Making his Festival debut, international country music icon Lee Greenwood brings a celebrated career marked by chart-topping hits, industry honors, and enduring patriotism. A Grammy Award winner and recipient of multiple CMA and ACM Awards, Greenwood has released twenty-two studio albums, earned seven No. 1 hits, and charted thirty-eight singles.
His signature anthem, “God Bless the U.S.A.,” reached the Top Five on the country charts three times—an unprecedented achievement—and rose to the Billboard Hot 100 following September 11, 2001. Honored with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s National Patriot’s Award, Greenwood has also entertained U.S. troops on more than 30 USO Tours.

Lee Greenwood

Perry Pavilion

Happy Birthday, Hailstork! And welcome back, JoAnn Falletta! Virginia Arts Festival and Virginia Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the music of one of Hampton Roads’ finest artists, composer Adolphus Hailstork, in an 85th birthday celebration featuring works including An American Port of Call, First Piano Concerto, and Done Made My Vow. To make this special evening even more spectacular, the Orchestra’s Connie and Marc Jacobson Music Director Laureate and Grammy Award winner JoAnn Falletta returns for one night only to conduct a performance that includes pianist Stewart Goodyear and the acclaimed Norfolk State University Chorus.

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Happy Birthday, Hailstork!

Norfolk State University

Join Kayce Laine for a sound bath experience like no other. Featuring crystal bowls, gong, ocean drum, synth bass, and live ambient vocals, this immersive journey will guide you to release tension, reset your energy, and relax on a deep, cellular level. Every vibration is designed to harmonize your body, mind, and spirit, creating a space where you can fully let go and feel renewed. Whether you’re seeking calm, clarity, or inspiration, this elevated sound bath promises a uniquely profound and unforgettable experience.

Elevated Sound Bath Experience with Kayce Laine

Chrysler Hall Norfolk

December 4, 1956: 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 in Memphis. The no-holds-barred jam that ensued was captured live on tape and became the inspiration for the Broadway hit Million Dollar Quartet. Now, One Night in Memphis captures that historic session, performed live and starring former cast members of the Broadway smash. We dare you to sit still in this rocking show jam-packed with rockabilly, country, gospel and 1950’s rock and roll hits like “Hound Dog,” “Shake, Rattle & Roll,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “I Walk the Line,” and more!  "A live, hard charging rock and roll romp!" (The Daily Herald).

One Night in Memphis

Join award-winning tap dance company Dorrance Dance for a brand new program that showcases the musicality and versatility of its “close-knit family” (Wall Street Journal) of dancer-musicians, featuring the DD choreographic debut of longtime company members Elizabeth Burke and Luke Hickey. A Swing Suite (2023) is tremendously inspired by the music that Burke and Hickey’s mentor, Gene Medler, exposed them to as kids, and how it shaped their taste and interest throughout their entire artistic lives. The work is an homage to Gene, and an offering around the idea that just about every road leads back to home. Paired with Michelle Dorrance’s critically acclaimed SOUNDspace | REDUX (2013), an originally site-specific work that explored the unique acoustics of New York City’s St. Mark’s Church through the myriad sounds and textures of the feet, which has been adapted and continues to explore what is most beautiful and exceptional about tap dancing – movement as music. By supporting the development and touring of new works alongside company classics, Dorrance Dance continues “blasting our notions of tap dance” with every performance.

Dorrance Dance featuring Elizabeth Burke and Luke Hickey

Christopher Newport University

Attucks Theatre

Be part of a once in a lifetime event as Van Cliburn Gold Medal-awarded pianist Olga Kern, the Virginia Arts Festival Connie & Marc Jacobson Director of Chamber Music, joins the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in a monumental achievement. As part of a worldwide celebration of the composer’s 150th birthday, Kern will perform all five of Rachmaninoff’s powerful piano concertos in a single weekend.

