80 Fun things to do in Boston for Summer 2026

80 fun concerts, festivals, shows, and
more to check out around Boston from The Boston Globe

May Events:

Lucy Raven: Rounds It’s summer, or almost, which means the return of the Watershed, the ICA’s seasonal annex on the East Boston side of the harbor. This year, Lucy Raven, known for her meditative film installations that set the heroic landscapes of the American West on a collision course with the historic exploitation and extraction economies that have left it heavily scarred. Case in point: “Murderers Bar,” a 2025 film that witnesses the removal of a colossal concrete dam in northern California, and the cathartic, destructive deluge of release. May 21-Sept. 7. 256 Marginal St., East Boston. 617-478-3100, icaboston.org/ica-watershed — Murray Whyte

ALEX KATZ: OUT OF SIGHT: A DRAWING SURVEY Katz, pushing 100, had his first big retrospective at 95, at the Guggenheim in 2022. There are reasons for that, not least of which his stubborn devotion to figure when the world went abstract some 70-plus years ago. But he’s always had a home at the Colby Museum of Art, near his summer home in Lincolnville, Maine, and to which he’s given almost 1,000 works. On the edge of his centenary, this show feels reflective, eschewing his big, bold, colorful canvases for small scale drawing. May 21-Oct. 11. Colby Museum of Art, 5600 Mayflower Hill Drive, Waterville, Maine. 207- 859-5600, www.colby.edu/museum — MW

LUCINDA WILLIAMS Released earlier this year, “World Gone Wrong” is the second album Lucinda Williams has made since her 2020 stroke, and on this one she is p.o.-ed. She has called the aptly titled album a “commentary on modern America,” and it’s one that rocks as hard as it punches. May 22, 8 p.m. Chevalier Theatre, Medford. 800-745-3000, chevaliertheatre.com— Stuart Munro

BOSTON DANCE THEATER: “THE CAROL KAYE PROJECT” Back in 2022, Jessie Jeanne Stinnett’s company presented this 75-minute program inspired by legendary session bassist Carol Kaye at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Now the troupe is taking the quartet of pieces — Karole Armitage’s “Carol/Karole,” Rena Butler’s “For the Record,” Rosie Herrera’s “Ofrenda,” and Stinnett’s “Legacy”— to Maine. May 23, 7:30 p.m. $15-$35. Strand Theatre, Rockland, Maine. bostondancetheater.com— Jeffrey Gantz’

SAMANTHA FISH “Every song’s a feminist anthem when you’re a woman writing from your own experience,” Samantha Fish has said of the title track from her incendiary new album, “Paper Doll.” The provocative singer and songwriter — and fearsome guitar shredder — comes to the Cabot joined by opener Solomon Hicks. May 23, 8 p.m. The Cabot, Beverly. 978-927-3100, thecabot.org— Jon Garelick

JACKRABBIT. Dermot Mulroney played an aspiring country singer in the 1993 flick “The Thing Called Love.” Now he’s pursuing the same aspiration off-screen by teaming up with fellow actor and brother Kieran to form the band jackrabbit. (yes, that’s how they’ve rendered the band name), which will be playing original, harmony-forward country music on its debut tour. May 26, 8 p.m. The Center for Arts in Natick. 508-647-0097, tcan.org— SM

NEW MASADA QUARTET Former enfant terrible of new music John Zorn leads this latest iteration of his celebrated quartet, with guitarist Julian Lage, bassist Jorge Roeder, and drummer Kenny Wolleson, playing, in Zorn’s words, “Ornette Coleman with Jewish scales.” May 28, 7 p.m. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. gardnermuseum.org/calendar— JG

BOSTON BALLET: “THE SLEEPING BEAUTY” The company closes out its 62nd season with 12 performances of the ballet audiences seem to love the most, with Princess Aurora and Prince Désiré, the Lilac Fairy and her entourage, Bluebird and Princess Florine, Puss in Boots and the White Cat, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, even bad fairy Carabosse and her scary grotesques. Throw in Tchaikovsky’s sumptuous score and Petipa’s choreography that includes the Rose Adagio and one can hardly go wrong. Last time out, in 2022, the production ran close to three hours, but three hours with this “Beauty” is time well spent. May 28–June 7. $36-$239. Citizens Opera House, Boston. www.bostonballet.org— JGantz

EUREKA DAY In Jonathan Spector’s timely satire, a mumps outbreak triggers a dispute over vaccinations that quickly spirals out of control at a progressive elementary school that prides itself on inclusivity. Featuring Nancy Lemenager, Ken Cheeseman, Japhet Balaban, Sasha Diamond, Eunice Woods, and Ebonie Marie. Directed by Margot Bordelon (“John Proctor is the Villain”).May 28-June 28. The Huntington. At the Huntington Theatre, Boston. 617-266-0800, huntingtontheatre.org— Don Aucoin

HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY H+H puts its professional chorus firmly in the spotlight with “Voices Carry,” a program including Schütz’s German Magnificat, Gesualdo’s striking “Miserere mei,” Scarlatti’s mournful Stabat Mater, and more, conducted by former Boston Symphony Orchestra director of choral activities James Burton. May 29 and 31. New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall. www.handelandhaydn.org— A.Z. Madonna

