Calendar

Disney’s The Little Mermaid

I will never tire of promoting this 1997 sci-fi thriller. Director John Woo, new to Hollywood at the time, wanted the original script rewritten to be set in the present day rather than its initial futuristic setting, although that would have made the premise more believable. That premise: an FBI agent (John Travolta) going so deep undercover he literally swaps faces, voices, and body styles with a terrorist (Nicolas Cage) in order to infiltrate prison and gain info about a bomb’s location. It is decidedly not based on a true story but was inspired by a friend of the writers,…

July 10-25

The Plaza Park Stage

206 N C M Allen Pkwy., San Marcos Beyond Austin

Theatre, Family

No tickets required for San Marcos’ Broke Thespians Theatre Company’s entirely free production of the hit musical about a mermaid who trades her voice to an evil sea witch to gain legs in order to woo a human prince. Much less grim than the 1837 source Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, the Disney version is chockablock with outstanding original songs (“Kiss the Girl,” “Under the Sea,” “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” the diabolical “Les Poissons”) by the music & lyrics dream team of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. The Disney Renaissance era produced no shortage of great musicals, but in my book,…

Summer Creativity and Play

Fri., July 17

Pleasant Hill Branch Library

211 E. William Cannon, Austin South

Kids might have the summer off from school, but they’re still hard at work! For kids, play and creativity are part of their job: learning about the world around them and becoming well-rounded people. Youngsters of all ages are welcome from 11am to 1pm to join Austin Public Health for arts & crafts, team-building exercises, storytelling, and active play. Registration is encouraged, but it’s all free for kids in the 78744, -45, and -48 ZIP codes through the Community Youth Development Program. – Kat McNevins 512/974-3940

FEAST.

July 16-25

Hyde Park Theatre

511 W. 43rd, Austin Midtown

Does your stomach rumble merely reading Shrewd Productions’ newest show title? If so, consider sating your hunger by snagging a seat at the award-winning – and limited-run – staged supper table. Featuring eightfold B. Iden Payne Best Actress Katherine Catmull as an ancient magical creature cleverly concealed within an older woman’s guise, this dinner party is also much more than its culinary exterior implies. It’s a Beowulf riff; it’s a “warning against the rising forces of authoritarianism”; it’s a tale of revenge; but most importantly, it’s $26 for general admission – $50 if you’d like to be a “dinner guest.”… 512/479-7529

Summer Exposure 2026

July 10-19

Link & Pin

2235 E. Sixth #102, Austin Lower East

East Austin’s Link & Pin offers the third installment of its Summer Exposure exhibits. For two weeks, works in various mediums from local artists Brandon Quintero (pencil/acrylic/digital illustration), Jamie Graham (ceramic/textile), and Bonnie Maxey (printwork) will be on display. Each brings thought-provoking pieces examining, respectively, identity and American culture, nature and the elements, and aquatic worlds into conversation with one another. Opening reception’s Saturday, July 11. – Rina Laby 512/900-8952

To Die For

July 17,19, and 23

AFS Cinema

6406 N. I-35 Ste. 3100, Austin Midtown

Soviet Propaganda Pop-up Market

To find that this film is based on a book based on a true crime story – look up Pamela Smart – is no great shock. Ringing as true to today’s social media-obsessed populace as it did to the daytime TV desperates of the Nineties, Gus Van Sant’s cinematic portrayal of how far fame drives a person off the deep end inspires laughs, gasps, and perhaps a few wolf-whistles at the totally gorgeous Nicole Kidman as ruthless newlywed Suzanne Stone. The film’s done mockumentary style, which lends a little levity to an otherwise dark dive into – to reference a… 512/322-0145

Fri., July 17

Antique Mule

4926 E Cesar Chavez, austin East

Red River Cultural District

If you have been on the hunt for the perfect poster replete with hammers, sickles, bright red letters, and outer space, look no further than the Antique Mule’s latest pop-up. Casual propagandists can browse Eighties Soviet artifacts and posters, showcasing everything from rocket launches to devoted farmers. For more committed comrades, Brenna Greenwell from Eight Ball Electric Tattoo is doing Russian prison-style flash tattoos. Whether you are redecorating, or simply reminiscing on the days of Cold War bunkers past, food, drink, ink, and unbeatable artifacts abound. – Sarah Andrews 5124359189

