Tempe Center
For the Arts

TEMPE

A Signature Managed Venue

Overview

Set along Tempe Town Lake with sweeping views of the water and Papago Mountains, Tempe Center for the Arts brings together unparalleled architecture and creative energy to provide a collection of event spaces that feel polished and anticipatory. From performances and presentations to lakeside receptions, dinners, celebrations, and corporate gatherings, the venue offers a dynamic setting where guests can experience the beauty of the arts in a way that feels distinctly Arizona.

Amenities

Adjacent parking garage with validation available for pre-purchase
Green rooms and back of house support areas
In-house table and chair rentals

Events

Tempe Center for the Arts gives guests the feeling that they have arrived somewhere unexpected. Set beside the water with dramatic architecture, art-filled interiors, open-air gathering spaces, and views that shift beautifully from day to night, the venue brings energy, movement, and discovery to an event. It works for weddings, galas, conferences, donor gatherings, corporate celebrations, performances, receptions, and milestone events because it does not ask every event to feel the same. It gives each one a setting with texture, flexibility, and a distinct point of view.

A wedding can feel modern and scenic. A corporate event can feel elevated and engaging without becoming stiff. A nonprofit gala or donor dinner can use the venue’s performance spaces, lake views, and gallery atmosphere to create an evening with depth and momentum. Guests might experience a ceremony by the water, cocktails surrounded by art, dinner overlooking Tempe Town Lake, or a presentation with the polish of a true theater setting. However the event is shaped, Tempe Center for the Arts offers a memorable backdrop that feels creative, versatile, and truly one-of-a-kind.

Spaces

The Theater provides a dramatic and highly polished setting for conferences, performances, keynote presentations, awards programs, and large-scale seated events. The stage can also be transformed for private dinners, creating an immersive setting surrounded by the scale and presence of a true performance space.

Capacity: 595

The Theatre

Carter Lounge

Carter Lounge provides an inviting setting for smaller gatherings, VIP moments, speaker hospitality, or a more intimate cocktail experience. Comfortable and refined, it offers a natural place for to connection.

Capacity: 64

North Patio

Serenely enclosed by the lake, the North Patio offers an intimate outdoor setting with a peaceful, tucked-away feel. It works beautifully for ceremonies, cocktail receptions, or quiet moments surrounded by the reflective water and modern architecture of Tempe Center for the Arts.

Capacity: 150

With expansive views of Tempe Town Lake and the surrounding desert landscape, Lakeside offers a bright, beautiful setting for receptions, dinners, meetings, and celebrations. Its connection to the water gives the space a calm, memorable quality while still feeling refined and event-ready.

Capacity:

219 Reception
200 Theatre Style
170 Plated Dinner
120 Buffet Dinner

Lakeside

The Studio

The Studio offers a flexible, intimate environment for smaller performances, presentations, workshops, and private events. It can also host dinners on the stage, offering a creative and memorable setting for gatherings that feel more personal, intentional, and connected to the energy of the arts.

Capacity:

214 Theatre Style
250 Dinners/Receptions

East Breezeway

The East Breezeway brings guests outdoors while still feeling connected to the architecture and flow of the venue. It is a lovely choice for unique activations, cocktail hour, or open-air transitions with views that highlight the surrounding lake-front setting.