Whether you’re drawn to symphonies, ballet, theater, opera or visual art, Oklahoma’s cultural calendar offers something that will inspire. We preview the exhibitions, events and performances audiences won’t want to miss in 2026 and 2027.
Celebrity Attractions
Celebrity Attractions’ CEO Kristin Dotson says the varied line-up in the 2026-2027 season will provide an entertaining experience for every taste.
“There is a lot of anticipation for the return of Phantom of the Opera,” she shares. “This new tour is breaking box office records across the country, and we are thrilled to have the production anchor our 26-27 season. I think Shucked will be the sleeper hit of the season. A new, original title but a show that is so funny and a great escape! And we are hopeful that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will introduce the excitement of live theater to his fanbase.”
Dotson says a trend she’s noticed in Broadway productions is adapting popular movies to the stage.
“You will see this in Death Becomes Her in the upcoming season,” she says. “When it works – the transformation from screen to stage can take the material to another level.”
While Celebrity Attraction’s main priority is bringing high-caliber Broadway productions to Tulsa, they also work to ensure every patron feels appreciated.
“We pride ourselves on providing the best customer service possible,” says Dotson. “We work tirelessly alongside the fantastic staff at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center to make sure that our patrons feel valued.”
Oklahoma Contemporary
Oklahoma Contemporary has a full slate of upcoming programming and events, and executive director Trent Riley is especially excited about two of them.
“The first is Clever, Quick, Magnetic: The Art of Witty Banter curated by Oklahoma born artist David Salle,” he says. “David Salle is one of the most influential artists of the past half-century, and this exhibition is particularly exciting because he is serving as both artist and curator. The second is Happily One Freak: A Wayne Coyne Retrospective. Wayne Coyne is one of Oklahoma’s most celebrated creative minds, but many people know only his work as the frontman of The Flaming Lips. This exhibition will reveal the full breadth of his artistic practice.”
Riley says Oklahoma Contemporary’s identity as an arts center rather than a museum “has become increasingly important. I think many museums are still adapting to the reality that today’s audiences want more than observation, they want participation. People want to meet artists, attend performances, take classes, engage in conversations and experience art as something living and relevant to their daily lives. At Oklahoma Contemporary, an exhibition is just one part of the experience.”
As a non-collecting institution, the arts center isn’t responsible for maintaining a permanent collection – but “balance remains important,” Riley says. “Our goal is to create opportunities for innovation while ensuring that audiences have meaningful ways to engage with the work. Whether we are presenting a major retrospective, a digital media exhibition or a large-scale public art installation, we strive to combine creative risk-taking with strong educational and community engagement components.”
Philbrook Museum of Art
One of Tulsa’s hubs for art and culture, Philbrook is balancing nationally significant exhibitions with an ongoing commitment to Oklahoma artists and community connection.
Coinciding with the centennial of the Mother Road, Philbrook recently opened Roadside Abstractions: Route 66 & American Modernism.
“It’s going to be a phenomenal show, and a bit of a milestone for us, since it’s the first time in years we’ve built a show primarily around abstraction,” says Megan Nesbit, the museum’s president and CEO. “What I love is the chance to put this work in its time and place in history and connect it to the story of Route 66 itself.”
While major exhibitions and large-scale installations drive Philbrook’s programming, the museum is also focused on spotlighting local creators.
“Our new Community Gallery in the Tandy Pavilion gives us real space to feature even more local artists, and we’ll be putting out an open call for proposals in the coming year,” says Nesbit. “It’s an open invitation to the artists in this community to help shape what comes next.”
In an era of expanding digital infrastructure and shrinking attention spans, Nesbit hopes Philbrook offers visitors a chance to slow down and engage.
“What we want is to enchant people with the world around them,” she says. “To give you a reason to stop, to really look, to use your senses and to connect with the art, with whoever you came with and with your own thoughts.”
OKC Philharmonic
Teeming with classical and pop performances from September to May, the OKC Phil aims to make orchestral music accessible to all.