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto Festival

Chrysler Hall

Ferguson Center for the Arts

Sandler Center for the Performing Arts

It’s a sound like no other: born in the South, transplanted to Brooklyn, cooked in a Kentucky farmhouse and distilled in a Muscle Shoals studio—true to its roots in country, blues, gospel and indie rock. Fans flock to share this band live, craving concerts of raw, ecstatic energy, with lush harmonies driving songs that pulse with honesty and human connection.

The Lone Bellow

Celebrate the centennial of two towering figures who changed music forever. A virtuoso gathering of some of the best jazz players you’ve ever heard join to form the Attucks Jazz Orchestra, bringing the fire and beauty of Miles Davis and John Coltrane to life in a night of swing, innovation, and fearless creativity. From cool elegance to spiritual intensity, this concert honors the sound that defined modern jazz — and still shapes it today.

Attucks Jazz Orchestra

First Prize and Audience Prize winner of the 2022 American Guild of Organists National Young Artist Competition in Organ Performance, James Kealey is a young lion of the organ. A recent recital was hailed by The American Organist: "A deeply satisfying performance. Kealey used the organ beautifully, finding its color. The audience rose to its feet…giving well-deserved praise."

James Kealey, organ

Christ and St. Luke's Episcopal Church

Steep Canyon Rangers bring their celebrated blend of traditional bluegrass and contemporary acoustic Americana to the Virginia Arts Festival’s Perry Pavilion, in an evening co-presented with North Shore Point, on May 14 at 7:30 PM.

Hailing from the Appalachian and Piedmont regions of North Carolina, the Rangers, with over 15 albums, have forged a career honoring mountain music while reaching out to encompass literary roots, regional influences, and even jam grass, as well as their collaborations with that banjo-playing youngster, Steve Martin, who appears on their latest single.

Renowned for their virtuoso playing, soaring harmonies, and emotionally resonant storytelling, the band has attracted fans beyond the bluegrass world, establishing itself as one of the most influential groups in Americana today. With the addition of award-winning singer-songwriter Aaron Burdett, their sound carries an even deeper sense of soul and immediacy — music that can be tender, fiery, and unforgettable.

Join us at the Perry Pavilion for the three-time Grammy nominees and Grammy Award winners for Best Bluegrass Album whose artistry continues to shape American roots music.

Steep Canyon Rangers

We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions, Bohemian Rhapsody….the list of Queen anthems goes on and on and on……and now you can relive the thrill of a live Queen concert with full symphony orchestra in this unforgettable concert from Windborne Productions, a Festival favorite for decades. After a recent show, one reviewer wrote: “everyone in the hall hung on every word and turn of the music” and the finale “had the whole throng in the packed house on their feet” (Houston Press). Get ready to rock!

Music of Queen - A Rock Symphony

“Perfection! Warren is the real deal and no imitation; she’s smoke on wheels, luminous, unbridled, and her performance gives goosebumps” (Manhattan Digest). The Tony Award-winning star singer/actress comes home to Hampton Roads! A two-time Tony Award winner (Shuffle Along, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) grew up right here, wowing teachers and audiences with her extraordinary in-born panache and musical ability. Her television (Orange is the New Black, Black Cake, and Women of the Movement) and film roles (The Woman King) have won high ratings. Catch a hometown superstar in this great evening of song from Broadway, pop and beyond!

Adrienne Warren

Harrison Opera House

Christian McBride has blazed an extraordinary trail as one of the most preeminent musicians of his time. Over the last three decades, the nine-time Grammy winner has made momentous advances as a dynamic musician and recording artist, a prolific composer-arranger-producer, a curator of culture, and a dedicated educator and mentor. A prolific bandleader, McBride’s ensembles are each distinctive extensions of his creative inspiration, which span jazz, funk, soul, Latin, hip hop and rhythm and blues. His celebrated groups—including his newest, Ursa Major, joining him here--have not only enjoyed consistent critical acclaim, but they have also emphasized his role as an early presenter of rising stars. McBride’s staggeringly diverse career also includes the role of host of NPR’s public radio program Jazz Night in America as well as The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian on SiriusXM. Don’t miss this evening of stellar jazz with a star!

