From symphonies and chamber music to Broadway tours, ballet, theater, opera and an impressive slate of visual art exhibitions, the season ahead offers no shortage of ways to fill your calendar.
The 2026-27 season brings familiar favorites and ambitious new productions to stages and galleries across the region. There are blockbuster Broadway shows in Grand Rapids, classical masterworks and jazz legends, ambitious local theater productions, contemporary dance, major museum exhibitions and plenty of opportunities to hear, see and experience artists from West Michigan and around the world.
MUSIC
Fontana Chamber Arts
359 Kalamazoo Mall Ste. 200, Kalamazoo
fontanamusic.org
Relic, Oct. 2
Miró Quartet, Nov. 20
Cuba Meets Brazil, Feb. 19
Camerata RCO, Apr. 9
Franke Center for the Arts
214 E Mansion St., Marshall
thefranke.org
Ben Daniels Band, Sept. 19
Laith Al-Saadi, Nov. 14
Three Men and a Tenor, Dec. 11
John Prine Tribute, Feb. 27
Sawyer Fredericks, Mar. 6
The Red Sea Pedestrians, Mar. 13
Frauenthal Center
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon
frauenthal.org
Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Sep. 18
Here Come the Mummies, Oct. 9
Gary Allan, Oct. 30
A Night Out w/ Brena, Jan. 8
Dixon’s Violin, Jan. 9
Frederik Meijer Gardens - Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts
1000 East Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
meijergardens.org
Punch Brothers, Sept. 9
Indigo Girls (sold out), Sept. 14
Switchfoot w/ Anberlin, Sept. 16
Shakey Graves (rescheduled from July 16), Sept. 18
Grand Rapids Symphony
300 Ottawa Ave. NW Ste. 100, Grand Rapids
grsymphony.org
RICHARD AND HELEN DEVOS MASTERWORKS:
Opening Weekend! Simon Trpčeski Plays Prokofiev, Sept. 25-26
America at 250, Oct. 9-10
Midori Plays Shostakovich, Nov. 6-7
Messiah by Candlelight, Nov. 20-21
Brahms & Wagner, Jan. 8-9
Capriccio espagnol, Jan. 29-30
Celebrating Beethoven, Feb. 26-27
Brahms' Double Concerto, March 19-20
Barber & Bernstein, April 16-17
Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony, May 7-8
COFFEE/CHAMBER MASTERWORKS:
From Dvořák to Brahms, Nov. 13
Light Beyond Shadows, Feb. 12
Mozart & Busler, Mar. 5
FOX MOTOR POPS:
The Music of Star Trek, Oct. 2-3
Holiday Pops, Dec. 4-5
Cirque de la Symphonie: Fire and Ice, Mar. 12-13
The Music of Billy Joel -The Piano Man's Greatest Hits, May 14-15
SYMPHONY SPECIALS:
Cody Fry, Sept. 12
The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert, Oct. 31
Holiday Pops, Dec. 5-6
The Muppet Christmas Carol, Dec. 16-17
The Gilmore
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo
thegilmore.org
Sophia Liu, Sep. 20
Dabin Ryu, Oct. 3
Aristo Sham, Oct. 18
Tom Borrow, Nov. 15
Caelan Cardello, Dec. 5
Holland Symphony Orchestra
96 W. 15th St. Ste. 201, Holland
hollandsymphony.org
Resonance and Renewal, Sept. 12
The Forces of Fate, Nov. 21
Home for the Holidays 2026, Dec. 12
Music From the New World, Mar. 20
A Closing Chapter, Apr. 17
Hope College Great Performance Series
100 E. Eighth St., Holland
hope.edu
South Chicago Dance, Sept. 17
Akropolis Reed Quintet, Oct. 22
Laura Anglade, Nov. 13
Camerata Nordica Octet, Jan. 21
Actors from the London Stage in King Lear, Apr. 8
Chanticleer, Apr. 21
Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
359 Kalamazoo Mall Ste. 100, Kalamazoo
kalamazoosymphony.com
Mozart & Stravinsky, Sept. 26
Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony, Oct. 17
Halloween Boos & Brews, Oct. 28
Peter and the Wolf, Nov. 7
Brahms & Bronfman, Nov. 14
Organ & Brass: Deck the Halls, Nov. 21
