of local real estate and home financing experience to that decision, in English or Spanish, for buyers, sellers, and investors across Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside.
Got a show you want to check before you tour the neighborhood? Text Alejandro at 626-314-9170, or use the form below to leave your name, email, and optional phone number for a personal reply from the Find Homes and Loans desk.
Talk to Alejandro
Come for the music, stay for the block
Enjoy the shows you now know, then ask the person who reads the city for a living. Alejandro Espitia, Broker Associate and REALTOR with Apex Realty and Investments, brings 18+ years of Pasadena-area real estate and home financing experience, CA license 01213999, and works with buyers, sellers, and investors across Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside, in English or Spanish.
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Call or text Alejandro at (626) 314-9170 for a straight answer in English or Spanish, or fill this in and he will get back to you with the numbers that fit your situation.
This guide is for general information, and is not mortgage, legal, or tax advice. Loan products and rates vary by lender, and all terms come from the lender, never from this website.
