The hardest part of planning a weekend in Washington may be deciding what to skip. A slate of new stage productions, free concerts, outdoor entertainment and immersive museum experiences shares the calendar with baseball, basketball and neighborhood favorites, making this one of those weekends where there’s more to do than time to do it.
Below are the highlights for the weekend, with 57 listings for your consideration. Don’t forget to check the weather forecast before heading out. For a complete look at what’s on in and around Washington, visit the Washington Times DC Events Calendar.
Theater & Performing Arts
CrazySexyCool: The TLC Musical — World premiere directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, this new musical tells the story of TLC — the most successful female group of all time — featuring hits including Waterfalls, No Scrubs, Creep, and Unpretty. Get Tickets →
Through August 9, 2026 | Arena Stage — Kreeger Theater | From $83
Shakespeare Free For All — Shakespeare Theatre Company — The Shakespeare Theatre Company annual free Shakespeare production, performed outdoors. Free Ticket Info →
Through August 31, 2026 | Sidney Harman Hall / Carter Barron | Free (same-day tickets)
My Joy Is Heavy — From Obie Award-winning duo The Bengsons and Tony-winning director Rachel Chavkin, this new musical work explores grief from pregnancy loss through intimate song and storytelling. Get Tickets →
Through September 1, 2026 | Arena Stage, Kogod Cradle | Tickets Required
Mrs. Doubtfire — The smash-hit Broadway musical based on the beloved film, featuring Daniel Hillard disguising himself as a Scottish nanny to be closer to his kids. Get Tickets →
Through August 2, 2026 | Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater | Tickets Vary
The Outsiders — Winner of the 2024 Tony Award for Best Musical, The Outsiders brings S.E. Get Tickets →
Through August 16, 2026 | Kennedy Center Opera House | Tickets Vary
Synetic Theater: The Immigrant — A limited three-night remount of Synetic Theater’s Helen Hayes Award-winning wordless physical theater adaptation of Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant kicks off the company’s landmark 25th anniversary season at Thomas Jefferson Theatre in Arlington, VA. More Info →
Jul 31–Aug 2, 2026 | Thomas Jefferson Theatre | Tickets Required
Music & Concerts
Kennedy Center: Free Millennium Stage — The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage offers free performances Wednesday through Saturday at 6 PM in the Grand Foyer — music, dance, and theater from local and national artists. Performance Schedule →
Through December 31, 2026 | Kennedy Center Grand Foyer | Free
Jazz in the Garden — Free outdoor jazz concerts every Friday evening, May 22 through Aug 14, 2026. Event Info →
Through August 14, 2026 | NGA Sculpture Garden | Free (lottery entry)
Rock the Dock Free Summer Concerts — Free Friday night concerts on the waterfront at The Wharf Transit Pier, kicking off Memorial Day weekend. Concert Schedule →
Through September 19, 2026 | The Wharf — Transit Pier | Free
Carter Barron Amphitheatre Summer Series — Carter Barron Amphitheatre in Rock Creek Park is undergoing a major NPS restoration and is targeted to reopen in summer 2026 with a free concert series as part of America’s 250th anniversary programming. Summer Schedule →
Through August 31, 2026 | Carter Barron Amphitheatre | Free to low-cost
Mon Laferte: Femme Fatale Tour — Award-winning Chilean singer-songwriter Mon Laferte brings her Femme Fatale Tour to the Warner Theatre for one electrifying night of Latin pop and rock. More Info →
Jul 31, 2026 | Warner Theatre | Tickets Required
Metric, Broken Social Scene & Stars — Three pillars of the Canadian indie rock scene share the stage for one night at The Anthem — Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars in a celebration of a golden era of alternative music. More Info →
Sat, Aug 1, 2026 | The Anthem | Tickets Required
Chance the Rapper — Grammy-winning rapper and performer Chance the Rapper brings his energetic show to Wolf Trap’s outdoor stage. More Info →
Sat, Aug 1, 2026 | Wolf Trap — The Filene Center
Lord Huron — Indie folk-rock band Lord Huron performs their cinematic, adventure-inspired sound at The Anthem in Washington, DC. More Info →
Aug 2, 2026 | The Anthem | From $84
Hilary Duff — Hilary Duff performs at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA. More Info →
Sun, Aug 2, 2026 | Jiffy Lube Live | Tickets Required
Sports
Mystics vs. Dallas Wings — WNBA home game at CareFirst Arena. More Info →
Fri, Jul 31, 2026 | CareFirst Arena | Tickets Vary
DC United vs. Nashville SC — MLS home match at Audi Field. More Info →
Sat, Aug 1, 2026 | Audi Field | Tickets Vary
Washington Spirit vs. San Diego Wave FC — NWSL home match at Audi Field. More Info →
Sun, Aug 2, 2026 | Audi Field | Tickets Vary
Festivals & Free Events
Artomatic — Artomatic is DC’s celebrated open, unjuried, multi-week arts festival where hundreds of artists take over a large building for weeks at a time. Artomatic Info →
Through July 31, 2026 | 2100 M Street NW, Washington DC | Free
Screen on the Green — The beloved free outdoor movie series returns to the National Mall for four summer evenings. More Info →