Carols By Candlelight, Dec. 9
Handel’s Messiah, Dec. 19
Carnival of the Animals, Jan. 20
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Jan. 30
Wu Man: Echoes of the East, Feb. 13
Holst’s The Planets, Feb. 20
Celtic Candlelight, Mar. 4
Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Mar. 20
Star Wars: A New Hope In Concert, Apr. 2-3
Itzhak Perlman: Cinema Serenade, Apr. 12
Beethoven & Dvořák, Apr. 24
The Music of Carmen, May 19
80s & More, July 15
St. Cecilia Music Center
24 Ransom Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
scmc-online.org
CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER
Dvořák, Debussy, and Chaminade, Oct. 29
Rhapsody in Blue, Feb. 4
String Radiance, Mar. 18
Mozart & Brahms - The Great Clarinet Quintets, Apr. 22
JAZZ SERIES
Kenny Barron Trio, Oct. 8
John Scofield & Dave Holland Duo, Feb. 18
Cécile McLorin Salvant & Sullivan Fortner, Mar. 25
Branford Marsalis & Dianne Reeves Celebrate John Coltrane, Apr. 15
FOLK
Dan Tyminski Band, Oct. 20
Béla Fleck, Nov. 5
Aoife O’Donovan & Chris Thile, Dec. 11
Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland, Jan. 28
Foy Vance, Apr. 20
West Michigan Symphony
360 W. Western Ave. Ste. 200, Muskegon
westmichigansymphony.org
MAIN SERIES
Endless Summer, Oct. 2
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, Nov. 13
Beethoven & Blue Jeans, Jan. 29
Wild Wild WMS, Feb. 26
Celtic Spirit, Mar. 19
Water Reflections, Apr. 16
Rachmaninoff & Tchaikovsky, June. 4
THE BLOCK
Bobby Floyd Trio, Oct. 3
Jeff Haas Quintet, Oct. 24
Westbound Situation, Nov. 6
Vadim Gluzman & Angela Yoffe, Nov. 14
Clickity Clack Ho Ho Ho, Dec. 5
Bryan Eng Trio – A Jazzy Christmas, Dec. 12
Trick & Alderighi, Jan. 23
Clayton Stephenson, Jan. 30
Hiroya Tsukamoto, Mar. 6
Bayberry String Quartet, Mar. 26
Reverie Baroque Ensemble, Apr. 17
Tumaini Sango Trio, May 15
Zlata Chochieva, June 5
CJ Eldred and the company of the North American Tour of & JULIET - Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.
THEATER & DANCE
Actors Theatre
160 Fountain St. NE, Grand Rapids
actorstheatregrandrapids.org
Do You Feel Anger, Sept. 10-19
The Singularity Play, Oct. 8-17
A Mile in the Dark, Mar. 4-13
Phoebe in Winter, May 6-15
Aquinas Contemporary Writers Series
1700 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids
aquinas.edu
Sarah Kay, Sept. 17
Joy Harjo, Nov. 12
Luis Alberto Urrea, Mar. 18
Broadway Grand Rapids
122 Lyon St. NW, Grand Rapids
grandrapids.broadway.com
Hell’s Kitchen, Sep. 15-20
The Notebook, Oct. 13-18
Maybe Happy Ending, Nov. 10-15
SIX, Jan. 12-17
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Feb. 9-14
Death Becomes Her, Mar. 2-7
The Phantom of the Opera, Aug. 11-22
Central Park Players
421 Columbus Ave., Grand Haven
centralparkplayers.org
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Oct. 16-25
A Christmas Story, Dec. 11-20
The Cemetery Club, Feb. 19-28
You Can’t Take It With You, Apr. 23-May 2
Deos Contemporary Ballet
1595 Galbraith Ave. SE, Grand Rapids
deosballet.com
Giselle, Nov. 13-15
Cracked Nuts, December
Dream Big: The Story of Ada Lovelace, March
Trojan Woman, March
A Night at the Barre, May
Beach Balls, Summer 2027
Face Off Theatre
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo
faceofftheatre.com
Harlem Duet, Sept. 11-20
Bambiland, Nov. 14-20
Farmers Alley Theatre Kalamazoo
221 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo
farmersalleytheatre.com
My Mother and the Michigan/Ohio War, Sept. 17-Oct. 4
Come From way, Nov. 5-22
Accomplice, Jan. 28-Feb. 7
Lost in Yonkers, Mar. 18-28
