After previously announcing its Broadway season and several separate shows, Sarasota's Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall has announced its full 2026-27 season, with acts ranging from old favorites to new faces.
The concert lineup includes Boz Scaggs, known for hit singles such as “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle” off his five-times-platinum 1976 record “Silk Degrees," and Don McLean, best known for his 1971 No. 1 hit "American Pie" off his album of the same name.
Also performing are the Commodores, no longer featuring Lionel Richie but still including founding member William King, and the Temptations, still featuring original member Otis Williams.
For
the younger crowd, the biggest name will likely be John Mulaney, the multi-Emmy-winning former writer for "Saturday Night Live" (which he has since returned to host six times) turned stand-up star. Other comedy shows will include Jay Leno — who has performed at Van Wezel several times, including the day after his final "The Tonight Show" episode — Ron White, Terry Fator, and Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue.
Also of note for younger audiences is Blank Space — The Unofficial Taylor Swift Tribute, part of a lengthy lineup of tribute shows that also includes Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, Phil Collins, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Simon & Garfunkel and Bee Gees tributes. Of particular interest for Sarasota concertgoers and returning to Van Wezel this year is Allman Betts Family Revival, which features Devon Allman and Sarasota native Duane Betts honoring their late fathers Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts' group Allman Brothers Band in a "The Last Waltz"-style show with musical guests.
The holiday season is always busy for Van Wezel, and this season features a big get in Leslie Odom Jr. — best known for originating the role of Aaron Burr in "Hamilton," winning a Tony and Grammy in the process — visiting the venue on The Christmas Tour. Another notable show is Home for the Holidays, featuring "I Swear" R&B group All-4-One, '80s pop star Sheena Easton, "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard and jazz singer Lindsey Webster.
Van Wezel also often showcases the circus, given Sarasota's history with the industry, and will host The Vampire Circus, Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland, Cirque Kalabanté and Cirque Alice this season. Van Wezel's Broadway season will also include "Water for Elephants," a stage musical based on the 2006 circus-set novel also made into a 2011 film.
Other shows in Van Wezel's upcoming Broadway season will include "SIX," the musical about Henry VIII that was recently released in theaters as a filmed stage production; "Hell's Kitchen," based on the music of Alicia Keys; and "Shucked," about the corn-centered town of Cob County. Movies serve as the inspiration for many of the other featured musicals, such as "The Bodyguard," "Mystic Pizza," "Waitress" and "Legally Blonde."
Movies will also be the base for multiple concerts where the films are shown on the big screen while an orchestra performs the score live including "Ghostbusters," just two days before Halloween, and "Rocky," at the same time the biopic "I Play Rocky" about Sylvester Stallone's making of the film is in theaters. There will also be a concert with a similar concept for the television show "Outlander," which aired its series finale earlier this year.
Here are the shows in Van Wezel's 2026-27 season; event details are subject to change. Tickets go on sale to the public Sept. 12, though many shows are already on sale. For more information, call 941-263-6799 or visit vanwezel.org.
Van Wezel 2026-27 season schedule
Ron White: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13Boz Scaggs: 7 p.m. Oct. 11Rumours of Fleetwood Mac: 7 p.m. Oct. 17The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA: 7 p.m. Oct. 18The Vampire Circus: 6 p.m. Oct. 25'Ghostbusters' in Concert: 7 p.m. Oct. 29Golden Girls: The Laughter Continues: 1:30 and 7 p.m. Oct. 31The Phil Collins Story: 7 p.m. Nov. 5Neil Berg's The 70s: Long Live Rock 'N' Roll: 7 p.m. Nov. 12Blank Space — The Unofficial Taylor Swift Tribute: 7 p.m. Nov. 13David Foster and Katharine McPhee: 7 p.m. Nov. 14Floyd Nation — Inner Light Tour: 7 p.m. Nov. 18Cirque Dreams Holidaze: 7 p.m. Nov. 21'Rocky' in Concert: 7 p.m. Nov. 22'The Unauthorized Hallmark(ish) Parody Musical': 7 p.m. Nov. 23Home for the Holidays Starring All-4-One, Sheena Easton, Ruben Studdard, Lindsey Webster: 7 p.m. Nov. 27'The Bodyguard': Nov. 30-Dec. 2Dave Koz & Friends: 7 p.m. Dec. 3John Mulaney: Mister Whatever: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10'Outlander' in Concert: 7 p.m. Dec. 12Allman Betts Family Revival: A Decade of Revival: 7 p.m. Dec. 13Leslie Odom Jr. The Christmas Tour: 7 p.m. Dec. 14Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland: 6 p.m. Dec. 20A Very Broadway Christmas: 7 p.m. Dec. 21Jim Brickman: A Christmas Celebration: 7 p.m. Dec. 22'A Christmas Carol': 7 p.m. Dec. 23Straight No Chaser: Making Spirits Bright Tour: 7 p.m. Dec. 28Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet: 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 29Salute to Vienna New Year's Concert: 7 p.m. Dec. 30'Mystic Pizza': Jan 6-8Jay Leno: 7 p.m. Jan. 14'The Wiz': Jan. 15-16The Sixties Show: 7 p.m. January 21Air Supply — 'A Matter of Time' Tour: 7 p.m. Jan. 24'Mamma Mia!': Jan. 26-31Chris Botti: 7 p.m. Feb. 3Cirque Kalabanté — World of Words: 7 p.m. Feb. 4'Shucked': Feb. 8-9Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: 7 p.m. Feb. 11'Water for Elephants': Feb. 12-14The Temptations: 7 p.m. Feb. 16'Menopause the Musical': 7 p.m. Feb. 17The Commodores: 7 p.m. Feb. 18'Waitress': Feb. 23-25Terry Fator Pure Imagination: Once Upon A Voice: 7 p.m. March 2Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular: 7 p.m. March 3Stayin' Alive: 7 p.m. March 4Neil Berg’s 117 Years of Broadway: 7 p.m. March 8Get the Led Out: 7 p.m. March 9Drifters, Coasters, and Platters: 7 p.m. March 10Cirque Alice: 7 p.m. March 11'SIX': March 16-21The Simon & Garfunkel Story: 7 p.m. March 29'Legally Blonde': March 30-April 1Don McLean: 7 p.m. April 8Burn the Floor Presents Maks & Peta Live!: 7 p.m. April 11Alicia Keys' 'Hell’s Kitchen': April 13-18Elvis, Elvis, Elvis: 7 p.m. April 21
Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota’s Van Wezel reveals star-packed lineup of nearly 60 shows