DUKE ROBILLARD The cofounder of Roomful of Blues has been dishing his infallibly swinging guitar blues in multiple contexts — including straight-up jazz (with Herb Ellis), Texas blues-rock (with the Fabulous Thunderbirds), and always a core of T-Bone Walker-style jump blues — for close to six decades. He remains a singer and guitarist of learned, impassioned eloquence. May 30, 7 p.m. Regattabar, Cambridge. 617-661-5099, regattabarjazz.com— JG

ALEX EDELMAN: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO Following the massive success of his show “Just For Us,” the Brookline native has been building a new show for the past year, and brings the current version to the Emerson Colonial Theatre. May 30, 7 p.m. $48.80-$200. Emerson Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston St., Boston. www.us.atgtickets.com— Nick A. Zaino III

BOSTON BAROQUE X-TET: SOUNDS FROM TURKEY Boston Baroque’s chamber music squad teams up with members of global music ensemble DÜNYA for an intermissionless hour and a half of new and old music from Turkey and the Ottoman Empire, all performed on period instruments. The program includes the world premiere of a new piece by local Turkish-American composer and DÜNYA director Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol. May 30 and 31. Multicultural Arts Center, East Cambridge. www.baroque.boston— AZM

WILLIAM PRINCE This Indigenous Canadian singer-songwriter writes songs that traverse country, folk, and other flavors of roots music with ease, and delivers them with resonating, well-deep, bourbon-smooth vocals. His music has been racking up accolades, including two JUNO awards and the John Prine Songwriter fellowship. May 31, 7 p.m. Club Passim, Cambridge. 617-492-7679, passim.org— SM

June Events

SOHIP BOSTON The Society for Historically Informed Performance presents its 40th season of eclectic weekly concerts from various small ensembles. Among the season’s offerings: Pandora Consort with the American woman-focused folk opera “The Fire Within” (June 9-11); a wild musical bestiary from multi-instrumental quartet Hesperus (June 16-18), and songs of hope from medieval France from Duo Tarasque, featuring soprano-harpist Howell Petty and vielle player-lutenist Luce Burrell. Starts June 2. Tuesdays, Lincoln; Wednesdays, Andover; Thursdays, Boston. www.sohipboston.org – AZM

BAD BOOKS After discovering her son with a book she considers obscene, a mother (Aimee Doherty) confronts a local librarian (Therese Plaehn.) Matters quickly escalate, and soon the entire town is embroiled in the dispute. Sharyn Rothstein’s play is directed by M. Bevin O’Gara. June 4-27. Gloucester Stage Company. At Natti-Willsky Performance Center, Gloucester. 978-281-4433, GloucesterStage.com – DA

IMPROV WITH MY FRIENDS FROM WORK — WITH CAST AND WRITERS FROM SNL “Saturday Night Live” writer, Boston College alum, and former Improv Asylum director and mainstage actor Ceara O’Sullivan leads this longform improv show with “SNL” cast members Chloe Troast and Ben Marshall, “SNL” writers Carl Tart, Asha Ward, and Jimmy Fowlie, plus fellow Improv Asylum alums Ryan Gaul and Alex Kagy. June 5, 7:30 p.m. $45-$55.The Wilbur, 246 Tremont St., Boston. www.thewilbur.com— NZ

CHARLIE MARIE Providence’s Charlie Marie decided to leave the business after she released her last album, “Ramble On,” in 2021. Lucky for us, she changed her mind, and now she’s back with a new record of her beautiful iteration of country music entitled “Signs.” She made the record with local band These Wild Plains; together they celebrate its release with this show. June 5, 8 p.m. Lizard Lounge, Cambridge. 617-547-0759, lizardloungeclub.com— SM

DANCE FOR WORLD COMMUNITY FESTIVAL José Mateo Ballet Theatre’s 17th annual free, public, all-day festival will offer dance classes and performances in the JMBT studios and on four outdoor stages between Bow Street and Putnam Avenue in Cambridge. This year’s line-up will include Evolve Dynamicz, Ultimate Tango (Andi Babbs and Brian Spielman), SambaViva, Novum Dance Collective, Asian American Ballet Project, and Kathak dancers Kohal Das and Ananya Goswani, with more to come. The day will end with a dance party from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Old Baptist Church parking lot. June 6, noon–8 p.m. Free. Harvard Square, Cambridge. www.danceforworldcommunity.org— JGantz

FREDDIE GIBBS The lyrically adept MC from Gary, Ind., shows off the rhyming skills that have attracted top-tier producers like The Alchemist and Madlib to collaborate with him. June 5, 8 p.m. Roadrunner Boston. roadrunnerboston.com— Maura Johnston