“Historically, orchestral music was largely confined to concert halls and often viewed as a formal occasion,” says Brent Hart, OKC Phil’s executive director. “Today, we’re bringing music directly into the community through free performances in more casual settings like Scissortail Park, ensemble appearances at OKC Thunder games and performances in public spaces throughout the city.”
With the goal to create programming that inspires, engages and entertains, the OKC Phil also keeps things interesting with guest appearances from global creatives.
“We pair guest artists with programs that highlight their unique musical strengths, while guest conductors often bring fresh perspectives, repertoire ideas and distinctive artistic voices,” says Hart. “Their contributions help round out the character of each season and create meaningful experiences for both our musicians and audiences.”
Hart, who says a “tremendous amount of thought and planning” goes into every season, can’t pinpoint which show excites him most, but knows the season kickoff, America the Beautiful: A 250 Celebration, is sure to impress.
OKCMOA
The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is giving art lovers plenty to look forward to this year with two major exhibitions: The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce running through Sept. 20, as well as The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art, running Oct. 31-Jan. 24.
The Sense of Beauty was organized in celebration of the Puerto Rican-based Museo de Arte de Ponce’s 65th anniversary. The collection spans from the 1500s through the 21st century, featuring 60 paintings by European, Puerto Rican and North American artists.
“Visitors will have an opportunity to see masterworks by artists who are rarely on view in Oklahoma,” says Michael Anderson, president and CEO of the OKCMOA.
The Triumph of Nature, organized by the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Va., will feature 127 works of art from the Art Nouveau movement, with pieces including paintings, prints, jewelry and furniture.
“The Triumph of Nature will be a very transportive exhibition, one that prompts visitors to imagine themselves in a different time and amongst the objects in their original spaces,” says Anderson. “Many visitors will recognize not only the motifs of the Art Nouveau movement, but the artists best associated with, with works by Louis Comfort Tiffany, Gustav Klimt, Alphonse Mucha and Aubrey Beardsley.”
Tulsa Opera
Programming abounds at Tulsa Opera, ranging from chamber music series to well-known operatic showcases and even book club events. Artistic director Maestro Aaron Beck says that variety is what helps Tulsa Opera engage audiences, old and new.
“We believe opera remains relevant because it tells timeless human stories through extraordinary music,” he says. “Our goal is to make those stories accessible and meaningful to as many people as possible by presenting a wide variety of experiences throughout the community.”
The organization also invests heavily in education, artist support and outreach through “programs like Tulsa Youth Opera and our Raise Your Voice touring productions, which introduce thousands of students to opera each year,” he says. “Supporting emerging artists is central to Tulsa Opera’s mission. Through the Filstrup Resident Artist Company, Tulsa Youth Opera, Spotlight on Opera and other training initiatives, we provide singers with meaningful performance opportunities, mentorship and professional development at every stage of their artistic journey.”
In the upcoming season, patrons can enjoy four Tulsa Opera premieres: Little Women, The Telephone, and Mozart’s The Impresario and Così fan tutte.
“As an artistic organization, it’s important that we continue introducing audiences to works they may not have had the opportunity to experience before while also honoring the great masterpieces of the operatic repertoire,” says Beck.
Sam Noble Museum & Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Norman residents should head to two cultural gems in the city: the Sam Noble Museum and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. Sam Noble’s head of education, Laura Vaughn, is excited for patrons to explore Bizarre Headgear through Aug. 23, and Lives of the Dead, opening Sept. 5.
“Bizarre Headgear is an incredible experience for dinosaur lovers and features horned ceratopsian dinosaurs like Triceratops along with a number of modern animals with strange head ornaments,” she says. “I’m also really looking forward to our September exhibition Lives of the Dead. It’s all about Día de los Muertos, and it should be perfect for the fall season.”
All in all, Vaughn thinks heading to a museum is exactly what people need right about now.
“I feel like now more than ever, getting out into the world and sharing genuine, unforgettable experiences with friends and family members is exactly what people want most,” says Vaughn.
