Local Culture
Mayfest
May 2 to May 5, 7:30 p.m. | 2401 University Dr., Fort Worth
Celebrate the Fort Worth community this weekend in Trinity Park with Mayfest. The event stretches over four days and includes food, carnival rides, live performing arts and music, and vendors selling art and other goods. Don’t forget to bring the kids along, there will also be special activities hosted just for the little ones.
Experience Europe
May 2, 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. | 2616 Commerce St.
Are you longing for a trip to Europe? Look no further than Experience Europe, a celebration of the cultures across Europe right in your backyard. Plus, you can ditch the passport. The festivities allow you to taste food and drinks with origins in Europe, from Hungarian wines with Aqueous Spirits and a taste of French cuisine from Lavendou to Italian bites and sips with Eataly, and more.
Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer
May 2 and to May 19, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. showtimes | 215 S Tyler St.
Liz Mikel is returning to Dallas after a year of performing on Broadway to play the 1960’s civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer in this regional premiere. The show tells the story of Hamer’s humble beginnings, her part in founding the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, and so much more. The one-woman-show features both theater and music.
First Fridays in Deep Ellum
May 3, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. | 2647 Main St.
First Fridays in Deep Ellum is here again, welcoming a performance from the four-piece band The Ottoman Turks and a spoken word performance from Derrick Walker. The event will also include a sip and shop, an outdoor market, a murals and margs walking tour, and a pedal bike bar happy hour through Deep Ellum.
Beauty and the Beast Dallas
May 3 to May 5, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. showtimes | 2403 Flora St.
See the classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast in ballet form this weekend. The show depicts love that goes beyond physical appearance expressed through graceful dance and intricate costumes.
Safari Nights
May 4 to July 6, 5 p.m. | 650 S R.L. Thornton Fwy.
Head to the Dallas Zoo on Saturday nights through July 6 to enjoy seeing and interacting with all the animals throughout the day, and stay into the evening to enjoy live tribute bands with the whole family. The event will also include special keeper chats, the Wonders of the Wild show, food and drink service, and a late-night look at some of the animal exhibits. This Friday, the tunes will come from the Beatles tribute band Hard Night’s Day.
Ring Cycle: Das Rheingold
May 4, 7:30 p.m. | 2301 Flora St.
Tune in for a series of performances called Ring Cycle with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The Saturday show, Das Rheingold, is considered the prologue of Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung and tells the story of the conflict that can arise between love, power, and redemption.
Ring Cycle: Die Walküre
May 5, 3 p.m. | 2301 Flora St.
Next up in The Ring of the Nibelung series with DSO comes Die Walküre, the piece of the series that is considered to be most loved by audiences everywhere. The performance tells the story of a king and a warrior-maiden, capturing both love and war cries.
Festival Cinco De Mayo
May 5, 12 p.m. | 2809 Grand Ave.
Celebrate Cinco De Mayo at Fair Park this weekend with live music, workshops, food and drinks. The lineup for the event includes live music by Grupo Duelo, Los Huracanes del Norte, La Maquinaria Nortena, Polo Urias, Los Viejones de Linares, Conjunto Azabache and more.
Live Shows
Bad Bunny
May 2 and 4 | American Airlines Center
Bad Bunny was due to play two nights in a row at the AAC, but the Mavericks forced a playoff game Friday night that split his dates. His Friday show is now on Thursday. You still have time to catch the Puerto Rican singer, but plan to spend some cheddar—both nights were sold out and tickets on the resale market are going a couple hundred. (You may have better luck tonight, since people are selling Friday tickets they can’t use).
Goodie Mob
May 2, 7 p.m. | Lava Cantina, The Colony
Hip-hop/R&B group Goodie Mob will be heading to The Colony this weekend—including CeeLo Green, who also had success as a solo artist and with Gnarles Barkley. The four—Green, Big Gipp, Khujo, and T-Mo, got their start in Atlanta in 1991 and released their debut album, Soul Food, in 1995. That album spawned hits like “Cell Therapy.” They disbanded for a time, then signed with Elektra in 2011 and released Age Against the Machine in 2013. Seven years later, they released Survival, their most recent album.
Charley Crockett
May 2, 8:30 p.m. | Longhorn Ballroom
Charley Crockett returns to Dallas to debut his latest album, $10 Cowboy, which was released last week. Over the course of two months, the follow-up to 2022’s acclaimed The Man From Waco was written while Crockett was on tour. He’s had a busy year, too—an appearance on The Daily Show, the cover of Texas Monthly, and performing at Willie Nelson’s birthday bash (both nights). Crockett says they’ll be recording audio and video at the Longhorn tonight, too.
The Chainsmokers
May 4, 6:30 p.m. | Toyota Stadium, Frisco
Electronic DJ duo The Chainsmokers will play Toyota Stadium in Frisco following the 2024 National Soccer Hall of Fame induction ceremony. So after you see soccer honor Tim Howard, Francisco Marcos, Josh McKinney, and Tisha Venturini-Hoch, be prepared to dance. The Grammy winners launched Summertime Friends last fall, and So Far So Good in 2022. Surf Mesa will open.
