NORFOLK — Virginia Arts Festival announced its 2026 season Thursday, bringing in a lineup of artists from around the world to perform around Hampton Roads for its 29th anniversary season.
“It’s amazing and gratifying to see how much we have grown since 1997, and most of all, it is inspiring.” said the Festival’s Perry Artistic Director Rob Cross. “We look forward to bringing you great performances of classical music and dance, alongside jazz, rock, folk, world and more. And this season marks one of our busiest years yet.”
Highlights include:
Dance Series
Always innovative and rooted in technical excellence, athleticism, emotion, and grace, BalletX performs March 5 for the Festival’s Connie & Marc Jacobson Opening Night Celebration. Tap dance explodes April 21 and 23 with Dorrance Dance and Dance Theatre of Harlem returns to the Festival, this time bringing one of the company’s most beloved signature works: “Firebird,” to Norfolk March 20-22. The company will also perform a mixed repertory program on March 24 in Newport News at the Ferguson Center for the Arts.
Classical Music
Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell, Music Director of the chamber orchestra The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, will perform together March 7 in Newport News at the Ferguson Center for the Arts and March 8 in Virginia Beach. In his solo program, Grammy Award-winning mandolinist, singer, composer, and MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Chris Thile brings his signature blend of virtuosity, humor, and heart to the stage at the Perry Pavilion June 12.
Virginia Arts Festival and Virginia Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the music of one of Hampton Roads’ finest artists, composer Adolphus Hailstork, in celebration of his 85th birthday April 30. And Finding Peace at Potsdam, May 29 in Norfolk and 30 at the Ferguson Center for the Arts, is a musical journey through history with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. In 1945 Potsdam, the fate of post-World War II Europe would be decided, in an Allied summit that included President Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin. At that momentous meeting, music was performed and became a uniting factor in the tense negotiations.
Chamber
The Festival’s Connie & Marc Jacobson Director of Chamber Music, pianist Olga Kern, will perform throughout the spring season and once again curate an incredible Chamber Music Series. The series features the Borromeo String Quartet, the Orava Quartet (including a performance at the William & Mary Concert Hall on June 4), and the Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Players in beautiful venues and settings around the region.
Virginia Arts Festival’s annual Coffee Concerts Series also returns, and after each performance, audience members can mingle with the performers. Olga Kern will perform May 21-22 in Coffee Concerts I and II with the VAF Chamber Players; Orava Quartet will perform June 5 in Coffee Concert III; and the series will be rounded out by Alexandre Da Costa, Tommy Mesa, and Olga Kern June 10-11 in Coffee Concerts IV (at the William & Mary Concert Hall) and V.
Film with Orchestra
The Festival partners with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra June 13 for a screening of the film “Top Gun: Maverick” with the film score performed live by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. The original score was done by Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga and Hans Zimmer and produced by Lorne Balfe.
Rock
Relive the thrill of a live Queen concert with full symphony orchestra as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra performs in this unforgettable concert from Windborne Productions: “Music of Queen: A Rock Symphony” May 15 in Virginia Beach with Brent Havens, conductor and MiG Ayesa, vocalist.
Four musicians destined to be seminal pioneers of popular music — Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash — gathered, impromptu, in a recording studio. April 24 in the Perry Pavilion, “One Night in Memphis” captures that historic session, performed live and starring former Broadway stars.
Musical Theater
Cabaret favorite Meow Meow returns to Virginia Arts Festival March 30-31. And two-time Tony Award winner and hometown superstar Adrienne Warren performs an evening of song from Broadway, pop and beyond May 16.
Jazz
Nine-time Grammy Award winner Christian McBride is a prolific bandleader. His newest group, Ursa Major, performs May 17. For more than 30 years, Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble New York Voices has set the high bar for jazz vocal artistry. June 4, they perform at Virginia Arts Festival in their much-anticipated final tour. Mexican singer Lucía performs April 7, and Danish Radio Big Band will perform Feb. 22 in a pre-season Virginia Arts Festival debut. And a gathering of some of the best jazz players join to form the Attucks Jazz Orchestra May 9, bringing the fire and beauty of Miles Davis and John Coltrane to life.
World
Born in Oujda in the East of Morocco, The Leila performs June 6 . Kayce Laine will bring her Elevated Soundbath to the Festival April 25, featuring crystal bowls, gong, ocean drum, synth bass and live ambient vocals for an immersive journey that will guide you to release tension, reset your energy, and relax on a deep, cellular level.
Tattoo
The Virginia International Tattoo returns April 16-19. The Tattoo summons more than 800 performers from the U.S. and abroad each year, including fife and drum corps, bagpipers, military bands, precision drill teams, and performing ensembles ranging from step dancers to motorcycle stunt drivers.
Theater
A fresh take on one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, The Acting Company’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a coming-of-age story that will surprise and delight in a pre-season performance Jan. 16. Then, the bio-play “All Things Equal: The Life & Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg” comes to Attucks Theatre March 29.
Family
Peppa Pig, along with Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig, George and baby sister Evie, learn all about the different sounds that instruments make together April 12 in “Peppa Pig: My First Concert.”
Guitar
Brazilian-born guitarists and brothers Sérgio and Odair Assad will blend styles, periods and cultures, including classical, folk, jazz and Latin music, in the duo’s farewell tour March 12.
Recital
First Prize and Audience Prize winner of the 2022 American Guild of Organists National Young Artist Competition in Organ Performance, James Kealey performs May 10.
Save the dates
Williamsburg Live returns in 2026, and this year is adding a fourth night: June 25-28 on the Lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
Virginia Arts Festival’s calendar runs from November through June. For more details and the full lineup, visit vafest.org. Tickets for all performances are on sale now at vafest.org, 757-282-2822, and in person at the Virginia Arts Festival box office.
