We’ll see you in May 2027!

After many delays, the City of Tucson’s renovation of our home, the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center at Reid Park, is expected to be undertaken through this autumn and winter.
This means that the Tucson Pops Orchestra’s Music Under the Stars concerts are on hiatus until the bandshell’s grand reopening in May.

Celebrate Tucson!
7 p.m. Sunday, May 9, 2027
The Tucson Pops Orchestra returns to Reid Park with Celebrate Tucson!, a joyful tribute to the extraordinary creativity, cultures and people that make our community unique. Maestro Khris Dodge and the orchestra will share the stage with an exciting cross-section of Tucson artists and organizations, including Ballet Tucson, Saguaro City Music Theatre, a local mariachi, acclaimed Indigenous guitarist Gabriel Ayala, and other special guests. Together, these artists will create an evening that reflects Tucson through music, dance, theater and the many cultural traditions that shape our city. The orchestra will also take center stage with music inspired by the Southwest, highlighted by the world premiere of Dodge’s new orchestral work, Catalina Mountains Suite. More than a concert, Celebrate Tucson! is an opportunity for thousands of people to gather in the park and celebrate the remarkable community we call home.

Katherine Byrnes and Heather Hardy
7 p.m. Sunday, May 16, 2027

The Tucson Pops celebrates two extraordinary women whose artistry has enriched Tucson’s musical community for decades: vocalist Katherine Byrnes and violinist/vocalist Heather “Lil’ Mama” Hardy. Both artists are known for remarkable versatility, moving effortlessly across jazz, blues, rock, gospel, folk and popular music while bringing an unmistakably personal voice to everything they perform. Joined by Maestro Khris Dodge and the Tucson Pops Orchestra, Katherine and Heather will perform individually, together, and alongside some of the friends and musicians who have been part of their musical journeys. The result will be an evening filled with great songs, unexpected collaborations, virtuosity and the warmth that comes from artists who have spent a lifetime making music within this community. We celebrate not only two remarkable women, but the friendships, creativity and connections that make Tucson’s artistic community so special.

Family Concert
7 p.m. Sunday, May 23, 2027

On the final weekend before Tucson schools break for summer, the Tucson Pops Orchestra invites the entire family to Reid Park for an evening created especially for kids—and everyone who remembers being one. From the unforgettable music of Sesame Street and The Muppets to adventures from Star Wars and Indiana Jones and favorites from Disney and Pixar, this concert will introduce young audiences to the power and excitement of hearing a live professional orchestra. The program will also put Tucson’s next generation in the spotlight, with opportunities for outstanding young musicians and performers from our community to appear alongside the Tucson Pops. Fun, welcoming and designed for audiences of every age, the evening transforms the park into a place where families can experience music together. At its heart is a simple idea: some of our strongest lifelong connections to music begin with the songs we first loved as children.

Memorial Day Concert
7 p.m. Sunday, May 30, 2027

The Tucson Pops Orchestra closes its May season with a Memorial Day program devoted to remembrance, service, sacrifice and gratitude. Narrated by Greg Curtis Wakefield, the concert will weave some of America’s most powerful patriotic and orchestral music through the true stories of three Americans whose service represents very different chapters of our nation’s history: Buffalo Soldier and Medal of Honor recipient Emanuel Stance, Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe, and pioneering World War II aviator Cornelia Fort. Music including Stars and Stripes Forever, American Salute, the Armed Forces Salute, and John Williams’ moving Hymn to the Fallen will help illuminate their stories while honoring the countless others who served and sacrificed. The orchestra hopes to welcome members of our local military community as special musical participants, further connecting the program to Southern Arizona’s proud tradition of military service. Ultimately, this concert asks us to look beyond dates, statistics and monuments and remember the individual human lives behind Memorial Day—bringing our community together through music in remembrance and gratitude.