Queens Theatre Launches Dynamic 2026-27 Season of Queens-Centric Music, Dance, Theatre, Cultural Events, and More
Taking Center Stage – Artists, Community, Family, and Affordability, with Throwback Ticket Prices Practically Unchanged in 30 years
SEPT. 10 — QUEENS, NY — Reflecting the extraordinary diversity of the borough it calls home, Queens Theatre is launching a 2026–2027 season that brings cultures, traditions and artists from around the world to the heart of Queens, with tickets now on sale. Featuring a robust mix of Latin music and dance, jazz, theatre, family programming, global traditions, and cultural celebrations, the new season also marks a renewed effort to deepen Queens Theatre’s connection with the communities it serves while keeping live performing arts accessible and affordable.
“Queens Theatre exists to serve this community, and this season is a true reflection of our mission,” said Julia del Palacio, Executive Director of Queens Theatre. “Queens is one of the most diverse places in the world, and we want the people who live here to see themselves, their cultures, and their experiences represented on our stages.”
Keeping the Performing Arts Affordable and Accessible
Accessibility and affordability go hand in hand at Queens Theatre, where creating a welcoming space means removing barriers to the performing arts while presenting programming that speaks to the borough’s multicultural and multigenerational communities. As Queens Theatre works to welcome audiences back and introduce new generations to live performance, affordability remains central to its mission. Ticket prices have remained remarkably consistent for decades, with pricing largely unchanged since the 1990s. The commitment is intentional: keeping performances within reach for families and residents throughout the borough is an essential part of Queens Theatre’s role as a community cultural institution. Ticket prices for many 2026–2027 performances begin below $30, with some family programs averaging just $17.50 per ticket and select programming offered free of charge.
“Experiencing great live performances shouldn’t feel out of reach,” said Dr. Cameron Hernandez, Acting President of the Queens Theatre Board of Directors and President and COO of Mount Sinai Queens. “We have made a conscious effort to remain affordable throughout the years because accessibility is fundamental to our mission.”
And accessibility extends beyond affordability at Queens Theatre. The theatre provides a range of services designed to make live performance welcoming to audiences of all abilities. The entire facility is wheelchair accessible, including seating in all three performance spaces, restrooms, hallways and the main entrance, while assistive listening devices are available at most performances in the Claire Shulman Theater. Designated performances also offer services such as American Sign Language interpretation, audio description, open captioning and touch tours. Relaxed and sensory-friendly performances provide additional accommodations, including modified sound and lighting, quiet areas, and greater flexibility for audience movement and noise. That commitment is further reflected through Queens Theatre’s celebrated Theatre for All (TFA), an accessibility and professional development initiative that advances disability inclusion in the arts, while creating career-building opportunities for Deaf and disabled artists. Learn more about accessibility at Queens Theatre.
“As a Disabled artist myself, this work is personal," said Megan Simcox, Audience Development and Accessibility Manager at Queens Theatre and an alumna of TFA Professional Actor Training Program. “That means thinking beyond what happens on stage and removing barriers wherever we can, so audiences of all abilities can experience live performance, feel welcome in our space, and be part of the community we’re building here.”
A Season that Reflects Queens
The 2026–2027 season opens in October with a lineup designed to reflect the extraordinary diversity of Queens, bringing together established artists, emerging voices and performances spanning cultures, traditions and genres. From Latin music and jazz to global dance, family entertainment and cultural celebrations, the season offers audiences of all ages and backgrounds opportunities to see something familiar, discover something new and find something for them at Queens Theatre.
Highlights include Colombian twin sisters Las Áñez; Calpulli Mexican Dance Company’s Día de Muertos; Xiomara Laugart: Tribute to Celia Cruz; international entertainer Charo; illusionist VITALY: An Evening of Wonders; and The Monkey King: A Kung Fu Musical, presented in celebration of Lunar New Year.
Jazz takes on an expanded presence at Queens Theatre this season, with performances by Allan Harris, Tammy McCann, and Jumaane Smith, among others. Harris brings The Poetry of Jazz as part of the “Jazz is @ Queens Theatre” series, while McCann celebrates some of the genre’s most influential women with The Legendary Ladies of Jazz and will feature special guest David O'Rourke, long-time guitarist of the late Cassandra Wilson. Jumaane Smith brings the sounds of New Orleans to the stage with Sweet Baby!