Randy Rainbow
May 4, 7:30 p.m. | Majestic Theatre
Emmy and Grammy-nominated comedian, singer, and satirist Randy Rainbow will bring his act to the Majestic Theatre Saturday night. He became popular for his web series, The Randy Rainbow Show, thanks to his takes on politics and current events. His debut album, A Little Brains, A Little Talent, earned a 2023 Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album.
2 Chainz and Juvenile
May 5, 1 p.m. | Riders Field, Frisco
Riders Field will host Tacos and Tequila, which includes plenty of food and drinks (including margaritas and yes, tacos), family fun, and a festival lineup that includes 2 Chainz, Juvenile, Travis Porter, DJ Skribble, and Luca Xtreme Wrestling.
Cypress Hill
May 7, 7 p.m. | House of Blues
After dropping Back in Black in 2022, Cypress Hill signaled that it was ready to come together again to produce its brand of hip-hop, rock, and rap. They’ve been on their We Legalized It 2024 tour with Pharcyde and Souls of Mischief this year, with Dallas being one of the last dates. The band has pledged $1 of each ticket sold to go to The Last Prisoner Project, which supports efforts to reform the criminal justice system through a more progressive drug policy.
Luis Miguel
May 8, 8 p.m. | American Airlines Center
Legendary Latin singer Luis Miguel embarked on his eponymous tour last summer, and it’s become one of the year’s biggest tours—selling 3.1 million tickets at last count, according to Pollstar. It kicked off in Buenos Aries, Argentina, in August 2023, where he performed 10 sold-out nights in a row. His spate of sellouts continued through Chile and the U.S. He has continued to add dates due to demand. His show includes 15 musicians and 19 mariachis.
Gary Clark Jr.
May 8 and 9 | Will Rogers Auditorium, Fort Worth, and Majestic Theatre, Dallas
Gary Clark Jr. will celebrate the release of his upcoming album, JPEG RAW, with two nights in North Texas. He’ll make a Cowtown stop next Wednesday, and follow it up with a stop in Dallas the next night. If you miss either of those shows, you can always drive north—he’ll be at Choctoaw Grand Casino in Durant, Oklahoma, next Sunday.
Also check out:
Bad Omens, May 2-3, The Factory in Deep Ellum. Get tickets.
Godfrey, May 2-4, Addison Improv. Get tickets.
FAE and Clancy Bartusek, May 2, 5.45 p.m., Sammons Park. Get tickets.
Uncle Lucius, May 2, 7 p.m., Lexus Box Garden at Legacy Hall, Plano. Get tickets.
Maddi Zahm, May 2, 7 p.m., House of Blues. Get tickets.
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, May 2, 7:30 p.m., Arlington Music Hall, Arlington. Get tickets.
Cattle Decapitation and Carnifex, May 3, 4:30 p.m., Granada Theater. Get tickets.
Helmet, May 3, 6 p.m., Echo Lounge & Music Hall. Get tickets.
Aaron Copeland with Jade Flores, May 3, 7:30 p.m., Levitt Pavillion, Arlington. Get details.
Heart, May 3, 8 p.m., WinStar World Casino, Thackerville, Oklahoma. Get tickets.
J. Boog, May 3, 8 p.m., Longhorn Ballroom. Get tickets.
Carson Jeffrey, May 3, 8 p.m., Magnolia Motor Lounge, Fort Worth. Get tickets.
Bob Schneider, May 3, 8 p.m., Tulips, Fort Worth. Get tickets.
Spyro Gyra, May 3, 8 p.m., The Kessler. Get tickets.
Paul Cauthen, May 3, 9 p.m., Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall, Fort Worth. Get tickets.
Ian Moore, May 3, 9 p.m., Dan’s Silverleaf, Denton. Get tickets.
Ashley McBryde, May 3, 10 p.m., Billy Bob’s Texas, Fort Worth. Get tickets.
Lords of Acid, May 3, 11 p.m., Echo Lounge & Music Hall. Get tickets.
Grupo Fantasma, May 4, 7:30 p.m., Levitt Pavillion, Irving. Get details.
Bruce Cockburn, May 4, 8 p.m., The Kessler. Get tickets.
Joe Satriani & Steve Vai, May 4, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall at Fair Park. Get tickets.
No Limit Reunion Tour w/ Master P, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X, May 4, 8 p.m., Comerica Center, Frisco. Get tickets.
Sleep Token, May 4, 8 p.m., Toyota Music Factory, Irving. Get tickets.
Mike Ryan, May 4, 10 p.m., Billy Bob’s Texas, Fort Worth. Get tickets.
Mint Green, May 5, 6 p.m., Andy’s Bar, Denton. Get tickets.
Alejandro Escovedo, May 5, 8 p.m., Longhorn Ballroom. Get tickets.
Mint Green, May 5, 6 p.m., Andy’s Bar, Denton. Get tickets.
Echo & the Bunnymen, May 8, 7 p.m., House of Blues. Get tickets.
Want to see Hootie and the Blowfish, Alanis Morrisette, Tripping Daisy, and The Roots this year? Check out our full concert calendar here. Listen to the playlist below to hear songs by artists performing in North Texas this weekend.
