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August 22, 2023

Fall 2023: Performing Arts And Live Music Take Center Stage in Philadelphia

As summer transitions into fall, there’s no shortage of live performances, major concerts and arts events for everyone to enjoy.

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Wicked at Kimmel Cultural Campus - Academy of Music Photo by Joan Marcus
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Suzanne Roberts Theatre Photo by G. Widman for Visit Philadelphia
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Photo by M. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia
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PHILADELPHIA, August 22, 2023 – Philadelphia has a rich history of performing arts and live music, and as the season starts to change, the city’s arts and culture scene leaps into the spotlight.

Resident companies like Philadelphia Ballet and The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia return for their new seasons, and the Philadelphia Fringe Festival and Opera Philadelphia’s Festival O23 — two of Philly’s marquee annual theater festivals — enter stage right.

The fall arts surge comes second nature here. We’re the proud home of the Walnut Street Theatre, the oldest continuously operating theater in the United States; a hub for dozens of concert venues for acts big and small; and an industry-wide destination thanks to the Avenue of the Arts, the stretch of South Broad Street between City Hall and South Street that is the epicenter for live performances.

There you can feel the energy each night as theatergoers, orchestra fans, and dance and opera lovers funnel into the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Academy of Music, The Wilma Theater and the Miller Theater. After performances, you can see throngs of arts aficionados spill onto the street to make their way to their next stop: be it dinner, drinks, dancing, you name it.

Elsewhere across the city and surrounding region, visitors and residents can delight in spaces devoted to experimental ventures specializing in popular musicals, original creations, children’s theater and more.

This season, don’t sleep on ordering tickets now to catch in-demand live performances including The Lion King, Wicked and Mary Poppins, as well as exciting intimate performances at the Plays and Players Theater, Penn Live Arts, Act II Playhouse and more. On the concerts front, snag your seats for shows by musical stars including the Arctic Monkeys, Janelle Monáe, John Mayer and Depeche Mode.

Read on for a guide to the top performing arts and live music acts headed to Greater Philadelphia in the coming weeks, complete with can’t-miss shows, performances and concerts slated for fall 2023.

Marquee Performing Arts Festivals

Philadelphia Fringe Festival
Various locations including FringeArts, 140 N. Christopher Columbus Boulevard
September 7-24, 2023

This annual month-long celebration showcases more than 1,000 alternative, cutting-edge and avant-garde performances throughout the city — all curated by Fringe Arts. The lineup typically includes a healthy mix of comedic and dramatic performances at venues large and small. Stay tuned to the official website for a full slate of this year’s events.

Festival O23
Various locations including The Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad Street
September 21 – October 1, 2023

Get excited for Festival O23, the fifth iteration of Opera Philadelphia’s popular and contemporary season opener. The 11-day event features live performances, opera film screenings and panel discussions at venues across the city. This year’s performances include Grammy-winning soprano Ana María Martínez, award-winning baritone Quinn Kelsey and more. Also on the docket is the global debut of 10 Days in a Madhouse, with five performances at The Wilma Theatre. The experimental, psychological opera — inspired by true events — follows an undercover reporter as she exposes troubling conditions inside a women’s mental hospital in 1880s New York City.

Performing Arts Lineup By Venue

In The City

Academy of Music
240 S. Broad Street

This gilded, crystal-chandeliered, velvet-curtained, 160-plus-year-old theater plays host to Opera Philadelphia, Philadelphia Ballet, Broadway Philadelphia and others — and is always worth the price of admission.

Arden Theatre Company
40 N. 2nd Street

Noted for both premieres and popular works, the Arden presents a main stage series for adults, as well as captivating productions for children. The theater has garnered much acclaim, including nine “Best of Philly” awards from Philadelphia magazine.

  • Assassins: Stephen Sondheim’s musical about assassins (or would-be assassins) of U.S. presidents (September 21 – October 15, 2023).
  • What The Constitution Means To Me: Playwright Heidi Schreck’s humorous play on how the historic document has impacted issues like women’s rights, immigration, domestic abuse and more (October 26 – December 3, 2023)

The Drake
1512 Spruce Street

InterAct Theatre Company and resident companies Inis Nua, PlayPenn, Simpatico Theatre and Azuka, which offers its entire season at a “Pay What You Decide” cost structure. Under this format, attendees reserve a ticket in advance and pay after the show, determining the value based on the experience.

  • The Elephant in the Room: A Philly premiere, this comedy follows Priyanka as she leaves behind her software engineer job, immigrates to America and attempts to become an actor (November 1-12, 2023).