AMERICAN STORIES: FROM REVOLUTION TO ROCKWELL What’s a semiquincentennial without Norman Rockwell, thrust for much of the 20th century into the role of America’s kindly artistic grandpa? Incomplete, I’d say, but not for those reasons at all. In sharp contrast to the nostalgic idealism for which he remains best-known, Rockwell was an active campaigner for civil rights and against injustice of all kinds, using his considerable fame in his later years to help craft a better, stronger, more inclusive version of the country he loved. This show, at his eponymous museum, groups Rockwell with his spiritual kin from the Revolution to the present day; he shares space with such luminaries as Paul Revere, Aaron Douglas, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, and Faith Ringgold, united in the singular cause of a broad vision of freedom. June 6-Oct. 26. Norman Rockwell Museum, 9 Route 183, Stockbridge. 413-298-4100, www.nrm.org— MW

FUTUREBIRDS Futurebirds arrive in town a week after their latest, a double album they’ve dubbed “Far Out Country I & II,” comes out (on vinyl only, at least to begin with). The record is chock full of their vintage indie/country-rock; the band advises that “’Far Out Country’ is a place, not a sound.” June 11, 8 p.m. Royale. 888-929-7849, axs.com— SM

ROSALIA “Lux,” last year’s album from this Spanish pop visionary, is a breathtaking dive into religious mysticism that explodes the divide between “high” and “low” music with nerve and gusto. Judging by early reports, the tour behind it is doing the same, with The Heritage Orchestra in tow for a dazzling multi-act show. June 11, 8:30 p.m. TD Garden. 617-624-1000, tdgarden.com— MJ

LEAH RUDICK Originally from the Midwest, Rudick says she gets guff from her family when she goes back. “I’ll come home and they’ll be like, ‘Oh, here comes Leah, fancy bougie city girl, doing all her fancy bougie city things,’” she says, “and I’m like, ‘All I did was throw out your expired milk.’” June 12 at 7 p.m. and June 13 at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. $39. Off Cabot, 9 Wallis St., Beverly. 978-927-3100, www.offcabot.org— NZ

ROCKPORT CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL Rockport’s picturesque Shalin Liu Performance Center hosts a wealth of chamber music between mid-June and mid-July, including a recital by Simone Dinnerstein of music by Bach, Rameau, Philip Lasser, and Keith Jarrett (June 13);performances by young prizewinners Galvin Cello Quartet (June 25) and Poiesis Quartet (June 27); chamber orchestra fare from A Far Cry with clarinetist Anthony McGill (June 19) and Delirium Musicum (July 1); and grab-bag “And Friends” evenings anchored by pianist Piers Lane (June 21) and violinist Augustin Hadelich (June 28). June 12-July 12. Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport. 978-546-7391, www.rockportmusic.org— AZM

IN OLD AGE The widowed Abasiama Ufot (Chavez Ravine), whom Boston audiences have gotten to know from earlier installments in Mfoniso Udofia’s nine-play cycle about three generations of a Nigerian-American family, develops a late-in-life spiritual bond with Azell Abernathy (Marvin Bell), a gentle-spirited carpenter. Directed by Dawn M. Simmons.June 13–28. Production by Front Porch Arts Collective. Presented by ArtsEmerson at Emerson Paramount Center, Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre, Boston. 617-824-8400, ArtsEmerson.org — DA

AN EXQUISITE EYE: INTRODUCING THE ASO O. TAVITIAN COLLECTION The Clark Art Institute made a splash in 2024 when it announced it had received a coveted private collection from the Aso O. Tavitian Foundation, named for the late software billionaire who was also once a member of its board of trustees. A trove of 331 artworks by renowned European artists from the 15th to the 19th century — Peter Paul Rubens, Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, and Jan Van Eyck top the marquee — the gift came with a $45 million check to fund a curator to care for them and a new wing to house them. This summer the Clark offers a long look before its permanent home is set to be complete in late 2027. June 13-Feb. 21, 2027. Clark Art Institute, 225 South St., Williamstown. 413-458-2303, clarkart.edu — MW

UNDERSCORES Producer and songwriter April Harper Grey has been making music since her early teens; now in her mid-20s, her latest album, the kitchen-sink reimagining of electropop “U,” feels like being immersed in a music player that’s always on shuffle in the most exhilarating fashion. June 14, 8 p.m. Royale. 617-338-7699, axs.com— MJ

MATT SHORE DOES SONGS AT YOU Shore and his Anxiety Possum, the creature who sometimes interrupts his music to stoke his fears about everyday life, are headed to the studio to record a debut album with a fall release, and to the Studio in June. With host Ari Dhar and featuring Tyler Durniak. June 17, 7:30 p.m. $23.95. The Comedy Studio, 5 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge. www.thecomedystudio.com— NZ

THE BAD PLUS Jazz mavericks the Bad Plus — who broke out 26 years ago with jazz piano trio renditions of Black Sabbath, Nirvana, Neil Young, and, later, Stravinsky, as well as several handfuls of sui generis originals — hang it up with a farewell tour in their current configuration as a quartet. June 18, 8 p.m. Groton Hill Music Center, Groton. 978-486-9524, grotonhill.org— JG