Hot Summer Nights 2026

Fri., July 17 and Sat., July 18

Red River, Austin Campus

Free

I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire

When the sun sinks below Red River, great music is on the Hot Summer Nights breeze. The annual free festival turns the entertainment district’s slow season into a seriously FOMO-giving weekend. It’s impossible to see every great act on the lineup, from the iconic Soul Man Sam to the never-before-seen soft silence, gentle noise. If you’re in need of a good-time guarantee, come by the Chronicle’s own partnered showcase Friday. Charismatic indie sleaze duo Almost Heaven and psychedelic noisegazers Witches Exist play, bookended by energetic turntable sets from DJ Garty and Provider, at Kingdom on Friday night. – Caroline Drew…

July 16-18

Ground Floor Theatre

979 Springdale #122, Austin East

Imagine your middle school Wattpad drafts came to life: Samantha Hurley's dark comedy follows an eighth-grader in 2004 [Editor’s note: A pre-Wattpad world!] convinced her destiny is to marry Tobey Maguire. And she’s got a basement, duct tape, and unwavering confidence to prove it. Aiming for chaotic and sincere, the show pokes at celebrity obsession, internet culture, and how we all beautifully (and maybe barely) survived our embarrassing adolescence. – Allison Shelton 512/840-1804

& Juliet

July 14-19

Bass Concert Hall

2350 Robert Dedman, Austin Campus

Ali Holder (performance & record signing)

Romeo and Juliet’s tragic tale doesn't obviously scream “girly pop power anthem featuring mega hits of the early Aughts.” But the guy who made most of those mega hits, Max Martin, would never let anything like “tradition” or “adherence to Shakespeare's script” get in the way of a joyous jukebox musical. Songs from the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears stitch together the story of Shakespeare’s wife, Anne, desperately trying to convince the Bard to give the star-crossed lovers a sunnier ending. Forget a tale of such woe; it’s a tale of “whoa, I’m having such a good time grooving to… 512/471-2787

Fri., July 17, 6:30 p.m.

Waterloo Records

1105 N. Lamar, Austin Old West Austin

Hot Summer Nights: The Austin Chronicle presents Provider, Almost Heaven, Witches Exist, DJ Garty

The song cycle of Ali Holder’s new Garden of the Underworld EP winds through desolation and darkness into fraught and tentative rebirth. Her first new music since 2020’s Uncomfortable Truths confronts the dissolution of her marriage and emerges to find herself anew, mirrored against the myth of Persephone as Holder’s witchy gothic songwriting melds with Anaïs Mitchell drama. Holder’s voice carries a determined strength against the heavy deep strings of the EP, a slow unburdening of guilt and damages into a personal acceptance and revelation that blooms in the depths of her confessional hymns. – Doug Freeman 512/474-2500

Fri., July 17, 9 p.m.

Kingdom Nightclub

505 E. 7th, Austin Downtown

Free

Superfónicos

Fri., July 17, 10 p.m.

Continental Club

1315 S. Congress, Austin South Congress and South First

Get Tickets

$20 cover (21+)

Austin’s commodores of Colombian funk will be taking this year's Colombian Independence Day celebrations to a lively new level at Continental. Despite some of the band members working hard on their new highly anticipated project the Animeros, Superfónicos have continued to turn up the cumbia and funk heat this summer at local gigs. At this one, presented by KUTX, they’ll be playing cuts from their 2024 album Renaceré, as well as newer jams with special guests. Whether or not you’ve done Colombian Independence Day before, Friday with the ’fónicos will be the ideal celebration, as the title of their track… 512/441-2444

