Queens Theatre unveils 2026-27 season with low-cost tickets and global lineup

Queens Theatre has opened ticket sales for its 2026-2027 season, a borough-wide mix of music, dance, theatre, family programming, and cultural celebrations centered on Queens’ multicultural communities. The season also doubles down on affordability, with many tickets under $30 and some free offerings, as the theater expands accessibility and community participation.

Why it matters: - Queens Theatre is using its 2026-2027 season to reinforce its role as a cultural hub for Queens, one of the most diverse places in the country. - The theater is keeping live performance accessible with ticket prices that have stayed largely unchanged since the 1990s. - Many tickets start below $30, family programs average about $17.50 per ticket, and some performances are free. - The season also expands community participation through free programming and accessibility services.

What happened: - Queens Theatre announced its 2026-2027 season and put tickets on sale. - The season opens in October. - Programming spans Latin music and dance, jazz, theatre, family shows, global traditions, and cultural celebrations. - Julia del Palacio, executive director of Queens Theatre, said the season reflects the theater’s mission to serve the community. - Dr. Cameron Hernandez, acting president of the Queens Theatre Board of Directors and president and COO of Mount Sinai Queens, said accessibility is fundamental to the theater’s mission.

The details: - Featured artists and productions include Colombian twin sisters Las Áñez, Calpulli Mexican Dance Company’s Día de Muertos, Xiomara Laugart: Tribute to Celia Cruz, Charo, VITALY: An Evening of Wonders, and The Monkey King: A Kung Fu Musical for Lunar New Year. - The jazz lineup includes Allan Harris, Tammy McCann, and Jumaane Smith. - Harris will present The Poetry of Jazz as part of the “Jazz is @ Queens Theatre” series. - McCann will perform The Legendary Ladies of Jazz with special guest David O'Rourke, the longtime guitarist of the late Cassandra Wilson. - Smith will bring Sweet Baby!, a New Orleans-focused set, to the stage. - Dance programming includes Calpulli Mexican Dance Company, Darrah Carr Dance’s St. Patrick’s Day performances, and San Jose Taiko. - San Jose Taiko combines kumidaiko with contemporary rhythms including jazz, Afro-Cuban, and rock. - The theatre’s New Play Development program will feature stories about Queens. - Titan Theatre Company returns with Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, opening this fall. - Additional readings and productions from local companies will be added to the calendar. - Family offerings include multiple Rock and Roll Playhouse events for young audiences and Lightwire Dino-Light. - Lightwire Dino-Light uses electroluminescent artistry and storytelling to bring dinosaurs to life. - Cultural celebrations on the calendar include Día de Muertos, Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras, Dominican Independence Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day Special featuring Uptown Royalty, Liza & Willie, the Cherry Blossom Festival, and Mother’s Day. - The entire Queens Theatre is wheelchair accessible, including all three performance spaces, restrooms, hallways, and the main entrance. - Assistive listening devices are available at most performances in the Claire Shulman Theater. - Designated performances offer American Sign Language interpretation, audio description, open captioning, and touch tours. - The B-Side Series will continue as free, multidisciplinary open-stage programming. - NewYork-Presbyterian Queens sponsors the B-Side Series in part.

Between the lines: - Queens Theatre is pairing programming breadth with price stability, signaling that affordability is a core strategy rather than a seasonal theme. - The mix of local stories, international artists, and heritage celebrations suggests the theater is aiming for both neighborhood relevance and broad cultural reach. - The free B-Side Series turns the venue into a more participatory space, not just a presentation stage.

What's next: - Queens Theatre will roll out more readings and productions from local companies as the season progresses. - The fall opening of Our Town will be one of the first major theatre events in the new calendar. - Additional performances tied to seasonal and cultural celebrations are expected across the year.

The bottom line: - Queens Theatre is betting that a diverse lineup, strong accessibility, and near-flat ticket prices will keep live arts central to Queens audiences in 2026-2027.