DELIRIUM As chaos envelops the outside world, a man (Andrey Burkovskiy) and a woman (Chulpan Khamatova) are mired in a perpetual, petty argument. Eventually, as “the boundaries between reality and delusion dissolve,” according to press materials, “conflict becomes connection, and contradiction becomes a form of devotion.” Igor Golyak directs his own new adaptation of Eugène Ionesco’s “Frenzy for “Two.” June 18-July 2. -ARLEKIN!. At Wimberly Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts. www.arlekinplayers.com— DA

PRIZE FIGHT Playwright-actress Brenda Withers, one of the most original voices around, has written what she describes as a “scrappy, comic battle of ideals and idolatry” between a novelist (Samantha Steinmetz) who wants to reject a distinguished literary award and the smooth-talking agent (Robin Bloodworth) who wants the writer to “choose prestige over principle.” Directed by Jonathan Fielding. June 18-July 11. Harbor Stage, Wellfleet. 508-258-9167 (year-round); 508-349-6800 (after Memorial Day); www.harborstage.org— DA

THE AMERICAN FIVE Through the eyes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, Bayard Rustin, Stanley Levison and Clarence B. Jones, this drama, by Chess Jakobs, explores the strategy and sacrifice in the days that led up to the 1963 March on Washington. Cast to be announced. Directed by Gerry McIntyre. June 18-July 11. Berkshire Theatre Group, Larry Vaber Stage, Unicorn Theatre, Stockbridge. 413-997-4444, berkshiretheatre.org— DA

BOSTON FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA“The Sound of Revolution,” the final free program in the orchestra’s 2026 chamber season, features orchestra members performing work by composers for whom music is or was an avenue of resisting oppression; Erwin Schulhoff, Reza Vali, and more (June 18). Later, Boston Public Library’s Rabb Hall Founding conductor Alyssa Wang directs two mainstage concerts at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, with the first featuring Chorus Pro Musica (dir. Jamie Kirsch) in the Boston premiere of Christopher Tin’s expansive “The Drop That Contained the Sea” (July 11) and the second pairing Mozart’s “Sinfonia concertante” with Bruckner’s titanic Symphony No. 6 (July 26). www.bforchestra.org— AZM

THE BLACK CROWES Since reuniting in 2019, the Robinson brothers — Chris and Rich — have put out two rock records full of grit and swagger, with this year’s “A Pound of Feathers” cementing their legacy as Southern rock torch-bearers on cuts like the grunged-up “Cruel Streak” and the growling “It’s Like That.” June 19, 6:30 p.m. Xfinity Center, Mansfield. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com— MJ

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS: AMERICA AT 250 A celebratory occasion turned fraught and contentious by a radical turn in American government, the semiquincentennial this summer is shaping up to be yet another battleground in the daily culture war grind. At the MFA, there’s no backing down: It turned down a $400,000 federal grant for the full do-over of its Art of the Americas wing for fear of meddling, and will go ahead with its vision of an inspiring, imperfect, still-in-progess nation with much left to aspire to — a far more hopeful view than the simple-minded celebration the administration touts. Opens June 19. Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave. 617-267-9300, www.mfa.org — MW

ABILITIES DANCE BOSTON: “FIREBIRD, PART 2” In 2021, this company founded by Ellice Patterson presented her reimagining of the 1910 Stravinsky/Fokine ballet “Firebird.” Now Abilities Dance Boston is back with the world premiere of “Firebird, Part 2,” a two-act, evening-length sequel in which Patterson asks the question “What happens when the Firebird stops saving everyone else — and saves herself?” The original score is composed by Abilities Dance music director Andrew Choe; the performances will include audio description for visually impaired and low-vision audiences and open captions and ASL interpretation for hard-of-hearing audiences. There will also be free and sliding-scale ticket options to ensure financial accessibility. June 19–20, 8 p.m.; June 21, 2 p.m. $45. John and Edgar Booth Theatre at Boston University. abilitiesdanceboston.org— JGantz

BOSTON LANDMARKS ORCHESTRA The summer orchestra celebrates its 25th anniversary this season; details are still forthcoming, but the orchestra is planning several free performances at the Hatch Shell and various neighborhoods around Boston. A Juneteenth-themed concert begins the season on June 20th, and there will be concerts at the Hatch Shell on Wednesday evenings throughout July and August, including a performance of Verdi’s “Requiem” on Aug. 5 with the Cantata Singers and One City Choir. DCR Hatch Memorial Shell and various venues. www.landmarksorchestra.org— AZM

BOSTON DANCE THEATER: “CROSSCURRENTS” Last November, Boston Dance Theater became a company-in-residence at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, and “Crosscurrents” is its first presentation in its new home. The program will include selections from BDT’s repertoire, new works created for BDT’s Trainee Program, and a guest performance from Indian classical dancer Anugraha Raman rooted in Bharatanatyam and yogic philosophy. June 20, 7 p.m.; June 21, 2 p.m. $35-$83. Theater at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown. bostondancetheater.com— JGantz