Kimberly Akimbo, May 20-June 6
Frauenthal Center
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon
frauenthal.org
Laughter on the Lakeshore, Sep. 25
World Ballet Company: Swan Lake with LIVE Orchestra, Sep. 30
Phantom of the Opera (1929) ft. LIVE Barton Organ, Oct. 4
United European Ballet Company: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Nov. 6
She Said What?! An Unladylike Night of Comedy, Nov. 14
O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy, Nov. 20
Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold, Dec. 13
Forest Hills Fine Arts Center
600 Forest Hill Ave. SE, Grand Rapids
fhfineartscenter.com
Magic Dragon’s All-Star Vegas, Sep. 26
Frost: Cirque Holiday Extravaganza, Dec. 20
The Peking Acrobats, Feb. 2
Gilmore Theatre/WMU Theatre
1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo
wmich.edu/theatre
Birthday Candles, Sept. 25-Oct. 11
Kinky Boots, Oct. 30-Nov. 15
The Three Musketeers, Nov. 12-22
Next Stop, Broadway!, Dec. 3-5
72 Miles to Go, Jan. 29-Feb. 14
Ragtime, Feb. 12-14
Cabaret, Mar. 19-Apr. 4
Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Apr. 9-24
Grand Rapids Ballet
341 Ellsworth Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
grballet.com
Broken Wings, Oct. 16-25
The Nutcracker, Dec. 11-20
Alice in Wonderland, Feb. 19-21
Jumpstart 2027, Mar. 19-21
Fancy Free, Apr. 23-May 1
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
30 N. Division Ave., Grand Rapids
grct.org
Come From Away, Sept. 11-27
Dragons Love tacos, Oct. 8-18
Annie, Nov. 20-Dec. 20
A Chorus Line, Jan. 15-24
Finding Nemo Jr., Mar. 25-28
Dear Evan Hansen, Feb. 19-Mar. 7
Our Town, Apr. 23-May 2
Les Miserables, June 4-20
Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids
2727 Michigan NE, Grand Rapids
jtgr.org
Parade, Dec. 3-13
Broken Glass, Feb. 4-14
Short Circuit, Apr. 15-May 2
Pizza Bagels, June 10-2
Kalamazoo Civic Theatre
329 S. Park St., Kalamazoo
kazoocivic.com
Anything Goes, Sept. 18-27
Some Enchanted Evening, Oct. 2-11
Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr., Oct. 23-Nov. 1
Silent Sky, Nov. 6-15
The Wizard of Oz, Nov. 27-Dec. 20
The Glass Menagerie, Jan. 15-24
Honk!, Jan. 29-Feb. 7
She Loves Me, Feb. 12-21
August Wilson’s Fences, Mar. 5-14
On Golden Pond, Apr. 2-11
Robin Hood, Apr. 16-25
Les Misérables, Apr. 30-May 16
LowellArts
223 W. Main St., Lowell
lowellartsmi.org
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), Oct. 16-25
A Bright New Boise, Apr. 9-18
Miller Auditorium
2200 Auditorium Dr, Kalamazoo
millerauditorium.com
Nutcracker!, Dec. 9
A Beautiful Noise: Neil Diamond Musical, Jan. 26-27
Sonic Live in Concert, Feb. 25
Legally Blonde the Musical, Mar. 5-6
The Book of Mormon, Mar. 23-24
Shucked, Apr. 27-28
Hadestown, May 11
The Wiz, May 18-19
Muskegon Civic Theatre
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon
muskegoncivictheatre.org
The Spongebob Musical, Sept. 12-13
Company, Oct. 9-24
It’s A Wonderful Life, Nov. 20-Dec. 6
The Lifespan of a Fact, Jan. 15-23
The Importance of Being Earnest, Feb. 12-27
Matilda, Apr. 29-May 2
New Vic Theatre
134 E. Vine St., Kalamazoo
thenewvictheatre.org
Ghost Stories, Oct. 16-Oct. 31
A Christmas Carol, Nov. 20-Dec. 22
Opera Grand Rapids
1320 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids
operagr.org
Three Decembers, Nov. 6-7
Souvenir, Mar. 12
Carmen, Apr. 30-May 1
Wellspring Dance
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo
wellspringdance.org
Fall Concert of Dance, Nov. 20-22
RADFest, Mar. 5-7
Spring Concert of Dance, May 21-23
Photo: Muskegon Museum of Arts.