Christian McBride with Ursa Major

This is chamber music as it was meant to be heard: the communion of gifted artists in an intimate, beautiful setting, among music lovers and friends. After the performance, patrons can mingle with the performers, a lovely postscript to a perfect concert experience.

Olga Kern, piano & VAF Chamber Players

Clay & Jay Barr Education Center

Get ready to be amazed by the infectious energy and talent of the Virginia Arts Festival’s Rhythm Project! This world percussion ensemble of elementary- through high school-age musicians from across Hampton Roads brings steel pan music to life with joyful spirit, precision, and vibrant sound.

Rhythm Project Showcase

In its 4-star review of his debut album, Jazziz raved, “Michael Mayo has developed his own lush, neo-soul sound that adroitly showcases his clear tenor, which glides over luxuriant clouds of his multi-tracked vocals.” This L.A.-based artist has captivated audiences worldwide with heavenly harmonizing, hard-hitting beatboxing, and heartfelt crooning. Sit in on an entrancing evening of jazz with this phenomenal singer!

Michael Mayo Quartet

They met at James Madison University, and now they’re attracting critical acclaim with roots/folk songs that fans can’t get enough of: compulsive and immediate anthems to be sung or shouted out loud. “If it’s possible to fall head over heels for a band, then Palmyra is [that] band. Beautiful, full of gorgeous harmony… a masterclass in tension and release: I caught myself holding my breath” (Red Line Roots).

Palmyra

Step into a turning point in history — Potsdam, Germany, 1945. The war has ended, but the future hangs in the balance. Truman, Churchill, and Stalin sit across the table, navigating mistrust, determination, and fragile hope as they shape the post-war world.
Amidst the tension of delicate political negotiations, the world leaders bonded over their love of music. Finding Peace at Potsdam brings this fascinating moment to life through powerful storytelling and stirring performances of their beloved classics. Experience the music of Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Kreisler, and more, woven together with insights that reveal the surprising role Hampton Roads played in this pivotal chapter of history.
It's more than a concert — it's an unforgettable journey through music and memory, where history's struggles and triumphs resonate in every note.

Finding Peace at Potsdam

This electrifying Australian group, founded in 2007 by brothers Daniel Kowalik (violin) and Karol Kowalik (cello), and friends Thomas Chawner (viola) and David Dalseno (violin), is one of the most exciting string quartets of its generation. Known for their engaging performances, they inspire reviews like this one from the Canberra CityNews: “incredible passion, fire and intensity. The audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers. It was an electric and enthralling evening of the finest music making.” They are joined by award-winning pianist Olga Kern in what promises to be an evening you won’t want to miss!

Orava Quartet & Olga Kern, piano

Music Arts Center

For more than 30 years, this Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble has set the high bar for jazz vocal artistry, blending their signature harmonies, inspired improvisation, and genre-spanning versatility, on stage as well as on over their acclaimed recordings. In 2025, New York Voices embarks on their much-anticipated final tour, a celebration of the group’s enduring legacy and a heartfelt thank you to generations of fans. Hear jazz standards, big band classics, and more in a poignant, unforgettable tribute to the art of jazz.

New York Voices: The Grand Finale

This electrifying Australian group, founded in 2007 by brothers Daniel Kowalik (violin) and Karol Kowalik (cello), and friends Thomas Chawner (viola) and David Dalseno (violin), is one of the most exciting string quartets of its generation. Known for their engaging performances, they inspire reviews like this one from the Canberra CityNews: “incredible passion, fire and intensity. The audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers. It was an electric and enthralling evening of the finest music making.”

Orava Quartet

St. John's Episcopal Church Portsmouth

Cowboy Junkies proved that there was an audience waiting for something quiet, beautiful and reflective. The Trinity Session was like a whisper that cut through the noise -- and it was compelling. It stood out in the midst of the flash and bombast that came to define the late 80's. The now classic recording combined folk, blues and rock in a way that had never been heard before and went on to sell more than a million copies.