At Fred Jones, visitors won’t want to miss a variety of shows, including On the Edge: The Abstract World of Frederick Hammersley through Sept. 6, an exhibition which traces the artist’s pursuit of abstraction across a variety of compositions, geometric designs and works that sought to break from tradition.
Tulsa PAC
Bringing people together through the arts is the driving mission of the Tulsa Performance Arts Center. Mark Frie, the TPAC’s CEO, says the wide breadth of options of this season is a testament to that effort.
“We are welcoming world-class artists such as Ann Hampton Callaway, John Lloyd Young and AILEY II, while also creating opportunities for laughter, creativity and discovery through events like The Second City and Orbit Arts Festival,” says Frie. “At the same time, we remain deeply committed to developing the next generation of artists and arts advocates through programs like the Discovery Awards and the Next Narrative Monologue Competition.”
The TPAC, Frie says, plays a unique role in the broader arts ecosystem of Tulsa.
“We serve as a gathering place where artists, arts organizations, educators, students and audiences come together to create shared experiences and strengthen our community,” he says.
Many performing arts organizations utilize the TPAC as their homebase – something Frie and his staff take seriously.
“Being a home for multiple resident and visiting arts organizations is both a privilege and a responsibility. Their work brings extraordinary artistic diversity to Tulsa, and we are proud to provide a space where creativity can flourish,” he says. “What makes the TPAC special is that so many different voices share this space. That energy reflects the richness of Tulsa’s arts community and reminds us that the arts are strongest when people come together to create, learn and share experiences.”
Featured photo credit: Spamalot, Celebrity Attractions; photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
108 Contemporary
Aaron Jones: Big MOdels
Aug. 7-Sept. 19
Austin Navrkal: Earth, Sky, and Water
Oct. 2-Nov. 21
VisionMakers2026
Dec. 4-Jan. 23
Carrie Iverson & Jeremy Scidmore
Feb. 5-March 20
Kalliopi Monoyios
April 2-May 22
Sally Garner
June 4-July 24
Armstrong Auditorium
America the Beautiful: A 250 Celebration with the OKC Phil
Sept. 17
Sphinx Virtuosi – American250: Sounds of Unity
Oct. 27
Tenebrae: A Celestial Gift
Nov. 12
Amit Peled, Cello: From Darkness to Light
Dec. 1
Camerata Nordica Octet: Scandinavian Seasons
Jan. 19
Music of Mancini
Feb. 4
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra: Water Music
Feb. 16
Avi Avital and Ksenija Sidorova: Dances
March 21
Tenthing Brass Ensemble: Ten of Hearts
April 8
BOK Center
Megan Moroney
Aug. 15
Billy Idol
Sept. 22
Koe Wetzel
Oct. 2
OKC Thunder Basketball
Oct. 6
Journey
Oct. 8
Ella Langley
Oct. 9
Cece Winans
Oct. 10
Tulsa Oilers Hockey
October-April
Three Days Grace
Nov. 6
Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center
Michael James Scott
Oct. 3
Straight No Chaser
Nov. 3
Grady Nichols Christmas Show
Dec. 8
David Phelps
Jan. 29
Legally Blonde: The National Tour
Feb. 16
Canterbury Voices
Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms & Poulenc’s Gloria
Oct. 16
The BIG Sing!