Forrest Theatre
1114 Walnut Street

This Shubert-owned theater bears the name of Edwin Forrest, a 19th-century Shakespearean actor and Philadelphia native. One of the city’s premier venues for more than 90 years, the Forrest frequently hosts touring productions of Broadway shows, winter through spring.

  • Company: Sondheim’s classic hits close to home: On her 35th birthday, Bobbie’s friends question her incessantly about why she hasn’t settled down (November 28 – December 10, 2023).

FringeArts
140 N. Christopher Columbus Boulevard

A 220-seat theater, FringeArts hosts contemporary performances, experimental concerts and other events throughout the year. The onsite restaurant, Fringe Bar, makes for a great dinner-and-a-show experience.

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
300 S. Broad Street

Architect Rafael Viñoly designed this Avenue of the Arts’ gem, home to The Philadelphia Orchestra and more regional and international masters of world, pop, jazz, classical, theater and dance.

  • The Philadelphia Orchestra Opening Night: Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra begin their 124th season, featuring Yo-Yo Ma’s performance of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 (Thursday, September 28, 2023)
  • The Glorious Sound of Christmas: The Philadelphia Orchestra’s annual holiday program, with lively renditions of Christmas classics (December 14-17, 2023).

Miller Theater
250 S. Broad Street

The 1,870-seat, circa 1918 Miller (formerly the Merriam) hosts stand-up comedians, celebrity chefs, dance troupes, theater acts and more. Intimate and enthusiastic crowds add to the performance.

New Freedom Theatre
1346 N. Broad Street

One of the nation’s most honored Black professional theater companies, New Freedom Theatre has staged productions from James Baldwin, Ossie Davis, Charles Fuller, Ntozake Shange, August Wilson and Leroi Jones, and been instrumental in the theatrical formation of hundreds of young Black Philadelphians, including Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr. With producer, songwriter and entrepreneur CEO Karl “Dice Raw” Jenkins now at the helm, the theater heads into a new era.

  • The Last Jimmy: This stage play unflinchingly investigates the failures of the criminal justice system, issues of mass incarceration and the modern prison industrial complex (virtual).
  • Forgotten Founding Fathers: This production explores the untold story of the many pivotal contributions made by former slaves before, during and after the Revolutionary War (virtual).

Philadelphia Theatre Company
Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad Street

The Philadelphia Theatre Company is a hotspot for theater, dance and accessible performances for adult audiences.

  • Unholy Wars: An Opera Philadelphia performance that’s part of Festival O23, Unholy Wars tells the story of the Crusades from a Middle Eastern perspective (September 23 – October 1, 2023).
  • Macbeth In Stride: A 90-minute rock musical examining what it means to be an ambitious Black woman through the lens of Macbeth (October 31 – November 12, 2023).

Plays & Players Theatre
1714 Delancey Place

One of the oldest continuously running theaters in the United States, the Plays & Players Theatre opened as The Little Theatre in 1913. Its location on a quiet, residential street adds to its charm — as do the comedic antics of theater troupe 1812 Productions, whose annual holiday romp, This Is the Week That Is, has been a Philly favorite for more than a decade. Upstairs, Skinner Studio offers additional programming and access to Quig’s Pub.

Red Rūm Theater
601 Walnut Street

The brick-and-mortar home of Without A Cue Productions, Red Rūm Theater opened in early 2023. Focusing on interactive murder mystery shows, the audience is just as involved in the production as the cast, investigating whodunnit.

  • Who Cracked the Liberty Bell?: This kid-friendly production urges audiences to find the culprit who cracked Philly’s most famous bell (Saturdays).
  • A Dickens of a Murder: Sherlock Holmes meets A Christmas Carol when you team up with the famed investigator to solve Scrooge’s murder (November 17 – December 30, 2023).

Walnut Street Theatre
825 Walnut Street

Founded in 1808, the oldest continuously operating theater in the country is a National Historic Landmark that produces musicals on its main stage and indie productions in its Independence Studio.

  • Elvis: A Musical Revolution: A jukebox musical charting Elvis’ rise to fame, through the perspective of the people who knew him best (October 3 – November 5, 2023).
  • Disney’s Beauty And The Beast: It’s a tale as old as time. All the characters and songs you love from the animated classic, only in 3D on stage (November 21 – December 31, 2023).

The Wilma Theater
265 S. Broad Street

The Wilma is known for adventurous live art that engages audiences in imaginative reflections on the complexities of contemporary life.

