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.

iu auditorium

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.

jacobs school

 

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

A production taking place on the stage of Ruth N. Halls Theatre

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

Ruth N. Halls Theatre

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

Wells-Metz Theatre

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

Ruth N. Halls Theatre

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

Wells-Metz Theatre

IU Contemporary Dance B.F.A. class of 2025 are proud to share their capstone projects in an innovative presentation of movement and choreography.