Oct. 17
Hark! The Joyful Sound: Christmas with Canterbury
Dec. 6
Choral Classics, Cherished Favorites
March 6
Crescendo! With the Canterbury Chamber Voices
May 6
Celebrity Attractions
Spamalot
Sept. 15-20
Phantom of the Opera
Nov. 18-29
Shucked
March 2-7
Death Becomes Her
April 6-11
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
July 6-11
Chamber Music Tulsa
Akropolis Reed Quintet
Sept. 19-20
Israeli Chamber Project
Oct. 4
Invoke
Oct. 16
Barron Ryan and Friends
Oct. 23
Viano Quartet
Nov. 21
Brentano Quartet
Feb. 5-7
Sitkovetsky Trio
March 6-7
Poiesis Quartet
April 23-25
Circle Cinema
Dust Bowls and Jewish Souls Screening
Aug. 20
Preservation Benefit
Aug. 27
Route 66: The Main Street of America Premier
Sept. 18
Twisted Arts LGBTQ Film Festival
Sept. 23-26
Arab Film Festival
Nov. 13-14
Circle Cinema Producer Society Annual Dinner and a Movie
Nov. 12
Circle Cinema Annual Red Carpet Experience, 99th Academy Awards
March 14
Circle Cinema Film Festival
July 15-19
Civic Center Music Hall
John Shack: Trust Issues
Aug. 8
C.S. Lewis Beyond the Wardrobe
Oct. 16-18
Discovery Lab
Water Week
Aug. 4
Member Movie Night
Aug. 21
Members-Only Nights
Sept. 18, Oct. 16, Nov. 20, Dec. 18
First Americans Museum
Night Market
Aug. 1
OKLA HOMMA
Ongoing
WINIKO: Life of an Object
Ongoing
21st Century Mound Builders
Ongoing
Vessels that Carried Us: Kiowa Cradleboards
Ongoing
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
On the Edge: The Abstract World of Frederick Hammersley
Through Sept. 6
From the Australian Desert: Contemporary Aboriginal Painting
Oct. 16-March 14
Exploring Time: A Painter’s Perspective
April 16-Aug. 15
Greenwood Rising
Greenwood Rising 5th Anniversary Celebration Gala
Aug. 8
Still We Rise
Ongoing
The Greenwood Spirit
Ongoing
The Arc of Oppression
Ongoing
The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
Ongoing
A Journey Towards Reconciliation
Ongoing
Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum
Worldwide Day of Play
Sept. 26
Noon Year’s Eve
Dec. 31
Jazzy’s Eggstravaganza
March 27
Living Arts
Spoken Word Event: Ego Trippin’
Aug. 22
Scutwork
Sept. 4-Oct. 17
Spoken Word Event: Poetry Slam
Oct. 17
Día de los Muertos Arts Festival
Nov. 6
Día de los Muertos Arts Festival Altar Installation
Nov. 6-14
Falaháma Bíyyi’ka – Eternal Return
Dec. 4-19
Champagne & Chocolate Fundraising Gala
Feb. 20
Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Through Aug. 2
Come From Away
Sept. 16-Oct. 4
Lyric’s A Christmas Carol
Nov. 24-Dec. 27
Into the Woods
Feb. 17-March 7
The Music Man
June 15-20
Hairspray
July 6-11
Million Dollar Quartet
July 20-25
Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art
Echoes of Time and Place: Sauk Art and Culture
Through Aug. 30
Art of the Ancient World Collection
Ongoing
Ancient Art of the Americas Collection
Ongoing
Spanish Colonial Art Collection
Ongoing
McKnight Center for Performing Arts
Cynthia Erivo
Sept. 26
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Oct. 9
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Oct. 28
Nutcracker – A Magical Christmas Ballet
Nov. 15
Waitress
Dec. 1-3
LeAnn Rimes Greatest Hits Christmas
Dec. 10
Shucked
Jan. 30-31
La La Land
Feb. 10
An Evening with Joshua Henry
Feb. 12
Samara Joy
March 6
Joshua Bell
April 8
Stephen Schwartz and Friends
April 16
National Symphony Orchestra: Noseda Conducts Beethoven
April 24
National Symphony Orchestra: Chen Plays Mendelssohn
April 25
National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum
Traditional Cowboy Arts Association Exhibition and Sale
Sept. 25-26
The Cowboy
Ongoing
OKC Ballet
Ballet Under the Stars
Sept. 11
SHORTS
Oct. 23–25
The Nutcracker
Dec. 11-21
Don Quixote
Feb. 12-14
Future Voices: A Choreographic Showcase
Mar. 12-21