THE ANIMEROS Taking their name from the word for Colombian shamans, this Austin, Texas, trio pulls in cumbia, bolero, and psychedelic rock and soul to come up with their own explosive, eminently danceable mix. Dan Auerbach had a chance encounter with the band’s music and liked what he heard so much that he’s issuing their debut full-length on his Easy Eye Sound label. June 21, 8 p.m. Deep Cuts, Medford. 781-219-3815, deepcuts.rocks— SM

JACOB’S PILLOW DANCE FESTIVAL The 2026 season of America’s premier summer dance festival will include Paul Taylor Dance Company (June 24-28), Urban Bush Women (July 1-5), Akram Khan Company (July 8-12), A.I.M by Kyle Abraham (July 15-19), Faye Driscoll with “Weathering” (July 15-19), Circa Contemporary Circus (July 22-26), Gauthier Dance (July 29-Aug. 2), San Francisco Ballet (Aug. 5-9), Ephrat Asherie Dance (Aug. 5-9), Martha Graham Dance Company (Aug. 12-16), Ballet Hispánico New York (Aug. 19-23), and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (Aug. 26-30). Through Aug. 30. Tickets free and up. Becket. www.jacobspillow.org— JGantz

EMMET COHEN The fluent and ebullient pianist and composer, who brightened the dark early days of COVID-19 with his massively popular livestream “Live from Emmet’s Place,”comes to Scullers following the release of “Universal Truth” (arriving May 29), with drummer Joe Farnsworth and bassist Reuben Rogers. June 26-27, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Scullers Jazz Club. scullersjazz.com— JG

LUCINDA CHILDS: “MOMENTARY REPRISE” A member of the Judson Dance Theater in the 1960s, Childs went on to collaborate with Philip Glass and Robert Wilson in the 1976 opera “Einstein on the Beach” and has become a leading choreographer for opera. She has a best actress Obie for her performance in “Einstein on the Beach” as well as a Lifetime Achievement Bessie Award and a Golden Lion from the Venice Dance Biennale. This appearance by the Lucinda Childs Dance Company will feature collaborations with Glass, Wilson, John Adams, and Anri Sala. June 26, 7 p.m.; June 27–28, 2 p.m. $31.50-$101.50. Fisher Center, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. www.fishercenter.bard.edu— JGantz

COMEDY BANG! BANG! GROUND BEEFING TOUR Scott Aukerman has built “Comedy Bang! Bang!” from a podcast with offbeat friends into a seventeen-year party with almost a thousand episodes logged, and hits the road with improvised episodes. With frequent co-conspirator, Paul F. Tompkins. June 27, 8 p.m. $49-$194. Chevalier Theatre, 30 Forest St., Medford. www.chevaliertheatre.com— NZ

TANGLEWOOD As per usual, the Boston Symphony Orchestra presents a smorgasbord of programming at its summer home in the Berkshires. A few highlights: Philip Glass’s brand new Symphony No. 15, “Lincoln” (July 5); an all-Tchaikovsky evening with music director Andris Nelsons, including the Piano Concerto No. 1 with Seong-Jin Cho and excerpts from “Swan Lake” featuring Boston Ballet principal dancers (July 10); a week’s worth of community-oriented events and concerts curated by Yo-Yo Ma in early August, a solo piano recital by Yuja Wang (Aug. 18), and popular artists such as Paul Simon (June 27 and 28), Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (July 28), and Brandi Carlile (Aug. 18). Tanglewood, Lenox. 617-266-1200, www.bso.org— AZM

ENSEMBLE ALTERA As the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence approaches, the Providence-based professional chamber choir debuts “Declarations,” an evening-length piece by composer Piers Connor Kennedy based on texts by a tapestry of American writers including Thomas Jefferson, Tracy K. Smith, Langston Hughes, and Iñupiaq poet dg nanouk okpik.June 27, Old South Church, Boston; June 28, Providence. www.ensemblealtera.com— AZM

July Events

WINSLOW HOMER: PAINTER, ETCHER Audiences will never get enough of Homer, presented every which way, though recent years have cast a more critical eye on his obvious gifts as a realist to a worldview that made him much more modern than meets the eye. This straightforward look at his forays into new media — he took up etching to produce his works in series — may not reach much further than the technical, but the simmering intent of the artist himself will be present all the same. July 3-Oct. 18. Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square, Portland, Maine. 207-775-6148, portlandmuseum.org — MW

SHAKIRA The day after Gillette Stadium’s hosting of World Cup games comes to a close, the artist fronting its theme song (for the second time) comes to town for a de facto afterparty that’ll highlight her forward-thinking artistry and perpetual-motion stage presence. July 10-11, 7:30 p.m. TD Garden. 617-624-1000, tdgarden.com— MJ

BATES DANCE FESTIVAL Bates College’s summer performance series will feature Cynthia Oliver Co. Dance Theatre in “Turn. Turning. Turnt” (July 10 and 12, 7:30 p.m.); Kyle Marshall Choreography in “Femenine” (July 17–18, 7:30 p.m.); Leslie Cuyjet in “For All Your Life” (July 24, 7:30 p.m.); and Jesse Factor in “The Marthaodyssey” (July 30–31, 7:30 p.m.). $5-$40. Schaeffer Theatre, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. www.batesdancefestival.org/performances — JGantz