Passage

Through August 1

Smelt House

2511 E. Sixth St., Austin East

Mary Case + Lindsy Halleckson

The substance of a person’s soul is said to reveal itself when facing death’s maw. The crew of Aquarius 300 discover this the hard way, as their spaceship slowly slips down the gullet of a black hole. Passage shares DNA with Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds, first springing to life as a 2020 radio play developed by Heartland Theatre Collective – with original contributor Marian Kansas producing on Bottle Alley's show. Now they've brought the initial concept to a new dimension: space travel made tangible, threats in three dimensions, sorrow seen onstage. How can you hope against a black…

July 2-26

Wally Workman Gallery

1202 W. Sixth, Austin Old West Austin

“Run the Code: Data-Driven Art Decoded”

When you hear “landscape painting” you might think snooze, but this joint show at Wally Workman boasts two painters whose interpretations of nature veer far off course from your garden-variety Bob Ross mountain scene. Minneapolis-based Lindsy Halleckson’s mysterious gradients draw from literal scientific research – a description of her series The Leaf Portraits from the artist’s website explains that “[the] paintings correspond to the unique signature of monoterpene gases that Ponderosa pine needles emitted during photosynthesis, as studied in 2020-21 by Dr. Mj Riches.” Mary Case, hailing from Covington, La., documents the wetlands of Louisiana and the flatlands of Texas… 512/472-7428

Through August 2

The Blanton Museum of Art

200 E. MLK, Austin Campus

“Where Memory Becomes Land”

Interested in how contemporary artists are using algorithms and artificial intelligence to create original and interesting artworks? Check out Blanton’s “Run the Code" exhibit in collaboration with the Thoma Foundation featuring work from digital artists like Turkish artist Refik Anadol and Spanish artist Daniel Canogar. The exhibit explores the question of “What does it mean to create art in a world shaped by data?” and how algorithms can create interactive pieces of art. Blanton members can see an exclusive preview on March 7. – Valeria Cruz Butrón 512/471-5482

Through Sept. 13

Central Library

710 W. Cesar Chavez, Austin Downtown

larí garcía: “Spirit of Discrimination”

Curation is key to art appreciation, at least when it comes to local org _OFCOLOR’s collaboration with the Austin Public Library and the Library Foundation. Over seven months, emerging curators Cathy Le, Paola Ward, Asami Robledo-Allen Yamamoto, and Corri Greene participated in a curation fellowship program made to uplift the curatorial field and those keeping it alive & well. Their final project is this exhibition displayed in the Downtown library’s second-floor gallery: a collective exploration of “memory, migration, and cultural inheritance” from multi-medium artists Alejandra Almuelle, Lys Santamaria, Sandra Fernandez, Rewon Shimray, Rakhee Jain Desai, Raul Rodriguez, Liza Zaldivar Salazar,… 512/974-7400

Through Sept. 3

Women & Their Work

1311 E. Cesar Chavez, Austin Lower East

Paramount Theatre’s Summer Classic Film Series

Webster’s Dictionary defines “spirit” as both an animating principle “held to give life to physical organisms” as well as a “supernatural being.” Both definitions get explored in artist larí garcía’s exhibition, itself inspired by their trip to renowned Spiritualist center La Casa de Las Almas (house of the souls). Their research while at the Puerto Rican landmark uncovered a startling lineage of misogyny undercutting what was also “a refuge primarily for members of the working class and women who felt excluded from the Catholic Church.” Through sculpture and installations produced on-site, garcía examines the discrimination underpinning religious spaces and how,… 512/477-1064

May through August

Multiple Locations

Texas Festivals: Creating Community Through Celebration

Austin movie lovers’ favorite rite of summer – over 50 years running – will look a little different this year once the Paramount’s long-awaited renovation project kicks off mid-June. Never fear: They’ll still be screening classic films, only at other venues, like the State Theatre and Hyperreal Film Club. 512/474-1221