Kenneth Tindall’s Alice in Wonderland
Apr. 30-May 9
OKC Broadway
Hamilton
Aug. 11-23
The Outsiders
Aug. 25-30
Bluey’s Big Play
Sept. 8-9
The Sound of Music
Sept. 22-27
The Phantom of the Opera
Nov. 4-15
Outlander in Concert
Nov. 30
The Notebook
Dec. 29-Jan. 3
Waitress
Jan. 29-31
The Great Gatsby
March 23-28
The Bodyguard
April 2-4
Death Becomes Her
April 13-18
Buena Vista Social Club
May 25-30
OKC Philharmonic
America the Beautiful: A 250 Celebration
Sept. 19
Worlds of Wonder
Oct. 10
Music to Die For: Songs from the Shadows
Oct. 30-31
Symphonic Stories: From Blues to Broadway
Nov. 21
A Very Merry Pops
Dec. 4-5
A Tinsel Tradition: Songs of Christmas
Dec. 5
Fairytales: Stories in Sound
Jan. 9
How to Train Your Dragon
Jan. 15-16
Fate, Fire & Fantasty
Feb. 6
Ebony & Ivory
Feb. 19-20
Enigmas of Life
March 13
The Music of the Rolling Stones
March 19-20
A Night in Vienna
April 10
Bugs Bunny at the Symphony
April 23-24
Voices of Triumph: Symphonic Masterpieces
May 15
OKC Town Hall
Sherri Coale
Sept. 17
Charlie Hurt
Oct. 15
William Federer
Nov. 19
Robin Wright
Feb. 18
Dr. Carol Swain
March 18
Trey Gowdy
April 15
Oklahoma City Museum of Art
The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce
Through Sept. 20
The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art
Oct. 31-Jan. 24
Oklahoma Contemporary
Clever, Quick, Magnetic: The Art of Witty Banter
Sept. 3-Jan. 11
Luxe Affair: Psychedelic Elegance
Sept. 24
Chad Mount: Frequency and Perspective
Through Nov. 2
Raven Halfmoon: Flags of Our Mothers
Nov. 18-May 24
Happily One Freak: A Wayne Coyne Retrospective
Feb. 11-Aug. 9
Formless Matter and Its Devastating Gestures (At Campbell Art Park)
Through April 26
Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre
In partnership with Oklahoma Contemporary Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground
Oct. 22-Nov. 1
Primary Trust
Feb. 25-March 7
Proof
April 22-May 9
Rep Fest Play Reading Festival
June 24-27
Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park
Julius Caesar
Sept. 10-27
An Actor’s Carol
Nov. 27-29
Jane Austen’s Christmas Cracker
Dec. 3-20
Painted Sky Opera
La Traviata
Aug. 14, 16, 20-21, 23
The Pirate Project
Sept. 12
A Decade of Divas
Oct. 23, 25
Paycom Center
Parker McCollum
Sept. 25
Phil Wickham
Sept. 27
Brooks & Dunn
Oct. 1
SOMBR
Oct. 16
Elevation Worship
Oct. 17
The Smashing Pumpkins
Oct. 24
MercyMe
Nov. 8
Leanne Morgan
Nov. 15
Philbrook Museum of Art
Jordan Ann Craig: Do the Patterns Notice Me?
Through Oct. 10
New Acquisition: Édouard Vuillard, Yvonne Printemps dans le canapé
Through Nov. 8
Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn: Fragments & Transformation
Through Jan. 3
Roadside Abstractions: Route 66 & American Modernism
Through Jan. 3
Neon Moon: Always Room Here
Through June 6
Everything We Dream: Native Abstraction
Through June 13
Sam Noble Museum
Hall of World Cultures
Ongoing
Hall of Ancient Life
Ongoing
Hall of Natural Wonders
Ongoing
Bizarre Headgear
Through Aug. 23
Lives of the Dead
Sept. 5-Jan. 3
Science Museum Oklahoma
Discoverfest
Sept. 26
Women in STEAM Conference
Nov. 4
Elemental Ball
April 30
Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art
Michael Knigin: Remembrance 2000 & Anne Frank Series
Through Aug. 31
Totally Tumarkin
Through Dec. 31
Tchotchke
Through Dec. 31
Signature Symphony
New World, New Voices
Sept. 19
Christmas in Tulsa
Dec. 11-12
Christmas Movie Matinee: The Snowman
Dec. 12
Bruckner and Video Game Soundscapes
Jan. 30
Carmina Burana
March 6
Tulsa Sings! – Totally 80s
April 24
Theatre Tulsa
Grease
Sept. 10-13
The Women in Black
Oct. 9-11
Come From Away
Nov. 5-8
Musical Laboratory
Nov. 13
Les Miserables
Jan. 8-24
Steel Magnolias
Feb. 5-14
Merrily We Roll Along
March 12-21
Guys and Dolls
April 15-18
Beetlejuice Jr.
