UCSB Arts & Lectures Unveils 2026-2027 Season Featuring More Than 50 World-Class Events

Landmark season includes major commissions, farewell tours and conversations with cultural icons from Margaret Atwood to John McEnroe

UCSB Arts & Lectures has announced its 67th season, a sweeping lineup of more than 50 events featuring major artistic commissions, historic farewell tours, and conversations with some of the most influential cultural figures of our time.

The 2026-2027 season, unveiled by the Central Coast’s premier arts presenting organization, spans dance, music, theater and public discourse, bringing world-renowned performers and thinkers to venues across Santa Barbara and the UCSB campus.

“I can’t wait to share this season with our community,” said Miller McCune Executive Director Meghan Bush. “Across dance, music, theater and public conversation, this season brings together artists and thinkers who are helping define the cultural moment. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and supporters, and to the reputation Arts & Lectures has built over decades, we are able to bring extraordinary artists and speakers to Santa Barbara while fostering collaborations, conversations and creative encounters that resonate far beyond the stage.”

Season Highlights

The season kicks off Friday, September 25 at the Arlington Theatre with entrepreneur and leading podcaster Scott Galloway presenting “Notes on Being a Man,” a candid examination of masculinity, purpose and connection in the modern world.

Major Commissions and World Premieres

Among the season’s centerpieces is a major Arts & Lectures commission for Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, created during Marsalis’s final season as Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. The new work, inspired by Marsalis’s conviction that jazz reflects American democracy, draws on the words of Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman and Mark Twain. The orchestra performs Wednesday, February 24 at The Granada Theatre.

Three-time Grammy-winning violinist Hilary Hahn joins internationally celebrated baritone Matthias Goerne and pianist Yekwon Sunwoo for a program featuring a new work by acclaimed composer Reena Esmail, co-commissioned by Arts & Lectures. The performance takes place Wednesday, December 2 at The Granada Theatre.

Tony Award-nominated choreographer Sonya Tayeh (Moulin Rouge! The Musical) presents “The Surge: An Ode to Sinéad O’Connor,” an Arts & Lectures co-commission created for an ensemble of ten women. Set to O’Connor’s music, the piece channels the late singer’s fierce individuality and defiant spirit. The work debuts Wednesday, January 20 at the Lobero Theatre.

Farewell Tours and Milestone Moments

The season marks poignant endings for several major artists. The Akram Khan Company opens the Dance series on October 6 with “Thikra,” which Khan has stated will be the final international tour of one of the most influential dance companies of the 21st century.

Sankai Juku returns November 20 with “TOTEM: Void and Height,” the final work of legendary Butoh choreographer Ushio Amagatsu, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience the contemplative visual language of butoh through one of the form’s defining artists.

Superstar Performers Return

The season welcomes back some of classical music’s biggest names. Superstar pianist Lang Lang opens the Great Performances series October 9 at The Granada Theatre, while fellow piano virtuoso Yuja Wang closes the Great Performances B series April 20 with a recital combining extraordinary virtuosity with fearless musical imagination.

Broadway legend Bernadette Peters takes the Granada Theatre stage October 15, while Serbian violin virtuoso Nemanja Radulović makes his Arts & Lectures debut November 4, leading chamber orchestra Double Sens in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes offers a rare opportunity to hear Beethoven’s final three piano sonatas performed in a single recital on March 12.

Conversations with Cultural Icons

The Speaking with Pico series, hosted by acclaimed author Pico Iyer, brings together extraordinary voices for intimate conversations. Margaret Atwood, one of the defining literary figures of our time, appears April 23 at the Arlington Theatre. Tennis legend John McEnroe follows May 7, offering perspectives on excellence, reinvention and the paths that open after greatness.

Beloved cookbook author and television personality Ina Garten appears April 28 at The Granada Theatre, while Pulitzer Prize-winning author Yiyun Li opens the series January 26.

Word of Mouth: Democracy, Technology and Power

The Word of Mouth series tackles urgent questions of our time. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum presents “History, Memory and Power” on January 31. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray discusses geopolitics and national security February 16. Technology journalist Kara Swisher explores longevity and the future of being human April 8, inspired by her CNN series. Podcaster Scott Galloway presents “Notes on Being a Man,” a candid examination of masculinity, purpose and connection in the modern world.

Honoring Musical Legacies

Several events pay tribute to influential musicians. Bass legend Stanley Clarke and pianist Hiromi present “A Celebration of the Music of Chick Corea and Beyond” on March 5. Sitarist Niladri Kumaar honors his mentor, the late tabla master Zakir Hussain, with “The Space Between the Notes” on April 14.

Don Was & the Pan Detroit Ensemble bring their 50th Anniversary Blues for Allah Tour to Santa Barbara April 27, reimagining the Grateful Dead’s landmark album through the lens of jazz.

Dance Excellence

The Joffrey Ballet brings two distinct programs to The Granada Theatre February 27-28, while Camille A. Brown & Dancers presents “I AM,” an expansive work for 12 dancers and three musicians, on April 15. Doug Varone and Dancers collaborates with UCSB Dance students November 14 for a program featuring works set to music by Philip Glass and Radiohead.

Family Programming

The Family Time series offers experiences for all ages, including Circa’s Duck Pond, an acrobatic reimagining of Swan Lake (October 18); OCEAN in Concert, pairing David Attenborough’s film with live performance by the Santa Barbara Symphony (December 9); and Manual Cinema’s adaptation of Mo Willems’ “Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster” (April 25).

Ticket Information

Series subscriptions go on sale Monday, June 15 at 10 a.m., with a presale for Producers Circle members beginning Tuesday, June 9. Single tickets go on sale Friday, August 7 at 10 a.m.

Arts & Lectures offers 12 curated series packages with discounts up to 25%, including Dance, Great Performances A and B, Word of Mouth, Americana, Jazz, Hear & Now, Speaking with Pico, Vanguard, Global Sounds, and Family Time. The Create Your Own Series option allows patrons to select four or more events for 10% savings.

Subscriptions can be purchased online at www.artsandlectures.ucsb.edu, by phone at (805) 893-3535, or in person at the Arts & Lectures Ticket Office in Campbell Hall on the UCSB campus (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.).

Additional events will be announced throughout the season.