55 things to do in Washington, D.C. this weekend (June 12-14)

Looking for something to do in Washington this weekend? The District’s calendar is packed with theater, live music, sports, film and cultural events. Highlights include the opening weekend of CrazySexyCool: The TLC Musical at Arena Stage, free performances at the Trump Kennedy Center and Studio Theatre, the FIFA Club World Cup Fan Zone on the National Mall, and dozens of other events across the city.

It’ll be a hot one this weekend, make sure you check the weather and keep an eye on the chances for precipitation.

Not everything happening in Washington makes this list, but these 55 events are a strong place to start. The full calendar is at the Washington Times DC Events Calendar.

Theater & Performing Arts

Studio Theatre: Purlie Victorious — Ossie Davis’s celebrated civil rights-era comedy follows Purlie, a spirited Black preacher on a mission to buy back his father’s church and liberate sharecroppers from a ruthless segregationist landlord. More Info →

Through Jun 21, 2026 | Studio Theatre | $55–$117

The Motion — A new play by Obie Award-winner Christopher Chen, running in Arena Stage’s signature in-the-round Fichandler space during prime spring season. Get Tickets →

May 6 – June 14, 2026 | Arena Stage, Fichandler Stage | Tickets Required

Signature Theatre: Pippin — Bob Fosse’s iconic Tony Award–winning musical returns at Arlington’s Signature Theatre. More Info →

May 12–Jul 26, 2026 | Signature Theatre | From $47

Othello — Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Elsbeth) stars in the title role of Shakespeare’s towering tragedy, directed by STC Artistic Director Simon Godwin. More Info →

May 19–Jun 28, 2026 | Shakespeare Theatre Company — Sidney Harman Hall | From $35

Sally & Tom — Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks delivers a sharp, layered new play in which a scrappy theater company stages a show about Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson. Get Tickets →

May 27 – June 28, 2026 | Round House Theatre | Tickets Required

A Fine Madness — Company artist Justin Weaks recounts his personal journey as a Black gay man in Washington, DC, newly diagnosed with HIV — through poetry, music, games, and storytelling that blur the line between performer and audience. Get Tickets →

June 2–21, 2026 | Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company | Tickets Required

Folger Theatre: How Shakespeare Saved My Life — World premiere of a solo performance piece written by and starring Broadway’s Jacob Ming-Trent, directed by Tony Taccone. More Info →

Jun 9–Jul 5, 2026 | Folger Theatre | From $20

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 →

Jun 12 – Aug 9, 2026 | Arena Stage — Kreeger Theater | From $83

Music & Concerts

Trump Kennedy Center: Free Millennium Stage — The Trump 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 →

Wed–Sat at 6 PM | Trump Kennedy Center Grand Foyer | Free

Jazz in the Garden — Free outdoor jazz concerts every Friday evening, May 22 through Aug 14, 2026. Event Info →

Fridays May 22 – Aug 14, 2026 (no June 5 or July 3) | 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 →

Fri nights, late May–Sep 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 →

Jun–Aug 2026 | Carter Barron Amphitheatre | Free to low-cost

Forrest Frank — Forrest Frank performs at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA. More Info →

Fri, Jun 12, 2026 | Jiffy Lube Live | Tickets Required

NSO: Lincoln Portrait & Barber Violin Concerto — Conductor Karen Kamensek leads the NSO in Copland’s Lincoln Portrait — with text drawn from Lincoln’s own speeches — alongside Barber’s lyrical Violin Concerto featuring soloist Johan Dalene, and Gershwin’s An American in Paris. More Info →

Fri–Sat, Jun 12–13, 2026 | Trump Kennedy Center Concert Hall | Tickets Required

Young the Giant with Cold War Kids & almost monday — Indie rock act Young the Giant headlines with Cold War Kids and almost monday at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center. More Info →

Fri, Jun 12, 2026 | Wolf Trap — The Filene Center

Dave Matthews Band — Dave Matthews Band performs at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA. More Info →

Sat, Jun 13, 2026 | Jiffy Lube Live | Tickets Required

Orville Peck — Masked country crooner Orville Peck brings his distinctive theatrical flair to Wolf Trap’s outdoor stage. More Info →

Sun, Jun 14, 2026 | Wolf Trap — The Filene Center

Sports

FIFA World Cup 2026 Fan Zone — A free, open-to-the-public FIFA World Cup Fan Zone on the National Mall runs through the entire tournament (Jun 11–Jul 19), featuring live match screenings, interactive exhibits, cultural showcases, food, music, and family-friendly activities. More Info →

Jun 11–Jul 19, 2026 | National Mall | Free (timed passes required)

