Hancher Auditorium has been named to Billboard magazine’s 2026 Top Music Venues list, placing it in company with massive stadiums and famous theaters across the country and around the world.

As a biology major and chemistry minor on the pre-med track, Tyler Draayer, a lifelong violinist, brings this same level of focus to his Iowa musical performances. In spite of his jam-packed schedule, he still finds time to perform with the Campus Symphony Orchestra, finding it “relaxing and therapeutic.”

Free Week returns for its second year from February 16 – 22, 2026, transforming Downtown Iowa City’s Cultural & Entertainment District into a weeklong celebration of creativity, community, and connection.

As the fall semester winds down, we’re looking back at some of the best moments captured by Performing Arts At Iowa photographer Jason Smith. From mainstage play productions presented by the Department of Theatre Arts, to student dance and choir performances, to appearances by internationally known artists — and everything in between — check out the fall 2025 semester in these 28 frames.

In this new hip-hop musical from Nygel D. Robinson and Brian Quijada (2011 BA, Theatre), audiences hear a tale of reverse migration: Slaves leaving the United States for Mexico.