CHRIS FLEMING “Live At the Palace,” the stand-up special Fleming released on HBO in February, was both an artistic and commercial breakthrough. Fleming has since been everywhere, from “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend” (Conan executive produced the special) to “The Drew Barrymore Show.” July 10 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., July 11-12 at 7 p.m. $49-$94. The Wilbur, 246 Tremont St., Boston. www.thewilbur.com— NZ

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: A NEW STORY LIVE ON STAGE Inspired by the horror film series, “Paranormal Activity” features a script by Levi Holloway (“Grey House”) with a new story. A couple named James and Lou moves from Chicago to London, where Lou becomes convinced that “something isn’t right” in their new home, according to press materials. Directed by Felix Barrett, with illusions by Tony Award winner Chris Fisher. The show’s next stop will be Broadway, where performances will begin in August. July 11-30. Emerson Colonial Theatre. emersoncolonialtheatre.com. — DA

DANIELA RIVERA: HACIA CUANDO (TO WHEN) Sometimes you have to trust the artist. According to the description on the Mass MoCA website, Rivera’s installation at the sprawling Berkshires museum will “decenter the physical experience of the space, as well as upending traditional expectations of museum behavior.” I’m not sure exactly what that means, but Rivera’s track record of thoughtfully oblique, evocative installations rooted in the destructive legacies of colonialism leaves me expecting more than words seem able to convey. Drawing on ancient Mexican ceramics, Rivera plans a stage set of sorts that honors past cultures while crafting connection to the present day: Her work will be the platform for contemporary performance, connecting past to present across the fraught colonial epoch. Opens July 11. Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, 1040 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams. 413-662-2111, www.massmoca.org— MW

NEWPORT DANCE FESTIVAL Presented by Newport Contemporary Ballet, the festival will feature visiting dance troupes to include Alison Cook Beatty Dance (New York), Artistic Ventures in Dance (Colorado), Breathing Art Company (Italy), DaYoung Jung, Choreography (Oklahoma), and East Coast Contemporary Ballet (Connecticut). July 15–19. $40-$50. Great Friends Meeting House, Newport, R.I. newportcontemporaryballet.org— JGantz

ASTON MAGNA FESTIVAL The long-running early music summer festivalputs up four programs, offering a musical grand tour with destinations including the French Baroque and 17th-century Venice under the artistic direction of Daniel Stepner. Guest director Julia Glenn, violinist of the Lydian String Quartet, heads up an intriguing program of “music from less expected places,” including China and Scotland. Thursdays starting July 16, Slosberg Music Center, Brandeis University, Waltham. www.astonmagna.org— AZM

JASON CARTER AND MICHAEL CLEVELAND Two of the premier bluegrass fiddlers on the planet are pooling their talents. Jason Carter spent 30 years in Del McCoury’s band while Michael Cleveland led his own band, Flamekeeper. They teamed up last year to make an album (“Carter & Cleveland”) together, and now they’re presenting what resulted from their collaboration live.July 16, 8 p.m. Groton Hill Music Center, Groton. 978-486-9524, grotonhill.org— SM

WEIRD AL YANKOVIC THE BIGGER & WEIRDER TOUR It looked like Al was having the time of his life on the “Bigger & Weirder Tour” in 2025, with a full band with a horn section and frequent costume changes, so he decided to do it again in 2026. With special guest Puddles Pity Party. July 18, 7:30 p.m. $63-$354. TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston. www.ticketmaster.com— NZ

A NEW ERA In the premiere of Miranda Austen ADEkoje’s drama, inspired by a real-life 1895 reform conference in Boston of Black women from around the country, Patrice Jean-Baptiste plays Boston activist Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, leader of an effort to outlaw lynching. The cast also includes Regine Vital, MaConnia Chesser, Frances Domond, Tolu Asade, Aislinn Brophy, Sydney Jackson, and Aliyah Harris. Directed by Summer L. Williams. July 18-Aug. 8. Company One Theatre. At Strand Theatre, Boston. companyone.org— DA

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Shakespeare’s comedy of enchantment and revelation is the latest offering in the Free Shakespeare on the Boston Common program, helmed by founding artistic director Steven Maler, with choreography by John Lam. Cast includes De’Lon Grant as Theseus/Oberon, Nora Eschenheimer as Hippolyta/Titania, Nick Cearley as Puck, Meghan Carey as Hermia, Jaime José Hernández as Lysander, Jack Greenberg as Demetrius, Annika Burley as Helena. Also: Paul Melendy as Bottom, Karen MacDonald as Quince, and Brooks Reeves as Egeus/Starveling. July 22-Aug. 9. Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. Parkman Bandstand, Boston Common.commshakes.org— DA

WAYNE HANCOCK I can’t remember the last time Wayne Hancock made it to these parts, so seeing his name pop up in concert listings was a welcome sight, although Hancock’s singular “juke joint swing” may be more suited to a honky-tonk than to the comparatively genteel environs of this venue. July 23, 7:30 p.m. City Winery Boston. 617-933-8047, citywinery.com/boston— SM

