Indiana University’s 2025 performing arts schedule promises an exciting lineup of diverse productions. From groundbreaking theater to mesmerizing dance and music performances, there's something for every art lover to enjoy this year.
IU Auditorium
The IU Auditorium hosts a wide range of performing arts and world-class events. From major Broadway touring shows to nationally known comedians, musicians and important figures in government and science, the IUI Auditorium is one of the premier cultural centers in the Midwest.
Hadestown
Dates: February 4 & 5
Making its Bloomington debut, Hadestown intertwines two mythic tales—that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone—as it invites you on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back.
Kodo
Dates: February 21
Japanese taiko drum group, Kodo, is bringing its engaging rhythm to IU Auditorium. The taiko is a traditional Japanese drum with limitless rhythmic possibilities and Kodo’s mission is to explore those possibilities, and in the process forge new directions for a vibrant living artform.
Dance Theatre of Harlem
Dates: March 1
Dance Theatre of Harlem will perform during the last week of Black History Month for an elegant performance as well as a weeklong state-wide residency including stops at three IU campuses and special events in Indianapolis and Greensburg, Indiana.
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Dates: March 12
The internationally acclaimed Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is making its triumphant return to the IU Auditorium stage for the first time in nearly 50 years. Celebrating over 125 years of diverse work and talent, the Bloomington program will include Unsuk Chin’s subito con forza, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, and Copland’s Symphony No. 3. The performance will feature renowned pianist George Li with Matthias Pintscher conducting.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: New Orleans Songbook
Dates: March 26
Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) brings the soul of New Orleans and the spirit of Mardi Gras to this amazing evening, celebrating the composers and inspired songs of the Crescent City, the historic epicenter of jazz.
Dear Evan Hansen
Dates: April 1 & 2
Evan Hansen is a high school student who always feels like he’s on the outside looking in. Evan finally gets what so many of us are searching for—the chance to finally fit in. What follows is a poignant, funny, and powerful musical about how, even though it can be hard, we can find each other—and ourselves—along the way.
Jacobs School of Music
Offering more than 1,100 performances a year by ensembles, orchestras, bands, soloists, and choirs, as well as fully staged operas and ballets, the breadth and number of performance opportunities at the Jacobs School of Music are unparalleled in college music study.
Check their calendar for recitals, guest lecturers and conductors and more. There is always an opportunity to see some of the top musicians in the world.
Opera
Alcina
Date: February 7 & 8
Tales of spells and enchantresses have captured the imagination of audiences from fairy tales to cinema. Opera is no exception, and no one has done it better than Handel.
The Turn of the Screw
Date: March 7 & 8
Based on Henry James’ haunting novella, this enigmatic story examines one of Britten’s favorite themes: loss of innocence. The piece sparks a network of ambiguous connections and queries but refuses to tie up all loose ends.
Carmen
Date: April 18 & 19, 25 & 26
Now a feminist icon, Carmen’s passionate and self-directed life put her on a crash course with patriarchy. Who will win? You already know.
Ballet
Spring Ballet
Date: March 28 & 29
A rhapsodic whirlwind of an evening, full of virtuosic energy and muscular joy. A dance program choreographed by Sasha Janes, Lauren Lovette, and Mark Morris.
Concert
Singing Hoosiers Spring Concert
Date: April 5
With each performance, this vibrant show choir sings U.S. history with a contemporary flair, while putting on a great show!
Live Music
Jacobs Live at the Movies
Date: February 21 & 22
Enjoy the greatest movies, with the best scores, played live at the MAC! The IU Concert Orchestra will perform the score alongside all the action on the big screen.
Jazz Celebration
Date: May 3
Join us for our annual celebration of this uniquely American genre, presenting the very best that Jacobs Jazz Studies students and faculty—along with their talented and distinguished guests—have to offer.
IU Theater, Drama and Contemporary Dance
From classics like Shakespeare, to modern tales, the Department of Theatre Drama and Contemporary Dance operates as an extension of classroom training allowing students to apply their learning in practice, exploring a wide range of genres, styles and themes.
Twelfth Night
Date: February 14-22
If music be the food of love, play on! William Shakespeare’s brilliant wordplay comes to life in this comedy filled with hilarious characters, love triangles, and mistaken identities.
Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind
Date: March 6-14
Sixty minutes. Thirty plays. The audience decides the order. This show guarantees no two performances will ever be the same!
Legally Blonde
Date: April 18-26
A fabulously fun musical adaptation of the iconic movie and novel, this electric show is jam-packed with girl power, passion, and–of course–lots and lots of pink!
Echoes - B.F.A. Dance Senior Capstone
Date: May 2-3
IU Contemporary Dance B.F.A. class of 2025 are proud to share their capstone projects in an innovative presentation of movement and choreography.