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Phoenix runs its busiest events season from January through March, when mild weather brings spring training, a PGA Tour tournament, and a collector-car auction to the Valley. Summer is quiet outdoors but picks up indoors with concerts at Chase Field and the Footprint Center, and the holiday season finishes the year with two massive light displays. Most dates below recur annually and are accurate for a typical year, but confirm exact days before you book, especially for the Phoenix Open and spring training. For related guidance, see the Phoenix weather by month guide. For related guidance, see the Phoenix travel tips guide.
Phoenix Events and Festivals: Spring (January to March)
Waste Management Phoenix Open
The Waste Management Phoenix Open is the best-attended event in golf, drawing over 500,000 people to TPC Scottsdale over the first full week of February. It is famous for the stadium-style 16th hole, which holds nearly 20,000 noisy spectators. General admission runs roughly US$50 to US$75 per day, with Saturday the busiest and most expensive. Book hotels in Scottsdale months out, since rates spike across the entire metro for the week.
Cactus League Spring Training
Spring training runs from the third week of February through late March, when 15 Major League Baseball teams play across ten Cactus League ballparks around Phoenix and Scottsdale. Lawn-seat tickets start around US$15 to US$20, and games run daily. The Diamondbacks play at Salt River Fields, and the Cubs and Giants draw the biggest crowds. It coincides with the best weather of the year, so pair a game with a hike, using best time to visit Phoenix to pick your window.
Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction
The Barrett-Jackson collector car auction runs for about ten days in the second half of January at WestWorld of Scottsdale, selling roughly 2,000 vehicles a year. General admission is around US$35 to US$50 per day. It is the world’s largest collector car auction and draws families as much as serious bidders, with a huge vendor hall alongside the auction block.
Phoenix Events and Festivals: Summer (April to September)
M3F Music Festival
M3F (McDowell Mountain Music Festival) is a two-day non-profit music festival held the first weekend of March in Margaret T. Hance Park downtown, with past lineups spanning indie, electronic, and hip-hop. Single-day tickets run roughly US$85 to US$110, and every dollar goes to local charities. It is the largest 100 percent non-profit music festival in the country, held before the heat arrives.
Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns Seasons
The Diamondbacks play home games at Chase Field from late March through September, and the retractable roof plus air conditioning make it a comfortable summer escape. Suns and Mercury basketball runs October through May at the Footprint Center. Single-game MLB tickets start near US$20, and NBA tickets start higher, around US$40 for upper-level seats. Both venues sit off the 3rd Street light rail stop downtown, described in things to do in Phoenix.
Phoenix Events and Festivals: Winter Holidays (October to December)
Las Noches de las Luminarias
The Desert Botanical Garden transforms on select evenings in mid December for Las Noches de las Luminarias, when more than 8,000 hand-lit luminaria bags line the desert trails alongside live music and seasonal treats. Tickets run about US$39.95 for adults and sell out weeks ahead. It runs nightly over several weeks, and entry times are staggered to keep the paths manageable.
Phoenix Zoo Zoolights
Zoolights at the Phoenix Zoo runs from late November through mid January, covering the grounds in millions of LED lights and animated displays. Adult tickets are roughly US$34.95, with discounts on weeknights. It is one of the most popular Phoenix events and festivals of the year for families, and the zoo often pairs it with a hot-cocoa and s’mores area near the entrance.
For a room near whichever event you are attending, browse where to stay in Phoenix and Phoenix neighborhoods, which break down hotel prices by district.