RON FUNCHES “There is no such thing as an alpha male comedian,” says comedian and recent “Traitors” star Funches. “You cannot be an alpha male when our entire job is just going, ‘Guess what I heard?! No, I need you to shut up so I can tell you!’” July 25, 7 p.m. $37-$91.The Wilbur, 246 Tremont St., Boston. www.thewilbur.com— NZ

CAMBRIDGE JAZZ FESTIVAL The Cambridge Jazz Foundation presents the 11th annual free two-day festival. Saturday: Las Nenas Del Swing, directed by Kristalis Sotomayor Matos; singer and composer Kavita Shah; Eguie Castrillo y Su Orchestra; and a salsa dance party. Sunday: powerhouse alto saxophonist and composer Tia Fuller; Ron Savage’s quartet, featuring saxophonist Antonio Hart. More acts TBA. July 25-26,noon-6 p.m. Danehy Park, Cambridge. 617-562-4111, cambridgejazz foundation.org— JG

MARINA FRANKLIN “That’s what I do when I’m not with a man,” says Franklin. “I look amazing. Not when I’m with you, that’s not the time. I got you. The trick worked. Like, if I’m in a relationship with you and you see me doing air squats and sit-ups? It’s over. That is not for you.” July 31, 7 p.m. $39.90. Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St., Boston. 617-725-2844, www.laughboston.com— NZ

CAPE COD CHAMBER MUSIC Prefer the beach to the Berkshires during the summer? Worry not, there’s plenty of musical offerings through this long-running festival, mostly in string quartet form this year — specifically the Danish, Borromeo, Harlem, and Renaissance string quartets. But that’s not all; the festival also hosts Imani Winds; the jazz trio of Steve Wilson, Renee Rosnes, and David Wong both on their own and in a collaborative performance with the Harlem Quartet; and the piano-clarinet duo of artistic directors Jon Manasse and Jon Nakamatsu, who this summer mark 20 years heading up the festival. July 31-Aug. 21, various venues on Cape Cod. www.capecodchambermusic.org— AZM

August Events

SULLIVAN FORTNER The pianist and composer — whose all-over orchestral approach to the keyboard made him an ideal partner for singer Cécile McLorin and won him a best instrumental jazz album Grammy for his 2025 release “Southern Nights” — comes to Rockport Music with bassist Tyrone Allen and drummer Kayvon Gordon. Aug. 1, 7:30 p.m. Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport. 978-546-7391,rockportmusic.org— JG

WINDHOVER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS This Rockport multicultural center’s summer dance offerings on the Windhover Outdoor Stage include Alison Cook Beatty Dance / Nattie Trogdon + Hollis Bartlett, a double bill of New York-based artists (Aug. 8, 7 p.m.); Limón Dance Company celebrating its 80th season (Aug. 14–15, 7 p.m.); Boston’s BoSoma Dance Company (Aug. 27, 7 p.m.); and “Samagata: Solo Dances from the Indian Tradition” (Sept. 5, 7 p.m.). $22-$37. Rockport. windhover.org/performances— JGantz

FABIOLA MÉNDEZ The first graduate of Berklee College to play the cuatro as her principal instrument, this Puerto Rican cuatrista offers original music that fuses traditional Puerto Rican folk, jazz, and Afro-Caribbean threads. Manuela Sánchez Goubert plays her own melding of jazz and various Latin American folk traditions to open the show. Aug. 9, 5 p.m. Groton Hill Music Center, Groton. 978-486-9524, grotonhill.org— SM

OLIVIA DEAN Last year, this British singer’s second album “The Art of Loving” became a cross-genre smash, uniting audiences behind breezy soul-pop offerings, like the plush “Man I Need,” that get an emotional heft from her thoughtful yet resolute observations on 21st-century romance. Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m. TD Garden. 617-624-1000, tdgarden.com— MJ

HAMLET In its first summer of programming after the January death of legendary cofounder Tina Packer, Shakespeare & Company presents the towering tragedy that is “Hamlet” in the theater named after Packer. Featuring David Gow in the title role, Yaala Muller as Ophelia, “ranney” as the usurping Claudius, Kristin Wold as Gertrude, Jonathan Epstein as Polonius, and Boston favorite Eddie Shields as Laertes. Directed by Ariel Bock. Aug. 13-30. Shakespeare & Company, Tina Packer Playhouse, Lenox. 413-637-3353, www.shakespeare.org— DA

LARRY McCRAY The Arkansas-born, Michigan-raised McCray brings distinctive personal depth to his soul-infused songwriting, with a warm and capacious baritone and a succinct, stinging guitar attack, all descended from heroes like the Kings (Albert, B.B., Freddie), Johnnie Taylor, and Bobby Blue Bland. Aug. 14, 8 p.m. Spire Center for Performing Arts, Plymouth. 508-746-4488, spirecenter.org — JG

CHRIS STAPLETON The mainstream country outlier brings his power trio to the ballpark on his “All American Road Show” tour. For this stop, he’s joined by neo-neo-traditionalist Zach Top, while Allen Stone brings a little soul to the proceedings. Aug. 14-15, 5:30 p.m. Fenway Park. 877-733-7699, redsox.com/ChrisStapleton— SM