  • 10 Days in a Madhouse: An opera following reporter Nellie Bly through her internment at Blackwell’s Asylum, this world premiere is part of Opera Philadelphia’s Festival O23 (September 21-30, 2023).
  • Fat Ham: Philadelphia playwright James Ijames’ Pulitzer Prize-winning adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet is set in the south and centers a Black, queer main character (November 24 – December 17, 2023).

Greater Philadelphia

Act II Playhouse
56 E. Butler Avenue, Ambler

Ambler’s award-winning ACT II Playhouse regularly draws patrons from Philadelphia and beyond for its eclectic theater productions in an intimate setting.

  • Gaslight: Is Bella going insane or is her husband playing tricks on her to make her believe as much? (September 26 – October 22, 2023)

Bristol Riverside Theater
120 Radcliffe Street, Bristol

Overlooking the Delaware River, this 300-seat Bucks County theater, housed in a former movie theater, stages hundreds of shows each year, including Mainstage productions, a summer music fest series, a Christmas show and special events.

  • The Mystery of Irma Vep: This double-hander satirizes B-horror movies, classic mysteries and Victorian melodramas with plenty of camp and costume changes (October 3-21, 2023)

Bucks County Playhouse
70 S. Main Street, New Hope

Broadway producers have taken over this historic theater housed in an 18th-century gristmill. Together, they’ve revived the storied scene by opening year-round and arranging for original plays, world premieres, musicals, solo performances, live music, youth programs and more, including the Playhouse Deck Restaurant & Bar.

The Media Theatre
104 E. State Street, Media

This nearly 500-capacity theater was built almost a century ago and served as Media’s largest movie theater. Fast forward 100 years, and The Media Theatre produces musicals and hosts comedy shows and kid-friendly performances.

People’s Light
39 Conestoga Road, Malvern

Since 1974, People’s Light has produced an eclectic mix of shows, from Macbeth and Pride and Prejudice to the world premieres of Such Things as Vampires and The Harassment of Iris Malloy. In addition to staged shows, People’s Light also hosts classes for adults and kids.

Cirque du Soleil’s BAZZAR at The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center
The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks
September 26 – October 22, 2023

A spectacular show makes its North American debut in Oaks as acrobats, dancers and musicians from the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil performance troupe debut BAZZAR at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. The high-energy, high-flying show bursts with color, sound and diverse characters under the big top.

Can’t Miss Events

Brazilian Day Philadelphia
Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, 101 S. Christopher Columbus Boulevard
Sunday, September 3, 2023 | 1-7 p.m.

PECO’s summerlong Multicultural Series continues with another huge cultural celebration along the Delaware River waterfront on Labor Day weekend. Free and open to the public, Brazilian Day Philadelphia features a day of Brazilian culture, including traditional music, dancing and mouth-watering delicacies like the African-influenced Acarajé — a dish from northern Brazil made with black-eyed peas, spicy pastes and shrimp.

William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision
The Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Through Sunday, September 10, 2023

An exhibition featuring over 60 of William Edmondson’s most memorable works comes to the Barnes Foundation this summer. The late sculptor’s portfolio spans gravestones and garden ornaments to more figurative carvings like people, animals and angels. And in 1937, Edmonson was the first Black American artist to hold a solo exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The Barnes exhibition space explores his work as it relates to Black culture and includes a brand-new performance, choreographed by Chicago-based artist Brendan Fernandes.

Philadelphia Fall Arts Fest at the Kimmel Center
The Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad Street.
Saturday, September 23, 2023 | 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Fall season’s greetings! This free event features a diverse sampling of arts and culture performances at the Kimmel Center. Take in the free sights and sounds, and participate in family-friendly activities while hearing about the fall performance schedules from more than 50 arts and culture organizations in Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Orchestra: Opening Night at the Kimmel Center
The Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad Street
Thursday, September 28, 2023 | 5:30 p.m.

Legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma joins conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra for the orchestra’s enormous opening night for the 2023-2024 season. The premiere program features Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, Higdon’s Fanfare Ritmico and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances. Like what you hear? Season ticket packages are now on sale.

Delco Arts Week
Various locations including the Media Community Center, 301 N. Jackson Street, Media
September 30 – October 8, 2023

It’s all about the arts in Delaware County during this nine-day celebration full of exhibitions, performances and pop-ups. Noteworthy events include a Fright Fest celebration of all things gothic and macabre at Media Community Center (September 30, 2023), productions of Our Town at Colonial Playhouse (multiple dates) and Fiddler on the Roof at The Players Club of Swarthmore (multiple dates), and the Lansdowne Arts on the Avenue Festival (October 1, 2023).