Through Sept. 27

Bullock Texas State History Museum

1800 Congress, Austin Campus

Georgetown Palace Theatre

Everything, for the most part, is bigger in Texas – and that includes the community celebrations. Kicking off this Saturday, April 25, and running until late September is the Bob Bullock Museum’s tribute to the festivals of the Lone Star State. Showcasing 27 Texan fests, the exhibition’s three sections explores these festive affairs through iconic artifacts, a short documentary, and several interactive elements, from make-your-own gown trains to Mad Libs-style festival name making, and even a food truck-themed play area. With summer nipping at our spring heels, here’s a great way to soak in all the festival fun within the… 512/936-4629

Every Brilliant Thing

Through July 19

810 S. Austin Ave., Georgetown Beyond Austin

Fitness in the Park Summer Yoga Series

OK, so maybe I can’t just grab a quick flight to NYC to experience Daniel Radcliffe’s performance in Every Brilliant Thing on Broadway. Good thing we’ve got a version of the Tony-nominated play at home. This solo show is a soothing antidote to the oppression of an increasingly bleak world. The single performer crafts a wholly unique (and partially audience-involved) story dictating all the reasons the character has for continuing their existence. Sweet escape into the void consistently tempts them through the years portrayed onstage. But this optimistic play contends that there’s always something worth living for. – Cat McCarrey 512/869-7469

Fridays through Sept. 4

Zilker Park

2100 Barton Springs Rd., Austin South Lamar and Barton Springs

Community, Sports

Rise and shine for this free weekly yoga series at Zilker Park, where Austin Parks Foundation and Habitat Retreats pairs all-levels movement with one of the city’s best morning views. Class starts at 7am every Friday, and participants can cool off afterward with an optional plunge into Barton Springs. Namaste, then cannonball. – Allison Shelton 512/974-6700

Sable Elyse Smith: “Clockwork”

Through August 2

The Contemporary Austin — Jones Center

700 Congress, Austin Downtown

In cleanly crafted sculpture, neon-illuminated statements, video pieces, and primary-colored works on paper, Sable Elyse Smith dissects the systems of power hidden in plain sight. The Contemporary’s Jones Center welcomes the New York-based artist’s first solo exhibition in Texas. Through a collection building on postminimal concepts, “Clockwork” shares Smith’s distinct interdisciplinary, socially attuned perspective with Austin audiences. With precise repetition, deliberate disorientation, and contrasts of form and color, each piece reflects on the cyclical cultural forces ticking beneath our daily lives. – Caroline Drew 512/453-5312

Fool for Love

Through August 2

Stage Austin

6134 E. Hwy. 290, Austin North

Zilker Summer Musical: Singin’ in the Rain

Love can be a beautiful, many-splendored thing, but it can also be an intense destructive force. Playwright Sam Shepard was definitely interested in the latter: His play, Fool for Love, explores the relationship between lovers May and Eddie as they reconcile in a seedy desert motel room. They litigate the lives ruined through their love, with Eddie thinking there’s a future for them and May laying out the demented roots of their romance. The Stage’s version features recent Best of Austin® winner Kathleen Fletcher opposite Patrick Wheeler as the truly doomed couple. Forget the brightness of summer, and relish the…

July 10-August 15

Beverly S. Sheffield Zilker Hillside Theater

2206 William Barton Dr., Austin South Lamar and Barton Springs

Zilker Theatre Productions offers as their 67th summer musical the legendary tale of silent pictures turning talkie with the iconic show tunes belted in the Zilker greenspace. 512/397-1463

Annie

Through Aug. 2

Topfer Theatre at Zach

202 S. Lamar, Austin South Lamar and Barton Springs

American Modernism From the Charles Butt Collection: From Edward Hopper to Alma Thomas

Little Orphan Annie turned 100 two years ago – the comic strip character, that is. Her iconic musical is only 49, but we’ll probably still be singing about the sun coming out tomorrow in 2077. Zach brings the beloved story to the stage with a talented youth and adult cast as well as direction from Associate Artistic Director Cassie Abate, musical direction from Spencer Hansen, and choreography from Kiira Carper. Special presentations include June 25’s Pride Night, a champagne opening July 2, and a sign-interpreted performance July 11. – Kat McNevins 512/476-0541

