San Diego is one of the largest cities in the US, and has a large cultural base, including the world class San Diego Symphony, San Diego Ballet, and San Diego Opera, and an active San Diego live theater community.

The San Diego Black Film Festival is held in the last week of January, and features films by and/or for African-Americans. Similarly, the San Diego Asian Film Festival is held in November.

San Diego Comic Con International is a four day event and gathering of pop culture, movie, TV, and some comics fans at the San Diego Convention Center. Over 100,000 people attend annually, including casual and hard-core fans; it is the largest fan convention in the world. The Con happens in, usually, mid-July. Pre-registration is mandatory; no on site registrations.

The Sun God Festival is a major music festival held on the University of California San Diego campus in the seventh week of the spring quarter, immediately after midterms, with live music, a fair, and other entertainment.

The Miramar Air Show is the largest military air show in the USA, with representatives of every aircraft-using military and governmental branch and service, with many demonstrations, most importantly the MAGTF Demo simulated aerial assault.

The National City Automobile Heritage Day Car Show is a chance for collectors to show off their sweet rides, classics to muscle cars. The show is held in August, in the peak of the sunny season.