Tickets for individual performances are now available for the Center for the Arts' 2026-27 season.

Featuring celebrated artists and ensembles from around the world, the lineup includes legendary performers, innovative dance and theatre works, inspiring orchestras, acclaimed jazz and global music artists, family favorites, and a hit Broadway production.

A variety of free experiences complements the center's performances and exhibitions, offering deeper connections with artists and their work through artist talks, post-performance question-and-answer sessions, panel discussions, and public workshops.

Virginia Tech students have exclusive artist access through class visits, hands-on workshops, master classes, craft talks, and other special on-campus engagement events. School-age students from across Southwest Virginia will enjoy free engagement activities designed just for them, including school-day matinee performances by professional artists, community arts projects, and opportunities to have their art displayed in the center’s galleries.

Center for the Arts 2026-27 performances 

Classical

Dance

  • Article Item
    The cast of Teatro la Plaza, eight actors with Down syndrome, perform "Hamlet" on stage. Two wear paper crowns and one wears an Elizabethan ruff.
    Compagnie Hervé Koubi , article

    THURS., OCT. 22, 2026, 7:30 PM: Compagnie Hervé Koubi's "Sol Invictus" celebrates a love of movement with contemporary dance, capoeira, and martial arts.

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    Four dancers from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, three young Black women and one young Black man, wear brown leotards and shorts and pose on top of a series of white pedestals in front of a grey studio background.
    Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater , article

    TUES., FEB. 23-WED., FEB. 24, 2027, 7:30 PM: See two nights of both contemporary works and ensemble pieces, each night ending with masterwork "Revelations."

Theatre/cirque

  • Article Item
    An actor wearing a crown in Teatro la Plaza’s “Hamlet” reclines beneath a large projected still from the 1960 film version of "Hamlet"
    Teatro La Plaza , article

    WED., OCT. 7-THURS., OCT. 8, 2026, 7:30 PM: In this reimagining of "Hamlet," eight actors with Down syndrome share their desires, struggles, and questions.

  • Article Item
    The cast of Teatro la Plaza, eight actors with Down syndrome, perform "Hamlet" on stage. Two wear paper crowns and one wears an Elizabethan ruff.
    Gravity & Other Myths , article

    TUES., OCT. 13, 2026, 7:30 PM: "Ten Thousand Hours" is Australian cirque company Gravity & Other Myths' tribute to the dedication required to realize physical ambitions.

  • Article Item
    The cast of Teatro la Plaza, eight actors with Down syndrome, perform "Hamlet" on stage. Two wear paper crowns and one wears an Elizabethan ruff.
    Mario the Maker Magician , article

    SUN., JAN. 31, 2027, 2 PM: In this high-energy, all-ages, inventive theatre experience, step into a world of cardboard contraptions, homemade robots, and impossible magic.

Music/jazz

  • Article Item
    Banjoist Bela Fleck, center, is a middled aged white man with red glasses and a black T-shirt holding his banjo. His fellow touring musicians, all white men, stand around him and look at each other.
    Béla Fleck: My Bluegrass Heart , article

    SAT., SEPT. 19, 2026, 7:30 PM: For "My Bluegrass Heart," banjoist Béla Fleck is joined by Michael Cleveland, Dominick Leslie, Jeff Partin, Mark Schatz, and Jake Stargel.

  • Article Item
    The cast of Teatro la Plaza, eight actors with Down syndrome, perform "Hamlet" on stage. Two wear paper crowns and one wears an Elizabethan ruff.
    Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars , article

    WED., OCT. 28, 2026, 7:30 PM: Founded by bandleader Juan de Marcos González, the Afro-Cuban All Stars celebrates the full spectrum of Cuban music.

  • Article Item
    The cast of Teatro la Plaza, eight actors with Down syndrome, perform "Hamlet" on stage. Two wear paper crowns and one wears an Elizabethan ruff.
    Ju Percussion Group , article

    WED., NOV. 18, 2026, 7:30 PM: One of Asia’s most influential contemporary percussion ensembles, Ju Percussion Group fuses Eastern and Western traditions.

  • Article Item
    The cast of Teatro la Plaza, eight actors with Down syndrome, perform "Hamlet" on stage. Two wear paper crowns and one wears an Elizabethan ruff.
    Roanoke Symphony Orchestra , article

    SAT., DEC. 5, 2026, 4 PM: A sparkling seasonal tradition returns as the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra brings the unmistakable sound of the holidays to Blacksburg.

  • Article Item
    The cast of Teatro la Plaza, eight actors with Down syndrome, perform "Hamlet" on stage. Two wear paper crowns and one wears an Elizabethan ruff.
    Kings Return , article

    FRI., FEB. 12, 2027, 7:30 PM: A cappella quartet Kings Return, often compared to Boyz II Men, blends R&B influences with jazz, soulful gospel, and bright pop.

  • Article Item
    The cast of Teatro la Plaza, eight actors with Down syndrome, perform "Hamlet" on stage. Two wear paper crowns and one wears an Elizabethan ruff.
    "An Evening with Sona Jobarteh" , article

    WED., MARCH 24, 2027, 7:30 PM: The first professional female kora virtuoso, Sona Jobarteh and her band blend musicianship, expressive vocals, and buoyant rhythms.

Authors/speakers 

  • Article Item
    Author Colson Whitehead, a middled aged Black man with dreads pulled back into a ponytail, wears a dark grey leather jacket and grey floral and white button down shirt in front of a light grey background.
    "An Evening with Colson Whitehead" , article

    WED., SEPT. 30, 2026, 7:30 PM: Author Colson Whitehead ("The Underground Railroad") is one of the most innovative voices in contemporary literature.

  • Article Item
    The cast of Teatro la Plaza, eight actors with Down syndrome, perform "Hamlet" on stage. Two wear paper crowns and one wears an Elizabethan ruff.
    "An Evening with David Sedaris" , article

    WED., NOV. 4, 2026, 7:30 PM: Bestselling author David Sedaris gives a live reading and offers reflections with his signature sharp observation and self-deprecating wit.

  • Article Item
    The cast of Teatro la Plaza, eight actors with Down syndrome, perform "Hamlet" on stage. Two wear paper crowns and one wears an Elizabethan ruff.
    National Geographic Live , article

    WED., MARCH 3, 2027, 7:30 PM: Aerospace engineer and National Geographic Explorer Tracy Drain offers a front-row view of humanity’s exploration of our cosmic backyard.

"Broadway in Blacksburg"

Broadway returns to Southwest Virginia with the center’s “Broadway in Blacksburg” series.

  • Article Item
    The cast of Teatro la Plaza, eight actors with Down syndrome, perform "Hamlet" on stage. Two wear paper crowns and one wears an Elizabethan ruff.
    "Hadestown" , article

    MON., MARCH 15, 2027, 7:30 PM: Intertwining two mythic tales, "Hadestown" is a haunting and hopeful theatrical experience that grabs you and never lets go.

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased online; at the Center for the Arts box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300.

Subscriptions for the 2026-27 season offer discounted prices, priority seat selection, and first access to major events.

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