World-Class Arts Experiences in the New Year, Right Here at Home

Published January 16, 2026

World-Class Arts Experiences in the New Year, Right Here at Home

Happy New Year from all of us at the Pioneer Center! After a jam-packed holiday lineup, we are full steam ahead into the 2026 winter/spring season. World-class performing arts are right here in downtown Reno, and we hope you’ll join us whenever you need entertainment, inspiration, or just an escape from the outside world for a few hours. As always, tickets and information can be found on pioneercenter.com. There is something for everyone in the coming months – here are the highlights:

JANUARY

The Reno Phil returns to kick off 2026 with their Classix Series January 24 & 25. Guest conductor Nicholas Hersch will lead the orchestra, featuring guest soloist Zlatomir Fung in the Edward Elgar Cello Concerto. Hersch has guest conducted across the country and was previously the associate conductor for Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Fung made history as the youngest musician ever – and the first American in four decades – to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition Cello Division. This 25-year-old has earned acclaim worldwide and is recognized as a leading cellist of his generation.

Filer image element — The national touring production of STOMP
returns to the Pioneer Center Feb 7 & 8

FEBRUARY

Broadway Comes to Reno is excited to bring back an audience favorite. STOMP celebrates 30 years with this national tour, playing the Pioneer Center for three performances, February 7 & 8. If you’ve never experienced the iconic music and percussive dance that made this show world famous – go! It’s unforgettable. We recently added a Saturday 3pm matinee performance and great seats are available. Speaking of iconic, a year and a half ago we were approached by film producer Marc Oakley and tv/film star Kristopher Polaha, both Reno natives, about filming scenes for their new feature film inside the Pioneer Center. Their movie is set in Reno, and they wanted this landmark historic theater to play a key role. We were honored to say “yes!” to this exciting opportunity to immortalize our beloved golden dome on the silver screen. Just ahead of the feature film’s nationwide release, the Pioneer Center is proud to host the red-carpet premiere – and you’re invited. Rub elbows with the stars of the film, including director and star Kristopher Polaha, at MIMICS, February 11. After the movie screening, stay for a talkback/Q&A with the cast and creatives. Finishing the month, The Reno Phil under the baton of Laura Jackson brings the magical and imaginative Stravinsky’s Firebird to the Pioneer Center mainstage February 21 & 22. This concert also features Grammy-nominated piano soloist Joyce Yang performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

MARCH

The Pioneer Center’s Free Family Series returns with the award-winning Boxtales Theatre Company on March 7. Their interactive play Wisdom of Emotions – Life Lessons from Around the World features myths, folktales, and music from different cultures. This relaxed-atmosphere performance has free admission and is a perfect way to introduce the younger people in your life to the magic of live theater. Another fun experience for young audiences is coming to the Pioneer Center for 3 performances March 14 & 15: PAW Patrol Live! Chase, Marshall, Skye, and the gang will all be here to take your kids on another great adventure. The Reno Phil Classix Series will present the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, featuring Brazilian violin soloist Nathan Amaral, March 21 & 22. The month concludes with a brand-new Broadway musical making its national tour debut: The Notebook. Based on the best-selling novel that inspired the iconic film, The Notebook is a deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love, and features music by singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson and a book by TV’s Bekah Brunstetter (“This Is Us”). Brought to you by Broadway Comes to Reno, The Notebook plays eight performances, March 24-29.

APRIL

We are excited to welcome back renowned Spanish guitarist, BENISE, celebrating 25 Years of Passion on tour, April 4. Featuring a talented cast of musicians and dancers, this concert will include the sounds of Spanish Flamenco, Cuban Salsas, Brazilian Samba, Parisian Waltz, and so much more. A.V.A. Ballet Theatre presents their spring production of Swan Lake, April 11 & 12. With choreography by Artistic Director Alexander Van Alstyne, the Tchaikovsky score will be performed live by The Reno Phil. Immediately following, The Reno Phil takes on the epic and powerful Carmina Burana by Carl Orff as their Classix Series finale for three performances April 17-19. Conducted by Laura Jackson, this concert will also feature Leonard Bernstein’s On the Waterfront as well as the world premiere of a new work by Michelle Isaac, commissioned by The Reno Phil to commemorate the 250-year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. April 25 will see another Pioneer Center Free Family Series production featuring the Vancouver-based group Piano Heist, making their northern Nevada debut. In Keyboard Explosion!, the Piano Heist duo of Nico Rhodes and Patrick Courtin set off on a divine quest to redeem the keyboard and reinstate its reputation as “the greatest instrument of all time!” Their madcap antics and musical stylings, from classical to boogie woogie, will have both young and old dancing in the aisles.

MAY

The exceptional performances continue on May 2 with the third performance in the Free Family Series, Las Vegas-based dance group Molodi Live! This high-energy body percussion ensemble transforms the human body into an instrument, creating explosive rhythms without a single traditional drum. This sensory friendly performance is free to the public - no advanced reservations are required for any Free Family Series performances. The Reno Phil presents their “wiggle-friendly” free family concert on May 9: The Orchestra Moves promises to be an interactive experience that will get the kids in the audience moving to the soaring highs of the music. On May 16, conductor Laura Jackson leads The Reno Phil in their spring pops concert Movies with the Maestro, featuring scores from films including The Magnificent Seven, Titanic, and The Avengers. On May 22, Artown will present world-renowned dance company Ballets Jazz Montreal on our mainstage. Their full-length work Dance Me: The Music of Leonard Cohen is an exclusive creation inspired by the rich and profound work of Montreal-based poet, artist, and songwriter Leonard Cohen. Approved by Cohen during his lifetime, internationally renowned choreographers Andonis Foniadakis, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Ihsan Rustem were entrusted with putting movement to Cohen’s legendary songs. Dance Me combines scenic, visual, musical, dramaturgical, and choreographic writing to pay tribute to Montreal’s greatest ambassador. Finally in May, if you want to laugh yourself silly, join Broadway Comes to Reno for the debut national tour of Shucked. Direct from Broadway, this Tony Award-winning musical comedy is as corny as it sounds. There are eight performances of Shucked, May 26-31.

Group Sales tickets at special discounted prices are now available for all remaining Broadway shows in our season, including Hell’s Kitchen and The Sound of Music in July. Groups of 10 or more can access order forms and instructions at the Broadway Group Sales page on pioneercenter.com.

In addition to the performances on our mainstage in downtown Reno, the Pioneer Center’s signature outreach programs bring the power of live performing arts to spaces across our region. Check out free admission PIONEER CENTER YOUTH PROGRAMS performances with our roster of artists (including Boxtales Theatre Company, Piano Heist, and Molodi Live) scheduled in Yerington, Gerlach, Lake Tahoe, and Washoe County Library branches throughout Reno and Sparks. GOLDEN ENCORE, our lifelong learning entertainment program for seniors, also presents free concerts throughout Reno, Sparks, and Carson City all year long.

As always, a word of consumer caution – fraudulent ticketing websites continue to populate online search engines to target theater patrons. Please remember that the ONLY official website to secure your tickets to performances at the Pioneer Center is pioneercenter.com. We do not guarantee the validity of tickets sold on any other site. Patrons who purchase tickets on third-party websites are at risk of fraudulent transactions and may not be granted admission to the event.

We look forward to seeing you soon for one (or more!) of these dynamic and exciting events at our historic theater!

Dennyse Sewell is the CEO of the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts in Reno, Nevada

World-Class Arts Experiences in the New Year, Right Here at Home

Published January 16, 2026