Maine venues line up 20 performances before the end of 2026
As the concert calendar enters its final stretch for 2026, music venues across Maine have lined up 20 diverse performances spanning classical-hip-hop fusions, folk tributes, and big band jazz before the year closes out.
Early November Brings Classical-Hip-Hop and Worldgrass to Coastal Stages
The slate opens with Grammy-nominated classical-meets-hip-hop duo Black Violin, featuring Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Johnson Hall Opera House in Gardiner. Tickets are priced at $69.24. The following evening at 7:30 p.m., Tanasi performs at The Dance Hall in Kittery, where admission runs $20 in advance, $25 on the day of the show, and $12 for students.
Worldgrass trio Tanasi takes the stage at 7 p.m. Nov. 6 at The Hill Arts in Portland. The Asheville, North Carolina-based Appalachian string band features Billy Cardine on dobro and slide instruments, Anya Hinkle on vocals and guitar, and Mary Lucey on vocals, upright bass, and clawhammer banjo. Advance tickets cost $25, with door prices at $30, while students and seniors pay $15 in advance and $20 at the door.
Also on Nov. 6 at 8 p.m., tribute act Highway Kind brings the catalog of late folk singer John Prine to Aura in Portland. Tickets range from $40.50 to $51.25 for the 18-plus event. Prine died in 2020 at age 73 after releasing 18 studio albums and several live records following his 1971 debut.
The Knocks and Fruit Bats Perform in November
Electronic dance music duo The Knocks perform at 8 p.m. Nov. 6 at Aura in Portland, with tickets priced from $40.50 to $51.25. Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Eric D. Johnson follows on Nov. 8 at 8 p.m., performing under the moniker Fruit Bats at the State Theatre in Portland, with tickets priced at $35 in advance and $40 on the day of the show. On Nov. 11 at 7 p.m., Johnson performs with his band at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor in support of their June release, “The Landfill.” Tickets range from $62.75 to $124.50, with Americana singer-songwriter Sarah King opening.
Country duo Sugarland marks the 20th anniversary of their hit album “Enjoy the Ride” with their Ride or Die tour on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Alejandro Escovedo performs at 8 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield, where tickets cost $40.
The band will be performing the entire 1981 “Moving Pictures” album on vintage instruments alongside multi-camera projection and lasers. Later on Nov. 15 at 8 p.m., married singer-songwriters Michael and Tanya Trotter bring their project The War and Treaty to the State Theatre in Portland.
Spencer Albee and Joan Osborne Play December Shows
Local musician Spencer Albee and his band The Walrus perform their Thanksgiving weekend tradition, playing Beatles songs at the State Theatre on Nov. 27 and 28 at 8 p.m., and Nov. 29 at 4 p.m. Tickets are $28 in advance, $33 on the day of the show, with two-day passes at $56 and four-packs at $90. The Walrus also plays Dec. 11 at The Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor, with tickets starting at $30.78.
Joan Osborne celebrates the 30th anniversary of her mid-1990s album “Relish” on Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Jonathan’s in Ogunquit, with tickets priced from $70 to $111. On Dec. 5 at 8 p.m., Live at Madrid’s in Portland hosts Pink Talking Phish with opener Say You Love Me, while the State Theatre hosts the Mallett Brothers Band the same night.
Singer Judy Collins continues her Sweet Judy Blue Eyes farewell tour on Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Johnson Hall Opera House, and Dec. 18 and 19 at Jonathan’s in Ogunquit, where tickets range from $90 to $131.
Additional December acts include Talking Heads tribute Start Making Sense at the State Theatre on Dec. 18, Rickie Lee Jones at the Stone Mountain Arts Center on Dec. 18 and 19 for $105, and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra directed by Jeff Bush at the Waterville Opera House on Dec. 20 at 3 p.m. for $45 to $55.