Through August 6, 2026 | National Mall | Free
Museums & Exhibitions
Adam Pendleton: Love, Queen — A major solo exhibition by celebrated American artist Adam Pendleton at the Hirshhorn Museum, exploring themes of Blackness, abstraction, and language through paintings, videos, and installations. Museum Info →
Through January 3, 2027 | Hirshhorn Museum | Free
Capilla de Maíz & State Fairs: Growing American Craft — Two concurrent shows at the Renwick Gallery: a site-specific installation by Justin Favela featuring gold-fringed walls and piñata corncobs celebrating maize in North American visual culture, alongside “State Fairs: Growing American Craft,” organized with Craft in America. Gallery Info →
Through September 7, 2026 | Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum | Free
Holocaust Museum: Americans and the Holocaust — A powerful permanent exhibition examining the American response to Nazism and the refugee crisis of the 1930s and 1940s. More Info →
Through December 31, 2026 | United States Holocaust Memorial Museum | Free (timed passes recommended)
International Spy Museum — The world most visited spy museum explores the real world of espionage through immersive exhibitions, artifact-packed galleries, and hands-on experiences across 140,000 square feet. Get Tickets →
Through December 31, 2026 | International Spy Museum | From $24.95
America’s Presidents — The National Portrait Gallery’s signature exhibition of presidential portraits, tracing American leadership from George Washington to the present. Gallery Hours →
Through December 31, 2026 | National Portrait Gallery | Free
National Museum of African American History: Power of Place — The newest Smithsonian museum presents Power of Place — a landmark exhibition exploring how African American communities have shaped and been shaped by the places they call home. Reserve Passes →
Through December 31, 2026 | National Museum of African American History and Culture | Free (timed passes required)
Mary Cassatt: An American in Paris — Roughly 40 paintings, drawings, and prints examining how Mary Cassatt created her radically modern impressionist works. Gallery Info →
Through August 30, 2026 | National Gallery of Art | Free
Clifford Ross: Digital Waves — Installed on a 23-foot-high screen in the West Building’s Rotunda, this immersive digital work builds waves from millions of glowing pixels, juxtaposing virtual water with the neoclassical space and its iconic fountain. More Info →
Through October 18, 2026 | National Gallery of Art | Free
The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today — The Smithsonian’s triennial juried portraiture competition showcasing 35 contemporary American portrait artists working across painting, photography, sculpture, and new media. Learn More →
Through August 30, 2026 | National Portrait Gallery | Free
Star Power: Hollywood Photographs by George Hurrell (A Sequel) — Following the success of the first installment, the National Portrait Gallery presents a sequel exhibition of George Hurrell’s iconic Hollywood glamour photographs from the Golden Age of cinema. Gallery Info →
Through January 10, 2027 | National Portrait Gallery | Free
Nick Cave: Mammoth — Internationally renowned artist Nick Cave explores the entanglement of land and race in American consciousness. Museum Info →
Through January 3, 2027 | Smithsonian American Art Museum | Free
A Better Life for Their Children — Chronicles the extraordinary partnership between Sears Roebuck founder Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Museum Info →
Through January 31, 2027 | National Building Museum | Admission Required
Into the Waters: Senju and Bingyi — Two contemporary painters — Japanese artist Hiroshi Senju and Chinese artist Bingyi — explore water through dramatically different lenses in this Smithsonian Asian Art Museum exhibition. Learn More →
Through September 27, 2026 | Smithsonian Asian Art Museum | Free
America’s State Flowers — The U.S. Garden Info →
Through October 12, 2026 | U.S. Botanic Garden | Free
Sky Hopinka: Kicking the Clouds — Through photographs, poems, and film, Indigenous artist Sky Hopinka connects family, language, place, and lived Native American experience in this solo presentation at the National Gallery. More Info →
Through December 6, 2026 | National Gallery of Art | Free
Dear America — A landmark exhibition at the National Gallery of Art featuring works by American artists responding to the nation’s history, ideals, and ongoing story. Gallery Info →
Through September 20, 2026 | National Gallery of Art | Free
¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa — A new exhibition at the National Museum of the American Latino tracing the origins and cultural journey of salsa music and dance across Latin America, New York, and beyond. Museum Info →
Through October 18, 2028 | National Museum of the American Latino (in NMAH building) | Free
Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration — A major special exhibition at the National Archives Museum explores the story behind the Declaration of Independence — how it came to be, how it has been preserved for 250 years, and how the U.S. More Info →
Through July 5, 2027 | National Archives Museum | Free