Dance programming similarly reaches across cultures and traditions, from Calpulli Mexican Dance Company’s Día de Muertos celebration, to Darrah Carr Dance’s Irish-inspired St. Patrick’s Day performances, to the powerful rhythms of San Jose Taiko, which blends the powerful, traditional art of kumidaiko (ensemble drumming) with contemporary rhythms like jazz, Afro-Cuban, and rock.
Theatre continues to take center stage with Queens Theatre’s New Play Development program, which this year will feature stories about Queens. Now 25 years old, New Play Development presents free public readings by emerging playwrights, and invites audiences into the creative process through talkbacks, building on a history of more than 200 readings, workshops, and productions. Titan Theatre Company returns to Queens Theatre with Thornton Wilder’s Our Town opening this fall. Other readings and productions by local companies will be added to the calendar.
Family programming also remains a major part of the season, with several Rock and Roll Playhouse performances created especially for young audiences, along with Lightwire Dino-Light, which brings dinosaurs to life through electroluminescent artistry and imaginative storytelling.
Cultural celebrations are woven throughout the calendar, including programming recognizing Día de Muertos, Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras, Dominican Independence Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day Special featuring Uptown Royalty, Liza & Willie, the Cherry Blossom Festival, and Mother’s Day.
In addition, Queens Theatre’s B-Side Series will further expand opportunities for audiences and artists to connect through free, multidisciplinary open-stage programming. Designed to make the community part of the artistic experience rather than simply an audience for it, the series creates an inclusive space for people of all abilities and experience levels to participate, share their creativity, and engage in artistic expression. The B-Side Series is sponsored, in part, by NewYork-Presbyterian Queens.
“We want someone who has never walked through our doors before to look at this season and feel like there is something here for them,” said Julia del Palacio. “Whether it’s the music they grew up with, a tradition their family celebrates, or an artist they’re discovering for the first time, we want audiences to see themselves reflected on our stages.”
Bringing Queens Back to Queens Theatre
The new season also represents a broader effort to strengthen Queens Theatre’s relationships with the neighborhoods and organizations surrounding it. Queens Theatre is working with community groups and organizations throughout the borough to better connect with residents, including Queens’ extensive immigrant communities and the trusted service organizations that already work directly within them. Rather than asking communities to come to Queens Theatre on their own, the theatre is focused on building relationships within those communities and creating meaningful pathways for residents to discover its programming.
Tickets Now on Sale
Tickets for Queens Theatre’s 2026–2027 season are on sale now. Audiences can explore the complete season calendar, performance information, accessibility resources and ticket options at https://www.queenstheatre.org/events.
Queens Theatre gratefully acknowledges the public agencies, foundations, elected officials, corporate partners, and community organizations whose support helps make its programming and community initiatives possible.
Queens Theatre is supported, in part, by the Howard Gilman Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Flagstar Foundation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, Jerome Robbins Foundation, TD Charitable Foundation, Kupferberg Foundation, Mid Atlantic Arts, Metropolitan Park Community Impact Fund, NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, New York City FC, Resorts World NYC, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Council, the Queens Borough President, the New York State Assembly and Senate, and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
The 2026-2027 New Season Is Here. Queens at Heart. Queens Theatre.
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Queens Theatre Executive Director Julia del Palacio is available for interviews to discuss the new season, the theatre’s renewed focus on community engagement, and its ongoing commitment to making the performing arts accessible and affordable for Queens residents.
About Queens Theatre
Queens Theatre is the premier performing arts venue in Queens, dedicated to providing high-quality, diverse performing arts experiences that are economically and geographically accessible to the borough’s residents and the greater New York metropolitan area. Located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens Theatre presents and produces programming that reflects the extraordinary cultural diversity of Queens, featuring international, national and local artists across music, dance, theatre, family programming and more. Through its performances, community initiatives and commitment to accessibility, Queens Theatre works to foster greater cultural awareness, appreciation and connection through the performing arts.