Through August 2

The Blanton Museum of Art

200 E. MLK, Austin Campus

Erin Carle: “You Should Eat a Burger”

Scenes of urban loneliness and pastoral stoicism, colorful snippets of joyous living, and form-defying illustrations of social structures are a few expressive artworks on display in this much-anticipated exhibit – to say nothing of the bright mosaic-inspired paintings of Alma Thomas and the enveloping nature depictions of Georgia O’Keeffe. On the collection’s first public tour, H-E-B heir Charles Butt shares over 80 works by America’s most prominent modernist artists. Enveloping cubism, abstraction, and landscape movements that captured imaginations from the late 19th century through the Seventies, these varied expressions of identity and experience distinguished an era of American art. –… 512/471-5482

Through July 13

Unchained.Art

311 W. Seventh St. #307, Austin Downtown

Hideout Theatre & Coffeehouse

Though the taste aspect of the humble hamburger was explored thoroughly in last year’s Burger Issue, artist Erin Carle goes deep on the delicious visuals of this classic American entree. Through oil, canvas, watercolor, and more, this upcoming exhibition imagines beef, buns, and pickles in places and positions you may never have considered while chompin’ a P. Terry’s patty, like covering a pair of breasts, or broken into various rectangular canvas pieces, or being brushed by skeleton fingers. Expect your appetite to be piqued this Thursday, June 4, at the show’s opening reception. – James Scott 7372973154

The Big Bash

Fridays

617 Congress, Austin Downtown

Comedy

Back in the year 2013, former Arts Editor Robert Fairies interviewed the Hideout’s Roy Janik on this “all-star” improv comedy team. Janik said at the time that his desire for the Big Bash, Hideout’s Friday night show for now over 13 years, was the performance be “something that you ‘have to do’ when you come to Austin.” Well, Reader: You’re obviously in Austin. Why not stop by this Congress comedy den for a knockout night of pro improv performers delivering a highly skilled showcase of games, scenes, and stories? – James Scott 512/476-1313

PGraph

Fridays

Hideout Annex

5555 N. Lamar Blvd. Unit B-103, Austin Midtown

Comedy

Now that the legendary comedy stage of Hideout Theatre has left its longtime Congress locale, they’ve continued programming over at their North Lamar annex – you know, the one by the Half Price. Among those shows still kicking and cackling is the Best of Austin-winning Parallelogramophonograph, or PGraph. The troupe containing Kareem Badr, Kaci Beeler, and Roy Janik offers full-length improvised plays generated with skills earned over 20 years and 1,500 shows together. These shows? Funny! Which is all anyone can ask of a Friday night improv show. Snag tickets as soon as possible, though, because the annex – or,…

Boner Bizarre: Lord of the Cock Rings

Sat., July 18

Come & Take It Live

2015 E. Riverside, Austin South

Dance, Queer

My boners! They’ve become … bizarre *__* Yes, the weirdest, filthiest, and most XXXtreme erotic variety show in Austin – perhaps on Earth itself – returns with a salute to Jolkien Rolkien² Tolkien. Middle-earth gets a sensual makeover by performers across the talent spectrum from drag to pole to fire-breathers – think Smaug but in a skimpy two-piece – all tributing the original Flock camera, aka Sauron’s all-seeing eye. Hosts Dean Zaggler and Snake Tits lead this fellowship featuring Lucy Lonestar, Cassandra Filth, Alexander the Great, Kay Bueno, Stefan del Bosque & Shi Feticcio, Roxy Rose, Miss Alignment, Zoja Exotica,… 512/665-2312

Mom and Pop Card Show

Sat., July 18

Branch Park Pavilion

2201 Aldrich St., 2201 Aldrich St., Austin East

Asian American Resource Center

Your TikTok algorithm started with one innocent pack-opening … three hours later, you’re emotionally invested in a stranger pulling a holographic Charizard. Time to graduate from doomscrolling to the real thing at Mom and Pop Card Show, where Pokémon, sports cards, and all manner of TCG collectors can buy and trade. Now you have an excuse to let this rabbit hole get you out of the house – and perhaps begin an expensive new hobby. – Allison Shelton