Hirshhorn: Basquiat × Banksy — Two landmark paintings in direct dialogue: Basquiat’s Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump (1982) and Banksy’s Banksquiat: Boy and Dog in Stop and Search (2018) — the first time either artist’s work has been shown at the nation’s museum of modern art. More Info →
Through September 7, 2026 | Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden | Free
Niagara Falls: Mist and Majesty — About 20 works probe how the layered histories and meanings of Niagara Falls have evolved from the early 19th century to today, tracing the iconic site’s shifting role in American imagination and visual culture. More Info →
Through September 20, 2026 | National Gallery of Art | Free
Bison: Standing Strong — A major Smithsonian exhibition on the American bison with an immersive prairie soundscape and three larger-than-life bronze bison sculptures outside. Museum Info →
Through May 1, 2029 | National Museum of Natural History | Free
In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness — The Smithsonian’s America250 centerpiece: 250 objects spanning the nation’s full 250-year history across all three floors, including the original Star-Spangled Banner and Thomas Jefferson’s writing desk (note: on display at the Smithsonian Castle Jun 2–Jul 26; a reproduction shown in its place during that period). More Info →
Through December 31, 2026 | National Museum of American History | Free
American Icon: The US Flag in Art — Over 30 works from the late 1800s through today illustrating changing American interpretations of the flag, opening as part of the NGA’s America 250 programming on the same day as the gallery’s massive Block Party event. Gallery Info →
Through December 6, 2026 | National Gallery of Art, East Building | Free
The Spirit of Invention: Patent Office and Patentees — Timed with the U.S. More Info →
Through June 6, 2027 | National Portrait Gallery | Free
The Declaration’s Promise — Opening in the David M. More Info →
Through January 8, 2027 | Library of Congress | Free
National Air & Space Museum: 50th Anniversary Galleries — Five major new galleries open simultaneously on the museum’s 50th birthday, including the Flight and the Arts Center — whose inaugural exhibition features 30 works by Robert Rauschenberg (on his centennial) exploring the artist’s relationship with NASA and aviation. Museum Info →
Through June 1, 2027 | National Air and Space Museum | Free
The Playground — National Building Museum Summer Installation — The National Building Museum’s annual immersive summer installation returns as The Playground — a space for play, exploration, and community programming. More Info →
Through August 30, 2026 | National Building Museum | From $16
Tomorrow the Sun Will Rise: 2026 Juried Invitational — Showcasing 48 artists living and working in the greater Washington, DC region, this annual juried invitational is one of the area’s most prominent platforms for emerging and mid-career regional artists. More Info →
Aug 1–Sep 20, 2026 | The Phillips Collection | Tickets Required
Special Events
DC250 Programming — DC serves as the epicenter for America’s semiquincentennial celebration with special programming, exhibitions, and events. DC250 Info →
Through December 31, 2026 | Various Locations | Varies
Eastern Market — Historic public market with local farmers, artisans, and crafters. Market Info →
Through December 31, 2026 | Eastern Market, Capitol Hill | Free Entry
Georgetown Waterfront — Stroll the C&O Canal towpath, explore boutique shopping, and dine at waterfront restaurants with Potomac River views. Georgetown Info →
Through December 31, 2026 | Georgetown | Free
Meridian Hill Park Drum Circle — Every Sunday afternoon, Meridian Hill Park hosts one of DC most enduring community traditions — a spontaneous drum circle drawing dozens of drummers and hundreds of participants. Park Info →
Through December 31, 2026 | Meridian Hill Park (Malcolm X Park) | Free
Tidal Basin & Cherry Trees — Nearly 4,000 cherry trees surround the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson, FDR, and MLK Memorials. NPS Cherry Blossom Info →
Through December 31, 2026 | Tidal Basin | Free
DC Farmers Markets — DC vibrant farmers market scene runs year-round. Market Locations →
Through December 31, 2026 | Various DC Neighborhoods | Free Entry
Kennedy Center Outdoor Film Series — Free outdoor film screenings on the Kennedy Center REACH campus video wall, held most Friday evenings through late August. Event Info →
Through August 29, 2026 | Kennedy Center REACH Campus | Free
Sunset Cinema at The Wharf — Outdoor waterfront movie screenings at The Wharf, with views of the Potomac. Event Info →
Through September 30, 2026 | Transit Pier, The Wharf | Free
National Geographic Museum of Exploration — Grand Opening — The brand-new 100,000-square-foot National Geographic Museum of Exploration opens June 26 at the organization’s historic DC campus. More Info →
Through December 31, 2026 | National Geographic Society HQ, 1600 M St NW | From $22.99
Event dates, times, and prices are subject to change. Please verify details directly with venues before attending.
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