May 7-9
Tulsa Ballet
Creations in Studio K
Sept. 10-20
The Ugly Duckling
Oct. 2-3, March 6
Swan Lake
Oct. 22-25
The Nutcracker
Dec. 5-20
Cinderella
Feb. 18-21
Romeo & Juliet
April 1-4
Carmen
May 6-9
Tulsa Botanic Garden
BotaniCamp
Sug. 3-7
Autumn in the Botanic Garden
Sept.-Oct.
Botanic Garden of Lights
Nov.-Dec.
Tulsa Botanic Blooms
March-April
Tulsa Chorale
Verdi Requiem in collaboration with the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra
Oct. 17
Marvelous Motets
Jan. 22
Mendelssohn’s Elijah
May 22
Tulsa Opera
Spotlight On Opera: Opera at College Hill
Aug. 1
Spotlight On Opera Series
Aug. 6-7, Aug. 14
Book Club Series: Little Women
Aug. 15
Little Women Concert and Screening at Circle Cinema
Sept. 10
Voices After Dark: Love on Hold – A Double Bill Featuring The Telephone and At the Statue of Venus
Sept. 19
Arias and Ales
Oct. 10
Book Club Series: Louisa May Alcott – A Personal Biography
Oct. 17
Little Women
Nov. 21-22
Voices After Dark: Opera in the Key of Jazz
Jan. 23
Book Club Series: Hello Beautiful
Feb. 6
Così Fan Tutte
May 7, 9
Voices of Tomorrow
May 12
Voices After Dark: The Impresario
June 5
Tulsa PAC
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Through Aug. 16
The Second City
Sept. 25
Ann Hampton Callaway Sings the ‘70s
Oct. 3
Frankenstein: A Living Comic Book
Oct. 22
John Lloyd Young’s Broadway
Feb. 13
AILEY II
Feb. 15
Next Narrative Monologue Competition Finals
March 8
The Musicians of Bremen
March 10
Orbit Arts Festival
April 2027
The Discovery Awards
May 2027
Tulsa Spotlight Theatre
The Drunkard and the Olio
Every Saturday
Tulsa Symphony
TSO Giving Day
Sept. 4
Symphony in the Park
Sept. 13
101 Unplugged Series
Sept. 19, Oct. 3, April 10, May 1
Classics: Opening Night – Beethoven’s Fourth
Sept. 26
Classics: Verdi Requim
Oct. 17
Classics: Celebrating Route 66
Nov. 7
Classics: Sibelius’ Finlandia
Jan. 16
The Seasons Reimagined
Jan. 24
Classics: Celebrating America’s Composers
Feb. 13
Leslie Odom, Jr. with the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra
Feb. 27
Classics: Dvorak’s Eighth
April 17
Classics: Season Finale – Shostakovich’s Tenth
May 15
Tulsa Town Hall
Adm. James Stavridis
Sept. 25
Dr. Laurie Santos
Oct. 16
Lynsey Addario
Nov. 6
Ken Jennings
Feb. 12
Patrick McGee
March 12
Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts University Theatre
The Pajama Game
Sept. 25-27
Arcadia
Oct. 9-18
Oklahoma Festival Ballet
Nov. 6-8, 2026
Die Fledermaus
Dec. 3-6
Urinetown
Feb. 12-21
Il re pastore
March 4-7
Contemporary Dance Oklahoma
April 2-4
The Tempest
April 23-May 2