Community Health Fair

Sat., July 18

8401 Cameron, Austin North

Introduction to Clay 3D Printing

Healthcare’s not getting cheaper, and with threats like that explosive diarrhea parasite cyclospora stacking up against the American immune system, now’s a great time to take advantage of any low-cost offerings like this li’l ol’ fair. A collaborative project between Austin Public Health, the Austin Asian Community Health Initiative (AACHI), and venue AARC, this event provides free resources, screenings, and immunizations to the public. Also on-site will be the Austin Public Library, ready to sign y’all up for enhanced library cards that can act as your photo ID. Special emphasis is on Austin’s Arabic, Burmese languages, Nepali, Pashto, Dari, Korean,… 512/974-1700

Sat., July 18

Spicewood Springs Branch Library

8637 Spicewood Springs Rd., Austin Greater Austin

Boyhood 12-Year Reunion

This free and unique workshop combines the age-old tradition of ceramic art with the relatively new technology of 3D printing. Artist, computational designer, and founder of TXARTECH Nasrin Iravani, whose doctoral dissertation at Louisiana State University examined the intersection of these mediums, will demonstrate how to combine ceramics and emerging tech to create a physical object you can take with you. Space is limited to 30 seats, so show up early. – Lina Fisher

Sat., July 18

AFS Cinema

6406 N. I-35 Ste. 3100, Austin Midtown

BookPeople Presents: Local Author Spotlight

Why 12 years, you ask? Well, because that’s how long it took to make the film. Richard Linklater’s delicate chronicle of a boy’s formative years took place during star Ellar Coltrane’s actual formative years in Austin. That the film is a document of that much time passing is not only a gimmick; it’s a genuine cinematic feat in which the real-life sauce of maturation that happens to the actors seeps into their performances. Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette play divorced parents of Coltrane’s Mason and his sister Olivia (played by Linklater’s daughter, Lorelei), who try in their own ways to… 512/322-0145

Sat., July 18

BookPeople

603 N. Lamar, Austin Downtown

Books

Oh sure, seeing out-of-state scribes can be a hoot and a half – but what about prosaists in our own backyard? Mondo indie lit hub BookPeople invites Texan authorial talents Anita Varma, Chloe Walton, Olga Fink, Melvin E. Edwards, Charles Francis Guittard, and Nancy David Labastida for a free celebration of homegrown wordsmithery. Their offerings range from deep dives on Southern history to familial memoir to explorations of ethical journalism to sci-fi fantasy forays. In short: a little something for every reader, made in-house. – James Scott 512/472-5050

KUT Book Swap

Sat., July 18

St. Elmo Brewing Springdale

8110 Springdale, Austin East

Books

If you’re daunted by the choices of the library and looking for a book recommendation beyond zeitgeisty store displays, look no further than this in-person book swap put on by KUT at 2-4pm this Saturday. Bring a book you’ve read and loved, grab a brewski, and wax poetic about said book to a collection of strangers. Then, you’ll each draw a number and exchange the books the way you would gifts at a white elephant party. It’s not only a unique way to find your next read but also a fascinating insight into the personal collections of strangers. C’mon, a… 512/291-7355

Plantmania

July 18-19

Palmer Events Center

900 Barton Springs Rd., Austin South Congress and South First

This weekend promises boffo botanicals at a plant-packed mega-expo featuring growers from all over the world. Green thumbs and newbies alike can shop a panoply of popular, exotic, and even rare flora, with a special early-shopping hour offered to those who snag VIP tix. There’ll also be plant-related crafts, opportunities to network with other plant-enjoyers, and educational sessions on subjects like styling houseplants, pest identification and management, tissue culture acclimation, and more. Don’t stay rooted at home! Re-pot yourself in fresh social soil with other nature nerds. – James Scott

Idiocracy

Sat., July 18

State Theatre

719 Congress, Austin Downtown