Live Music

Platinum Production Presents: Patty in the Park
The Dell Music Center, 2400 Strawberry Mansion Drive
Saturday, September 2, 2023 | 7 p.m.

Legendary WDAS radio host Patty Jackson returns to The Dell for another edition of her late-summer concert extravaganza, Patty in the Park. This year’s smooth-singing lineup includes soul icons The Whispers, disco-funk rockers Heatwave, talk-box pioneers Zapp and more.

Lady B’s Basement Party
The Dell Music Center, 2400 Strawberry Mansion Drive
Sunday, September 3, 2023 | 7 p.m.

Philly icon Lady B — one of the earliest women to break through in the rap scene — hosts an evening of throwback hip-hop in North Philly. Taking the stage: fellow female rap pioneer MC Lyte, The Roots-predecessors Stetsasonic, ’90s hitmaker C.L. Smooth and more.

Secret Chord Concert & Talk Back
Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
Thursday, October 19, 2023 | 6 p.m.

An evening of soul-stirring melodies and high-energy Jewish Bluegrass tunes, featuring Nefesh Mountain. This husband-and-wife duo was the first band to ever sing in Hebrew at the historic Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. This concert will be recorded as an episode of the Secret Chord Concerts series.

Concert
Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
Thursday, November 16 

The first-ever concert of the new ensemble Piyut Rising, a group of Mizrahi (Jews of Middle Eastern and North African descent) musicians who are based in the U.S. and Israel. The band is led by two Jewish musicians, Yoni Battat and Yosef Goldman, collectively of Iraqi, Syrian and Yemeni descent.

Major Concerts

Aerosmith
Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad Street
Saturday, September 2, 2023 | 7 p.m.

Summer in Philly marks the beginning of the end for rock legends Aerosmith. This September 2 will be your very last chance to dream on with Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and the rest of one of the most notable American rock bands ever as the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers kick off their Peace Out: The Farewell Tour right here in Philadelphia. Don’t miss out on singing along with classics like Walk This Way, Crazy, Sweet Emotion and Cryin’ one final time before the group calls it a career after over half a century together. Nineties blues-rock darlings The Black Crowes open.

Arctic Monkeys
The Mann Center, 5201 Parkside Avenue
Tuesday, September 5, 2023 | 8 p.m.

I bet you look good at The Mann Center. Just a month ahead of the release of their brand new album, The Car, U.K. indie rockers Arctic Monkeys take the stage at TD Pavilion at The Mann. The band drives into Philly on September 5, just a few shows before the end of their massive year-long world tour, so Alex Turner and friends should be good and warmed up to ask you musical questions like Do I Wanna Know?, R U Mine?, and Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?

Duran Duran
Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad Street
Thursday, September 7, 2023 | 7 p.m.

Are you … hungry like the wolf? Live your new wave fantasy when recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Duran Duran bring their infectious earworms Girls On Film, The Wild Boys, Rio and, yes, Hungry Like The Wolf to the City of Brotherly Love.

Beck and Phoenix
The Mann Center, 5201 Parkside Avenue
Friday, September 8, 2023 | 5:45 p.m.

Classic indie rock is on full display as Beck and Phoenix swing their co-headlining Summer Odyssey Tour into TD Pavilion at The Mann Center on September 8. Art rocker Beck Hanson, fresh off a 2022 Grammy nomination and his first new music since 2019, bangs out hits like Loser, E-Pro, and The New Pollution, while French synth-pop quartet Phoenix belt out staples like 1901 and Lisztomania along with tracks from their 2022 release, Alpha Zulu.

$uicideboy$
Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad Street
Friday, September 8, 2023 | 6:30 p.m.

It’s been a long journey for New Orleans underground rap duo $uicideboy$, from humble beginnings self-posting on SoundCloud and Bandcamp to selling out basketball arenas. The conceptual introspective hip-hop pioneers swing by Wells Fargo Center on September 8 as part of their Grey Day Tour supporting the Spring Season version of their Yin Yang Tapes EP series.

Peter Gabriel
Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad Street
Saturday, September 16, 2023 | 8 p.m.

Onetime Genesis frontman and prolific solo musician, Peter Gabriel is readying his first album of new material in over two decades, i/o, with a world tour. The album’s first singles, Playing For Time and Panopticom, are equal parts heartwrenching and existential, respectively. And as a nod to the album’s celestial namesake, new music from i/o gets released during the full moon each month.

Janelle Monáe
The Met Philadelphia, 858 N. Broad Street
Monday, September 18, 2023 | 7 p.m.

