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McCain Performance Series, Manhattan, KS
Theatre & EventsDate NightLocal Gem

McCain Performance Series

1501 Goldstein Cir · Manhattan, KS

Why you should go…

The McCain Performance Series brings touring shows to McCain Auditorium on the Kansas State University campus. The 2026-27 season runs 19 performances from September to April, with Broadway musicals such as Shucked, The Music Man and Mrs. Doubtfire, plus Second City comedy, jazz and country acts. Family shows include Cirque Dreams Holidaze, and the Manhattan Symphony Orchestra joins the lineup.

  • #performing arts
  • #broadway tours
  • #k-state
  • #concert hall

Good to know

General theatre & events guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Curtain time is firm

    Latecomers are commonly held at the back until a scene break, so build in a buffer.

  • Study the seating chart

    Price and sightline vary a lot within the same house. A few rows back can be the better seat.

  • Rush and lottery seats exist

    Many venues release same-day tickets at a discount if you are flexible about where you sit.

  • Arrive with time to spare

    Parking, bag check, and finding your row all take longer than you think on a full house.

What's around here?

The closest stops to McCain Performance Series, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    Free

    Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art

    Free

    Kansas State's free art museum, showing regional painters like John Steuart Curry and Birger Sandzen beside traveling shows.

    Right next doorSwitch it up: Museums

  • Stay
    Local Gem

    Holiday Inn Manhattan at the Campus

    $50+

    A six-floor hotel directly across from Kansas State University, two blocks from the shops and pubs of Aggieville.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Stay

  • Eat & Drink
    Foodie Favorite

    Houlihan's

    $25–$50

    A casual American restaurant and bar near K-State and Aggieville, serving scratch-made entrees, steaks and craft cocktails.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink

  • Stay
    Local Gem

    Bluemont Hotel

    $50+

    An independent hotel with limestone finishes across from Kansas State University and the Aggieville district.

    0.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay

  • Theatre & Events
    Local Gem

    Manhattan Arts Center

    Under $25

    A nonprofit community arts center on Poyntz Avenue staging mainstage and youth theatre alongside art exhibitions.

    0.5 mi awayMore like this

  • Theatre & Events
    History Buff

    Columbian Theatre

    $25–$50

    An 1890s Wamego music hall that stages musicals and shows art and decor from the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

    15 mi awayMore like this