DARK STAR ORCHESTRA to Launch Fall Tour, Mark 45th Anniversary of Reckoning

DARK STAR ORCHESTRA is set to launch a fall tour that will include a benefit concert marking the 45th anniversary of the Grateful Dead's Reckoning album. The band, known for recreating specific Grateful Dead concert setlists, will bring the tour to venues across the country in the coming months.

Dark Star Orchestra has announced its Fall 2026 Tour, a run that carries the band from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic to a special four-night return to Florida in December. Highlights include a Rex Foundation Benefit at The Anthem in Washington, DC, celebrating the 45th anniversary of Reckoning, along with multiple-night stands in Montclair, Huntington, and Fort Lauderdale. The Fan Club Presale begins this Wednesday, July 29th at 10am local time, with the Official On-Sale following this Friday, July 31st at 10am local time. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.darkstarorchestra.net/.

The newly announced dates arrive during a busy summer for Dark Star Orchestra, following shows at major venues across the country, including New York City's Rooftop at Pier 17, and ahead of the band's two-night return to Berkeley's Greek Theatre on July 31st - August 1st. Presented as The Music Never Stops: A Rex Foundation Benefit & Tribute to Bob Weir, the Greek Theatre weekend will coincide with Jerry Garcia's birthday and the beginning of the Days Between, bringing together Dark Star Orchestra, Melvin Seals & JGB featuring Jazz Mafia Horns, Peter Rowan, and Sam Grisman Project.

As that momentum carries into the fall, Dark Star Orchestra will continue its nearly three-decade mission of celebrating the Grateful Dead live concert experience for longtime Dead Heads and new generations of fans. A centerpiece of the fall tour will take place on Saturday, November 21st at The Anthem in Washington, DC, where Dark Star Orchestra will present a Rex Foundation Benefit celebrating the 45th anniversary of Reckoning, the beloved 1981 live Grateful Dead album drawn from the band's intimate 1980 acoustic/electric performances.

Photo credit: Courtney Scout

For Dead Heads, Reckoning holds a special place in the band's history. Capturing the Grateful Dead during a rare period when the band opened with an acoustic set before moving into two electric sets, the album revealed a different side of the Dead's musical language: warm, roots-driven, and closely connected to the folk, blues, country, and bluegrass traditions that helped shape the band from the beginning.

At The Anthem, Dark Star Orchestra will honor that moment by recreating a full three-set show from the Reckoning era, featuring one acoustic set and two electric sets. In keeping with DSO tradition, the specific show will not be announced in advance, giving fans the chance to experience the evening as it unfolds.

The Anthem performance will benefit the Rex Foundation, the nonprofit founded in 1983 by members of the Grateful Dead. For over four decades, Rex has carried forward the Grateful Dead community's philanthropic spirit by supporting small nonprofit organizations doing meaningful work that are often overlooked by traditional funding sources.

The Fall 2026 Tour will also include a special four-night Florida run, marking Dark Star Orchestra's long-awaited return to the state. The band will perform December 2nd at the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, December 3rd - 4th at War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, and December 5th at The BayCare Sound in Clearwater.

Dark Star Orchestra has spent nearly 30 years carrying forward the Grateful Dead live concert experience, performing more than 3,400 shows for a growing community of longtime Dead Heads and new generations of fans. Known for recreating historic Grateful Dead concerts with care, precision, and improvisational spirit, the band has become one of the most respected touring institutions in the jam band world.

Each DSO performance honors the sound, structure, and spontaneity of the Grateful Dead's live shows while allowing the music to breathe in the moment. The Fall 2026 Tour continues that mission across theatres, ballrooms, amphitheaters, and destination events, bringing the band's historically inspired approach to audiences around the country.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.darkstarorchestra.net/.

Dark Star Orchestra Newly Announced Fall 2026 Tour Dates

Thursday, November 12th - Providence Performing Arts Center - Providence, RI
Friday, November 13th - Palace Theatre - Albany, NY
Saturday, November 14th - Orpheum Theatre - Boston, MA
Thursday, November 19th - The Wellmont Theater - Montclair, NJ
Friday, November 20th - The Wellmont Theater - Montclair, NJ
Saturday, November 21st - The Anthem - Washington, DC^
Sunday, November 22nd - Warner Theatre - Erie, PA
Tuesday, November 24th - Forum Theater - Binghamton, NY
Wednesday, November 25th - Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA
Friday, November 27th - The Paramount - Huntington, NY
Saturday, November 28th - The Paramount - Huntington, NY
Wednesday, December 2nd - Florida Theatre - Jacksonville, FL
Thursday, December 3rd - War Memorial Auditorium - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Friday, December 4th - War Memorial Auditorium - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Saturday, December 5th - The BayCare Sound - Clearwater, FL

^Special Rex Foundation Benefit celebrating 45 years of Reckoning

Previously Announced 2026 Dates

Tuesday, July 28th - Humphreys Concerts by the Bay - San Diego, CA**
Thursday, July 30th - California State Fair - Sacramento, CA
Friday, July 31st - The Greek Theatre - Berkeley, CA
Saturday, August 1st - The Greek Theatre - Berkeley, CA
Tuesday, August 4th - Britt Pavilion - Jacksonville, OR
Thursday, August 6th - The Cuthbert Amphitheater - Eugene, OR
Friday, August 7th - Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery - Woodinville, WA
Saturday, August 8th - McMenamins Grand Lodge - Forest Grove, OR
Thursday, September 10th - Ting Pavilion - Charlottesville, VA
Friday, September 11th - Riverfront Park - Harrisburg, PA
Saturday, September 12th - Ovation Hall - Atlantic City, NJ
Tuesday, September 15th - Saranac Brewery - Utica, NY
Thursday, September 17th - College Street Music Hall - New Haven, CT
Friday, September 18th - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom - Hampton Beach, NH
Saturday, September 19th - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom - Hampton Beach, NH
Sunday, September 20th - Grand Point North Festival - Burlington, VT
Saturday, September 26th - William & Mary University - Martha Wren Briggs Amphitheatre - Williamsburg, VA

Previously Announced 2027 Destination Event

Tuesday, January 12th-Saturday, January 16th - Jam In The Sand XIII - Montego Bay, Jamaica*

*SOLD OUT

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