Scottsdale Arts Reveals Upcoming Concert and Event Lineup

With a full lineup of concerts, the 15th anniversary of a fan-favorite art festival and much more, Scottsdale Arts will kick off the 2026–27 season with a wide variety of things to do and see.

November brings Canal Convergence back to Scottsdale. Beginning on Nov. 6 and continuing until Nov. 15, this year's theme, Western Nature, will highlight and honor inspirations of Arizona and the Southwest through the event's public art, workshops and activities, tours, community engagements, special events and, of course, through live music and dance.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts continues its season with a sold-out show by Lyle Lovett and his Small Large Band on Nov. 5, followed by North Mississippi Allstars on Nov. 8, Marc Broussard on Nov. 17 and Parsons Dance on Nov. 21. The month ends with a special performance of 'Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE' on Nov. 28 that is perfect for first-time theatergoers and fans who remain young at heart.

The following is a list of events and exhibitions from Scottsdale Arts, a nonprofit organization comprising Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA), Scottsdale Public Art, Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation, Canal Convergence, Civic Center LIVE and Scottsdale Arts @ Cattle Track. 

Canal Convergence

Friday, Nov. 6, through Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, evenings Scottsdale Waterfront Free

Scottsdale Arts' Canal Convergence will explore and celebrate the environmental and cultural landscapes that define the American West, Southwest and Arizona as public art with large-scale, light-based public artworks, live music and dance performances, creative workshops, educational tours and activities, food trucks and a beer and wine garden.

Lyle Lovett and his Small Large Band — SOLD OUT

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, 7:30 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $84

Versatile and eccentric, haunting and masterful, Lyle Lovett's live performances couple his gift for storytelling with elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues.

North Mississippi Allstars

Friday, Nov. 8, 2026, 7:30 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $42

Raw and loose, full of rhythms and riffs, the North Mississippi Allstars manifest pure energy and musicality through their signature brand of Hill Country blues.

Marc Broussard with Opener Cristina Vane

Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026, 7:30 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $38

Incorporating funk, blues, rock and R&B into his fiery performances, Marc Broussard's bayou soul unleashes energy in the form of music, and the audience reflects it back. Singer-songwriter Cristina Vane will open.

Glow Up @SMoCA: Sound Bath

Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, 7 p.m. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Tickets: $25

Glow Up @SMoCA is a series advocating for self-care and supporting wellness. Refresh your aura as a sound bath led by Melinda Milton eases you into deep relaxation inside SMoCA's exhibitions.

Parsons Dance

Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, 7:30 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $43

Returning to the Center after eight years, Parsons Dance delivers heart, athleticism and pure joy in motion, thrilling audiences with bold ensemble work and effortless movement.

Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra | Color Comes to Life

Sunday, Nov. 22, 2026, 4 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $20

From beloved classics to modern favorites, the magical music of animation bursts into color — live on stage with the energy and imagination of a full orchestra.

Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE

Saturday, Nov. 28, 2026, 4 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $35

Perfect for first-time theatergoers and fans who remain young at heart, 'Fraggle Rock' is a hilarious and heartwarming live experience from Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

LOOKING AHEAD

What a _____ Year, NYE Party on the Park 2026 with The Docksiders

Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026. 8 p.m. Scottsdale Civic Center Tickets start at $161

Celebrate New Year's Eve with the inaugural NYE Party on the Park — a high-energy evening with local radio host Rich Berra, a DJ and The Docksiders yacht rock experience, presented in partnership with Pinyon and AZ88.

Arizona Concours d'Elegance 2027

Sunday, Jan. 24, 2027, 9 a.m. Scottsdale Civic Center Tickets start at $97.50

Discover the art of elegance at speed during the 9th edition of the Arizona Concours d'Elegance, an automotive showcase meets garden party on the green lawns of Scottsdale Civic Center! In celebration of its 80th anniversary, this year's featured marque is Ferrari, and a significant number of the legendary Italian race cars and sports cars will be present for up-close viewing.

EXHIBITIONS

Desert Perspectives

Sept. 19, 2026, through Jan. 31, 2027 Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Admission: $10 to $16

“Desert Perspectives” is a yearlong, collection-centered exhibition that brings together a multigenerational group of artists working in — or regionally connected to — the Southwest whose practices engage deeply with the desert, not only as a physical landscape but as a layered site of ecological, cultural, historical and political significance.

Desert ArtLAB | What the Earth Keeps

Sept. 19, 2026, through Jan. 31, 2027 Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Admission: $10 to $16

A site-specific installation, performance, and cyanotype-mapping project, “What the Earth Keeps” by the collective Desert ArtLAB, explores relationships between land, ecology and cultural memory.

alejandro t. acierto: Model Home

Sept. 26, 2026, through Feb. 7, 2027 Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Admission: $10 to $16

Using architectural elements as a framework for display, “Model Home” examines recent changes to the broader desert landscape because of increased development and population growth in the Phoenix metro area.

Mark + Making | Selections from the SMoCA Collection

March 21, 2026, through Jan. 31, 2027 Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Admission: $10 to $16

Featuring drawings, paintings, prints and sculpture from SMoCA's collection, “Mark + Making” explores the use of marks, gestures and line to build form and shape ideas in contemporary artistic practice.

ArtSpark #1

Sept. 25, 2026, through Jan. 17, 2027 Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Free

“ArtSpark #1” features work created by the artists in the first cohort of Scottsdale Arts' new ArtSpark program. These artists engaged the local community and participated in career development workshops that connected them to the professional arts community.

Club Creatives

Oct. 16, 2026, through Jan. 10, 2027 Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Free

Club Creatives is an after-school arts program that provides high-quality art workshops and museum experiences for youth organizations. The artwork featured in this exhibition is a collaborative showcase created by teens from the Hartley & Ruth Barker Branch and Vestar Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale.

Delicately Drawn: Alexandra Bowers and Matthew Hunt

Oct. 6 through Dec. 31, 2026 Scottsdale Civic Center Library Free

Phoenix artists Alexandra Bowers and Matthew Hunt create delicate, detailed drawings that explore Sonoran Desert plants.

Scottsdale Public Art Permanent Collection

Ongoing Various locations throughout Scottsdale Admission: free

More than 150 artworks, many of them large-scale sculptures, can be found throughout the city at parks, in public facilities and along the streets. See the map at ScottsdalePublicArt.org for locations.