VISUAL ARTS
Forest Hills Fine Arts Center
600 Forest Hill Ave. SE, Grand Rapids
fhfineartscenter.com
Margaret Kriegbaum, Sep. 1-Oct. 2
Paulette Car, Oct. 7-Nov. 5
Angela Green & Jim Gabbard, Jan. 7-Feb. 5
Between Two Shores - An All Women Exhibition, Feb. 10-Mar. 19
Plein Air Exhibition, May 19-June 25
Frederik Meijer Gardens
1000 East Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
meijergardens.org
CHIHULY at Meijer Gardens - Outdoor Experience, Thru Nov. 1
Related Programming:
- Reclaimed Glass Mosaic Workshop (SOLD OUT) - Sept. 12
- Seeing Glass, Color and Light Photography Workshop - Sept. 12
- Yoga and Chihuly | Slow Vinyasa - Sept. 13
- Fused Glass Wall Flower Workshop - Sept. 13
- Exhibition Explorations: Colorful CHIHULY Creations - Sept. 19
- Open Late Nights (until 8 pm.) - Sept. 1, 7, 8,10, 11, 15, 17, 18, 22, 25, 26, 29
CHIHULY Radiant Forms, Thru Jan. 10
Mums at Meijer Gardens, Oct. 1-31
Autumn Weekends, Fridays through Sundays in October. Related programming:
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- HALLOWEE-ONES - Saturdays, Oct. 24 and 31, 10 am–2 pm. On select Saturdays, the harvest season takes on a playful twist with family-friendly Halloween programming that balances festive fun with the warmth of autumn traditions. Dress up your kids and join the parade!
Fall Bonsai Show by the West Michigan Bonsai Club, Oct. 3 and 4. Related programming:
- Golden Gate Ficus Bonsai Class (Adults) (Beginner) - Oct. 3
- Jaboticaba Bonsai Workshop (Adults) (Beginner/Intermediate) - Oct. 3
- The Art of Bonsai Photography Class - Oct. 4
The Tom Merchant & Glen Johnson Sculpture Forum – A Material Passion: On Collecting Sculpture & Objects, Oct. 14
Open Teahouse Day, Oct. 18
Open Late Nights (until 7 pm.) - Oct. 6, 13, 14, 20, 22, 29
ENLIGHTEN Presented by PNC Bank, Nov. 23-Jan. 10
University of Michigan Health-West: Christmas & Holiday Traditions, Nov. 25-Jan. 10
Grand Rapids Art Museum
101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids
artmuseumgr.org
Gathering Light: The Jack H. Miller Glass Collection, Through Sep. 13
Jerry’s Map by Jerry Gretzinger, Through Oct. 18
Karel Appel: Start Again Like A Child, Through Nov. 15
A Shared Vision, Sep. 5-Feb. 7
ArtPrize 2026, Sep. 11-Mar. 14
Julie Green: The Last Supper, Oct. 3-24
Ray Materson: Metamorphosis, Oct. 3-Jan. 3
Gary Tyler: Rebirth, Oct. 3-Jan. 3
GRFS Presents: Michigan Experimental Cinema, Jan. 30-Aug. 15
Mystical Visions in the Material World, Jan. 30-Apr. 25
Lust, Love, and Loss in Renaissance Europe, Jan. 30-Apr. 25
Open Fields: Transcendent Color in the Midcentury, Mar. 6-Sep. 19
Art In Bloom 2027, Mar. 19-21
The Future is Ours, May 15-Aug. 15
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
314 South Park St., Kalamazoo
kiarts.org
Resilience—A Sansei Sense of Legacy, Through Nov. 1
For the People, By the People: America at 250, Through Oct. 4
Among the Beasts: Wild, Tamed & Imagined, Oct. 28-Jan. 31
Statement Pieces: Fashioning the Self & Society, Nov. 7-Feb. 7
LowellArts
223 W. Main St., Lowell
lowellarts.org
Against the Grain, Through Oct. 3
Artist Market, Nov. 5-Jan. 16
Muskegon Museum of Art
296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon
muskegonartmuseum.org
Let’s Picnic: The Knop Collection of Herman Miller Posters, Through Sep. 13
HerStory of Animation, Through Sep. 27
97th Michigan Contemporary Art Exhibition, Sep. 10-Nov. 4
MiniARTure Golf, Oct. 29-Apr. 25
Expressions, Mar. 18-May 9
Ox-Bow School of Art
3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck
ox-bow.org
Harvest Dinner, Oct. 3
Cavern Tavern, Oct. 31
Saugatuck Center for the Arts
400 Culver St., Saugatuck
sc4a.org
At the Edge of the Market, Through Sept. 11
Creative Fellow: Heather Winia, Through Dec. 31
plastic plastic, Oct. 23-May 14
Avenue for the Arts/106 Gallery
106 S. Division Ave., Grand Rapids
avenueforthearts.co
First Fridays, Every First Friday
Connect, Sept. 4-18