Formed in Toronto in 1985 with siblings Michael Timmins on guitar, Margo Timmins on vocals, Peter Timmins on drums, and Michael’s lifelong friend Alan Anton on bass, the band has sparkled over the course of 29 albums. “I’ve known Alan longer than I’ve known Pete,” says Michael. “We were friends before Pete was born.”

Cowboy Junkies - Celebrating 40 Years and Beyond

The Leila is a dynamic Moroccan singer and songwriter based in Casablanca, Morocco. She brings a fresh and innovative approach to the music scene. Blending elements of rock, soul, and traditional Moroccan sounds, she creates a powerful and eclectic musical style that resonates with both modern and traditional audiences.

Known for her strong vocals and bold stage presence, The Leila tackles themes of self-expression, empowerment, and societal issues, making her an influential voice in the contemporary Moroccan music landscape. Born in Oujda in the East of Morocco, this astonishing singer grew up in an environment at once culturally rich and repressive for women; she had to fight for her right to live her passion for music. Her fierce spirit shines through in her passionate performances of music inspired by the many musical styles of Morocco; she recorded her first single at the age of 15. Prepare to be swept away by this extraordinary artist!

The Leila

“When I play, my instrument becomes the extension of my soul.” So says famed Canadian artist Alexandre Da Costa, renowned for his passionate violin as well as his roles as Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Orchestre Philharmonique du Québec and Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica Sinaloa de las Artes. He performs here with Cuban-American cellist Thomas “Tommy” Mesa, whose dazzling performance style is “a masterclass in virtuosic playing” (Tucson.com). Passion and fire—the perfect complement to the thrilling performance style of pianist Olga Kern.

Alexandre Da Costa, violin; Tommy Mesa, cello & Olga Kern, piano

Towne University

Comfy and inviting as an old friend (if your old friend happens to be a musical genius), A Solo Evening of Music with Chris Thile brings the Grammy Award-winning mandolinist, singer, songwriter, composer, and MacArthur Fellow recipient of the prestigious “Genius Grant” to the Festival’s Perry Pavilion. Described by The Guardian as "that rare being: an all-round musician,” and hailed by NPR as a "genre-defying musical genius," Thile is a founding member of the influential string bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek and has collaborated with countless luminaries from Yo-Yo Ma to Fiona Apple to Brad Mehldau. In this intimate program, Thile will perform selections from his acclaimed solo recordings of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas – including the upcoming second volume out this autumn – alongside his signature improvisational brilliance.

A Solo Evening of Music with Chris Thile

Top Gun: Maverick in Concert will feature the Virginia Symphony Orchestra performing the original score by Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga and Hans Zimmer, produced by Lorne Balfe.

Top Gun: Maverick was nominated for six Academy Awards® including Best Picture and Best Original Song, winning Best Sound.

Top Gun: Maverick In Concert

Headlining the Thursday June 25 evening will be multi-Grammy Award winners Melissa Etheridge & Wynonna Judd, who bring their powerhouse voices and guitar-driven hits to Virginia Arts Festival for the first time. Award-winning rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Melissa Etheridge stormed the rock world with her confessional songwriting and unmistakable rasp on classics like “Come to My Window” and “I’m the Only One,” and she returns with new music from her new album Rise (2026). Five-time Grammy winner Wynonna Judd first rose to fame as half of the legendary duo The Judds before launching a chart-topping solo career packed with country anthems including “No One Else on Earth” and “To Be Loved by You.”

Melissa Etheridge & Wynonna Judd

The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg

Experience a taste of New Orleans with jazz/funk icons Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with special guest Dumpstaphunk. Born Troy Andrews, Grammy-winner Trombone Shorty got his nickname and start in music earlier than most, making his New Orleans Jazz Fest debut at just four years old alongside Bo Diddley and leading his own brass band by six. A prodigy turned powerhouse, he has since grown into one of the most electrifying performers in music today. Whether headlining festivals, lighting up TV stages or captivating arenas worldwide he’s a magnetic showman with unmatched talent on the horn.