DAVID CHESNUT JAZZ FESTIVAL The fourth annual edition of this open-air festival at the Eustis Estate features a seasoned Boston-based lineup representing a broad palette of progressive original music: singer Åsa Runefelt’s quintet, keyboardist Witness Matlou’s quartet, guitarist Eric Hofbauer’s EHX ensemble, and Jared Sims & Aftershock. Aug. 15, 3-7 p.m. Eustis Estate, Milton. 617-994-6600, mandorlamusic.net— JG

YARD ACT Since the release of their 2022 debut, this Leeds act has been at the forefront of England’s post-post-post-punk movement, pairing churning riffs with bleakly witty lyrics about modern life. In July they’ll release their third album, “You’re Gonna Need A Little Music,” which features the grinding lead single “Redeemer.” Aug. 16, 8 p.m. The Sinclair, Cambridge. 617-547-5200, axs.com— MJ

KYLE KINANE After slowing down a bit from his peak party days, Kinane is looking for cheap thrills. “I use words in conversation that I don’t really know what they mean,” he says. “That’s my bungee jumping at this point. It’s just like, ‘I don’t know, man, sounds pretty ubiquitous to me! Non-sequitur!? I think that’s perfect sequitur!’” Aug. 20 at 7 p.m., Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. $42.10. Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St., Boston. 617-725-2844, www.laughboston.com— NZ

BAY STATE HOT JAZZ FESTIVAL Some of the bands included in the fourth annual free fest of “hot” traditional jazz (mostly 1920s and ’30s) include the Wolverine Jazz Band, the Smack Dabs, the Banjo Juice Jazz Band, the Catnip Junkies, Josiah Reibstein and the Hubtones, the Dixie Diehards, and Annie and the Fur Trappers. Aug. 29-30, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Condon Shell, Medford.781-393-2486, baystatehotjazzfestival.com— JG

GRUPO FRONTERA This regional Mexican band from the Rio Grande Valley had its first top-10 hit in 2023 when it backed Bad Bunny on the swaying “un x100to”; since then they’ve released three albums where they’ve honed their take on norteño music, including last year’s melancholic “Lo Que Me Falta Por Llorar.” Aug. 30, 8 p.m. MGM Music Hall at Fenway. crossroadspresents.com— MJ

September Events

ROBYN On her ninth album, “Sexistential,” the electro sage gets, well, exactly what the title says, ruminating on life, lust, motherhood, and her status as one of the women who made crying at the club not just acceptable, but an opportunity for dance floor bliss. Sept. 3, 8 p.m. Agganis Arena. 800-745-3000, agganisarena.com— MJ

JOHN CONSTABLE: THE LANDSCAPE REIMAGINED America isn’t the only one celebrating a 250th birthday this year. The Yale Center for British Art is marking the birthday of John Constable, a giant of British Romantic painting, with this exhibition of many of his beloved landscapes, and an emphasis on his pioneering turn of painting “on the spot” — the practice of getting brush and canvas out of the studio and into the world, which would evolve into the “plein air” practice we know today. Sept. 3-July 25, 2027. Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. 877-274-8278, britishart.yale.edu — MW

BRUNO MARS Riding high off his successful collaborations with pop chameleon Lady Gaga and punchy K-popper ROSÉ, as well as his game-show-ready confection “I Just Might,” the pop savant — and absolutely killer live performer — celebrates the lovelorn “The Romantic,” his first solo album in a decade. Sept. 5-6, times TBA. Gillette Stadium, Foxborough. 508-543-8200, gillettestadium.com— MJ

AMERICA IN THE MAKING Joining the not-overly-populous ranks of exhibitions marking the United States’ semiquincentennial this year, this show puts on view a vast array of the Addison’s formidable collection of American art, which stretches from well before the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence to right about now. Taking over the entire building, it aims to be the opposite of conclusive, instead offering a view of the centuries of flux that combined to make America what it is — and making clear that the project can and never will be finished. Sept. 8-Jan. 31, 2027. Addison Gallery of American Art at Phillips Academy, 3 Chapel Ave., Andover. 978-749-4015, https://addison.andover.edu — MW

ISAMU NOGUCHI: I AM NOT A DESIGNER In the title of this exhibition, Noguchi protests just enough. Of course he was a designer — of wildly popular Akari light sculptures beloved by mid-century aesthetes everywhere, and maybe the most knocked-off coffee table of all time. But notice how the Akaris, in which delicate rice paper is wound around a barely-there slim wooden armature and then fitted with a light bulb, aren’t called ”light fixtures.” They’re sculpture — testament to Noguchi’s guiding ethos that utility did not strip an object of artistic intent or social purpose, but augmented it instead. Sept. 19-Jan. 3, 2027. Peabody Essex Museum, East India Square, 161 Essex St., Salem. 978-745-9500, pem.org — MW

80 fun concerts, festivals, shows, and more to check out around Boston from The Boston Globe