There are few artists better suited to fill the big spaces and high ceilings of former opera house The Met Philadelphia than triple-threat Janelle Monáe. Whether you love her for her star-turn roles in Hidden Figures, Glass Onion or Moonlight or from her 20 years of funky hip-hop-singed R&B albums, be sure not to miss her North Philly gig on September 18 in support of Age of Pleasure, her fourth full studio album.

P!nk
Citizens Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way
September 18 & 19, 2023

One of pop’s favorite non-conformers, Pink has always played by her own rules. Her live performances are full of aerial acrobatics and, naturally, her powerhouse vocals. So what? She’s still a rock star.

Greta Van Fleet
Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad Street
Tuesday, September 19, 2023 | 7:30 p.m.

There’s a pretty good chance you’ll never get to see Led Zeppelin play a live concert again. But while the sound, style and vibe at a Greta Van Fleet show may evoke the energy of a Zep set, an evening with the Grammy-winning Michigan blues rockers is no consolation prize. Currently touring in support of their brand new summer LP Starcatcher, GVF hits the Wells Fargo Center on September 19.

The Jonas Brothers
Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad Street
Thursday, September 21, 2023 | 7:30 p.m.

Whether you were a teenage Jonas Brothers fan in 2007 or you’re a teenage Jonas Brothers fan now, seeing Joe, Nick and Kevin in a jam-packed Wells Fargo Center might be the best way to wrap up your summer. The JoBros’ Five Albums, One Night tour comes through September 21 (two days before the first day of autumn) performing selections of songs highlighting their five studio albums, from their Disney beginnings up through their latest album, The Album.

Macklemore
The Met Philadelphia, 858 N. Broad Street
Sunday, September 24, 2023 | 7:30 p.m.

Macklemore has had us popping tags since 2013. Known for collabs with artists like Skylar Grey and Kesha, the Thrift Shop and Can’t Hold Us singer-slash-rapper celebrates the release of his 2023 album, Ben, with the BEN Tour. His third solo studio album without his buddy Ryan Lewis, Ben explores some of the darker and more vulnerable parts of Macklemore’s life.

SZA
Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad Street
September 26, 2023 | 8 p.m.

Rescheduled from March 2, 2023: The St. Louis-born singer-songwriter — who skyrocketed to fame after working with the likes of Nicki Minaj and Beyonce — takes center stage at the Wells Fargo Center to play the hits and tracks from her acclaimed 2022 release, SOS.

John Mayer
Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad Street
October 7, 2023 | 8 p.m.

Thanks to popular demand, acclaimed artist John Mayer extended his acoustic Solo tour into the fall and is making his way around the east coast. The tour also features special guest JP Saxe.

Depeche Mode
Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad Street
October 25, 2023 | 7:30 p.m.

Depeche Mode’s Memento Mori Tour, featuring special guest DIIV, is one of the group’s largest to date and supports the band’s 15th studio album, Memento Morim, which was a follow-up to the critically acclaimed Spirit of 2017. Fans are looking forward to The Memento Mori Tour — Depeche Mode’s first in more than five years.

Music Festivals 

One Fine Day Festival: Sting & Shaggy
The Mann Center, 5201 Parkside Avenue
Saturday, September 9, 2023 | 3 p.m.

Bands know Philly is the best place to hold your big summer music festival, and dual legends (and IRL best friends) Sting and Shaggy are no exception. The former Police troubadour/bassist and the It Wasn’t Me reggae rapper team up to produce, curate and co-headline the inaugural One Fine Day Festival on September 9, a full day of music at The Mann Center with two stages of music featuring the two Grammy Award winners and seven other fine artists, including Thundercat, Tank & The Bangas, and G. Love & Special Sauce.

Loneliest Place on Earth Fest
Franklin Music Hall, 421 N. 7th Street
Saturday, September 9, 2023 | 4 p.m.

Lansdale, Montco’s The Wonder Years serve as hosts, curators and performers at their all-day Loneliest Place on Earth Fest in the parking lot of Franklin Music Hall. The Philly burbs emo pop-punkers headline the September 9 show, performing their The Greatest Generation album in its entirety to celebrate the release’s 10 anniversary. The festival features seven acts on the main stage, including Origami Angel, Laura Stevenson and fellow Philly-based singer/songwriter Kississippi.

XPoNential Music Festival in Camden
Wiggins Waterfront Park, 2 Riverside Drive, Camden, NJ
September 22-24, 2023

WXPN, the public radio station of the University of Pennsylvania, brings together musical legends and new performers along the Camden waterfront at this can’t-miss annual fest at Wiggins Waterfront Park. This year’s lineup includes Old Crow Medicine Show, Tegan and Sara, Allison Russell and many more.

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