The University of Iowa’s performing arts academic units–the School of Music, Department of Theatre Arts, and Department of Dance–will present an array of over 350 performances throughout the 2025–2026 academic year. From new works to timeless classics, this season invites audiences to experience the breadth of live performance emerging from the University of Iowa campus.

The School of Music kicks off the year at the free, outdoor Fall Welcome Concert, with the Hawkeye Drumline opening for Goose, the jam band that sold out Madison Square Garden earlier this summer. The school’s fall opera, Steven Stucky and Jeremy Denk’s The Classical Style: An Opera (of Sorts), will open in the newly outfitted Stark Opera Studio in Voxman Music Building. The opera season will close at Hancher Auditorium with Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz’s Disney classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame, featuring the UI Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra will also perform in Handel’s Messiah in December with UI Choirs at Hancher and in concert with Gabriel Kahane and Lowell Liebermann at Voxman in February. Additional highlights from the School of Music include the annual Band Extravaganza and an ongoing schedule of free recitals and ensemble work in Voxman.

The Department of Theatre Arts will present five high caliber Mainstage productions, all directed by third-year MFA directing candidates: Romeo and Juliet, Argonautika, How to Defend Yourself, Head Over Heels, and Uncle Vanya. The season culminates with Iowa New Play Festival, an annual week-long celebration of new, student-written work that features fully staged productions, readings, and special events. The department also presents free performances throughout the year through their Gallery, Workshop, and Reading series events. 

The Department of Dance continues its tradition of presenting the annual Dance Gala at Hancher, with this year’s guest artist piece being Trisha Brown’s Foray Forêt. Later in the fall semester, UI Dance students will perform the piece during the Trisha Brown Dance Company’s public program on the Hancher stage. Also on the calendar are a collaborative performance with the International Writing Program, the spring’s Faculty Concert, and numerous free performances in Space Place Theater showcasing the work of graduate and undergraduate students.

These performances are the result of close collaboration among the academic units, Hancher Auditorium, and the Performing Arts Production Unit, which make up Performing Arts at Iowa. 

Hancher Auditorium plays a key role by providing students and faculty with access to world-renowned professional artists through residencies and campus engagements—bridging classroom learning with meaningful career connections.

The Performing Arts Production Unit further enhances this experience with their team of industry professionals dedicated to fostering hands-on learning and preparing the next generation of artists and technicians to excel in the performing arts field.

Creativity lives at the heart of Performing Arts at Iowa, fueling a deep commitment to the creation of new work and innovation in the arts. This energy shapes a vibrant community where students are empowered to take risks, develop their voices, and engage in meaningful artistic inquiry. This ethos extends beyond the University of Iowa campus, welcoming K-12 students and people of all ages to engage with the arts at one of the nation’s best performing arts campuses.

Visit performingarts.uiowa.edu/events to explore the full calendar of events and learn more about each unit’s upcoming season. Tickets for Dance Gala go on sale Monday, July 21, at 10 a.m.; all other academic department events go on sale Monday, August 18, at 10 a.m.

Tickets will be available from the Hancher Box Office, which is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Tickets can be purchased in person or by phone (319-335-1100 or 800-HANCHER) during those hours. Tickets are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at hancher.uiowa.edu and hbotix.hancher.uiowa.edu. All ticket buyers are encouraged to make sure they are at one of those two websites—and no others—when purchasing tickets online.