Nationals vs. Seattle Mariners — 3-game interleague home series at Nationals Park. More Info →

Jun 12–14, 2026 | Nationals Park | Tickets Vary

Mystics vs. Toronto Tempo — WNBA home game at CareFirst Arena. More Info →

Fri, Jun 12, 2026 | CareFirst Arena | 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 →

Spring/Summer 2026 (dates TBD) | 2100 M Street NW, Washington DC | Free

Capital Pride Celebration — DC annual 10-day LGBTQ+ Pride celebration. Pride Schedule →

Jun 12–21, 2026 | Citywide — Parade on 14th and T St NW | Free (some events ticketed)

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 Jan 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 →

Aug 22, 2025 – Sep 7, 2026 | Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum | 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 →

Ongoing | National Museum of African American History and Culture | Free (timed passes required)

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 →

Ongoing | 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 →

Daily | 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 →

Ongoing | National Portrait Gallery | Free

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 Aug 30, 2026 | National Gallery of Art | Free

NMAAHC: At the Vanguard — Making and Saving History at HBCUs — A special exhibition spotlighting groundbreaking collections from five HBCU museums and archives, bringing lesser-known stories of African American history and achievement to the National Mall before the show embarks on a national tour. More Info →

Through Jul 19, 2026 | National Museum of African American History and Culture | Free (timed passes required)

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 →

Jan 24 – Aug 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 →

Feb 13, 2026 – Jan 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 →

Feb 13, 2026 – Jan 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 Jan 2027 | National Building Museum | Admission Required

Miró and the United States — The first major exhibition devoted to Joan Miró’s relationship with American art, culture, and collectors traces the Catalan artist’s visits to the U.S. More Info →

Through Jul 5, 2026 | The Phillips Collection | From $16

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 →

Apr 2 – Sep 27, 2026 | Smithsonian Asian Art Museum | Free

America’s State Flowers — The U.S. Garden Info →

Apr 10 – Oct 12, 2026 | U.S. Botanic Garden | 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 →

Apr 11 – Sep 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 →

Opens Apr 18, 2026 (2.5-year run) | 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 →

Opens Apr 25, 2026 | 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 Sep 7, 2026 | Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden | 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 →

Opens May 7, 2026 | 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 →

May 14–Dec 31, 2026 | National Museum of American History | Free

American Aspirations — Smithsonian Castle — The iconic Smithsonian Castle reopens with this landmark exhibition featuring Thomas Jefferson desk used to draft the Declaration, Harriet Tubman hymnal, and gold from Sutter Mill — exploring 250 years of American aspiration. Visit Info →

June 2 – July 26, 2026 | Smithsonian Institution Building | 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 →

June 6 – Dec 6, 2026 | National Gallery of Art, East Building | Free

Special Events

DC250 Programming — DC serves as the epicenter for America’s semiquincentennial celebration with special programming, exhibitions, and events. DC250 Info →

Throughout 2026 | Various Locations | Varies

Eastern Market — Historic public market with local farmers, artisans, and crafters. Market Info →

Tuesday–Sunday | Eastern Market, Capitol Hill | Free Entry

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 →

Sundays 3–8 PM (weather permitting) | 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 →

Daily | Tidal Basin | Free

DC Farmers Markets — DC vibrant farmers market scene runs year-round. Market Locations →

Weekly | Various DC Neighborhoods | Free Entry

Georgetown Waterfront — Stroll the C&O Canal towpath, explore boutique shopping, and dine at waterfront restaurants with Potomac River views. Georgetown Info →

Daily | Georgetown | Free

Drive-In at Union Market — DC’s beloved outdoor drive-in returns for its 13th year — one screening per month, $20 per car (up to 170 cars), free to watch on foot from Neal Place. Event Info →

Monthly, May 9 – Oct 3, 2026 | Union Market | $20/car or free on foot

Trump Kennedy Center Outdoor Film Series — Free outdoor film screenings on the Trump Kennedy Center REACH campus video wall, held most Friday evenings through late August. Event Info →

Fridays, May 30 – Aug 29, 2026 | Trump Kennedy Center REACH Campus | Free

Sunset Cinema at The Wharf — Outdoor waterfront movie screenings at The Wharf, with views of the Potomac. Event Info →

Summer 2026 | Transit Pier, The Wharf | Free

DowntownDC Summer Movie Series — Free open-air double-feature screenings in Franklin Park, with DJ sets before each show. Event Info →

Thursdays in June 2026 | Franklin Park | Free

Event dates, times, and prices are subject to change. Please verify details directly with venues before attending.