Dumpstaphunk has cemented its reputation as one of the most respected New Orleans musical institutions. Ivan Neville (keyboards, vocals) and Ian Neville (guitar), the sons of Aaron Neville and Art “Poppa Funk” Neville respectively, alongside original member Tony Hall (bass, guitar, vocals) have built upon their iconic NOLA legacy to become the city’s pre-eminent 21st-century funk-fusion export.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Virginia Arts Festival is pleased to announce Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, with special guest Theo Lawrence, will join the Williamsburg Live four-day weekend in June 2026. 
For nearly four decades, Alison Krauss & Union Station have upheld their legacy as one of the most influential and widely celebrated acts in bluegrass and roots music. Known for an immaculately crafted but endlessly surprising sound that transcends the boundaries of roots, country, rock & roll, and pop, Alison Krauss & Union Station released their highly anticipated new album, Arcadia, in 2025. This marked their first studio album since the 2011 masterpiece Paper Airplane—a critically lauded, multiple Grammy Award winning LP that debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country, Bluegrass, and Folk Album charts. Over the years, Alison Krauss & Union Station have brought their phenomenal live show to sold-out performances at famed venues like Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Greek Theatre, Radio City Music Hall, and London’s Royal Festival Hall, in addition to supporting Paul Simon in Hyde Park for his 2012 Graceland reunion. They now continue the celebration of their new music with the Arcadia 2026 Tour.
The players – Alison Krauss (fiddle, lead vocal), Jerry Douglas (Dobro, lap steel, vocals), Ron Block (banjo, guitar, vocals), Barry Bales (bass, vocals), and welcoming highly acclaimed and celebrated tenor vocalist Russell Moore (guitar, mandolin, lead vocal) as the newest member – are five distinct personalities, each of whom enjoys a flourishing solo career. But when they come together, they transform into a peerless group of musicians who share a singular focus.
Williamsburg Live, located on the Lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, is expanding in 2026 to a four-day weekend with the addition of a Thursday night performance.

Alison Krauss & Union Station

Grace Potter is a trailblazing, passionate artist who for 20 years has sold out tours, released critically acclaimed records, and collaborated with rock royalty like the Rolling Stones, Robert Plant, Bonnie Raitt, Iggy Pop, and many more. Potter’s soul-baring songs of longing, lust and self-salvation strike at the hearts of listeners, in performances that make you lean in, holding your breath for the next revelation.

Grace Potter

Hampton Roads(Williamsburg) native Bruce Hornsby first captivated music lovers worldwide in 1986 with his iconic hit “The Way It Is.” Renowned for his masterful songwriting, virtuosic piano work, and fearless exploration across rock, folk, jazz, and classical traditions, Hornsby has built a career defined by evolution and collaboration. He has worked with an extraordinary range of artists, including Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Don Henley, and Ricky Skaggs.

In concert, Hornsby’s songs stretch and transform in real time, shaped by bold improvisation, shifting rhythms, and intuitive interplay with his band, The Noisemakers, who build a richly layered sound around his piano as the anchor. This performance will span highlights from throughout his storied career and feature new music from his forthcoming album Indigo Park, arriving April 3, 2026. Don’t miss this electrifying evening of inspired musicianship, inventive improvisation, and hometown pride.

Virginia Arts Festival

May 8, 2026

The Lone Bellow

May 9, 2026

Attucks Jazz Orchestra

May 10, 2026

James Kealey, organ

May 14, 2026

Steep Canyon Rangers

May 15, 2026

Music of Queen - A Rock Symphony

May 3, 2026

Lee Greenwood

Apr 30, 2026

Happy Birthday, Hailstork!

Virginia Arts Festival