As the weather in Maine warms up, so do the artistic performers. Dancers are rehearsing, actors are running lines and musicians practicing their scales. The summer arts season in Maine is always a bounty for the eyes, ears and soul. Here are some highlights from the state’s many theaters, performance spaces, musical venues and festivals to help you plan your summer arts excursions.
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Bowdoin International Music Festival, Brunswick
The 2026 edition of this estimable classical music festival takes place on the Bowdoin College campus and environs (June 29-Aug. 9). A myriad of concerts, including those by noted ensembles such as the Ying, Jupiter, Brentano, and Shanghai quartets, lead up to a finale with Jon Nakamatsu and the Festival Orchestra performing the formidable Piano Concerto #3 by Rachmaninoff. For more, go to bowdoinfestival.org
Portland Symphony Orchestra, Portland
The PSO will further its Chamber Series by sending out its Brass Quintet for a series of free concerts in Brunswick (June 15), Wells (June 16), and Yarmouth (June 17). Hard not to think these will be special events. After all, they are a brassy bunch. For more, go to portlandsymphony.org
Portland Chamber Music Festival, Portland
The PCMF’s annual series of warm weather concerts, slated for Aug. 13-22, will likely again constitute a late-summer musical oasis for chamber music fans. Works featuring saxophonist Steven Banks, the piano duo of Soyeon Kate Lee and Ran Dank, plus a return of the East Coast Chamber Orchestra in their 25th anniversary year, should dazzle. For more, go to pcmf.org
Salt Bay Chamberfest, Damariscotta
This Damariscotta-based festival is recognized as a delight both for the artists appearing and the combination of new and traditional repertoire programmed. This year, the fest will focus on a theme of “Music Unearthed” (Aug. 4 to 16). For more, go to saltbaychamberfest.org
The Sebago-Long Lake Music Festival
Held at the Deertrees Theatre in Harrison, this festival can sneak by inattentive music fans. But this year’s schedule (July 14 to Aug. 11) holds a lot of promise with a mixture of old favorites and a few more recent works (including something by Schnittke!). For more info, go to sebagomusicfestival.org
Bach Virtuosi Festival, Portland
Can we ever hear too much Bach? Certainly, the folks behind this venerable festival don’t think so. Though they will throw in a bit of Handel and Scarlatti this time around (June 16 to 23), there will be plenty from the old master to reward the attentive listener. For more, go to bachvirtuosifestival.org
Portland Bach Experience
What? More Bach? Of course, there will be some other works mixed in at this year’s festival (May 28-June 7). For more, go to portlandbachexperience.com
Seal Bay Festival, Vinalhaven
The Seal Bay Festival, rooted in Vinalhaven, is adopting the theme “Seeing Sound” this year with concerts taking place in art galleries and museums (July 25-Sept. 17). For more, go to sealbayfestival.org
Midcoast Symphony Orchestra, Auburn and Topsham
With musical selections ranging from Shakira to Strauss, the MSO will offer children’s concerts in Auburn and Topsham (June 20 and 21). For more, go to midcoastsymphony.org
Opera Maine, Portland
Get out your handkerchiefs for Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, presented by Opera Maine at Merrill Auditorium in Portland (July 23 and 26). Also, the Opera’s interest in contemporary work will be manifest again with a Studio Artist production called “Bound” by Huang Ruo and Bao-Long Chu (June 26 and 28) at the Portland Stage Theater. For more, go to operamaine.org
DaPonte String Quartet
The redoubtable quartet has scheduled an ambitious pair of concert series from June 2-5 and July 22 – Aug. 1 at multiple locations. The programs look interesting with Schubert, Dvořák, Brahms, and more on tap. For more, go to dapontequartet.org
Portland Conservatory of Music
The ever-popular Cassatt Quartet will pay a return visit to the PCM along with pianist Steven Beck for a diverse program of new and lesser known compositions on Aug. 5. For more, go to pcm.org
THEATER
Maine State Music Theatre, Brunswick
The MSMT has a typically representative schedule for this summer at its Bowdoin College campus location. There’s “Hairspray” (June 3-20) for laughs, 1776 (June 24 – July 11) to honor the country’s anniversary, “Frozen” (July 15-Aug. 1) for chilly splendor, and “Come From Away” (August 5-22) to bring it all home. Concerts and family events fill out the schedule. For more, go to msmt.org
Ogunquit Playhouse
The venerable playhouse has a full schedule, appealingly filled out by an ever popular something-old-something-new approach: “Ain’t Too Proud” (May 14-June 13) chronicles the tuneful career of The Temptations while “Hello Dolly” (June 18-July 18) returns a feisty matchmaker to the stage. City of Angels (July 23-Aug. 22) adds a little “noir” touch, and “The Producers” (Aug. 27-Sept. 26) brings back the great Mel Brooks classic. There’s also a world premiere of John Mellencamp’s “Small Town” (Oct. 1-Nov. 1) to keep Ogunquit rocking well into the fall. For more, go to ogunquitplayhouse.org
Fenix Theatre Company, Portland
The spirit of Shakespeare will return to Deering Oaks Park in Portland when Fenix Theatre stages another in their enduring series of summer productions. The Bard’s Henry IV, Part 1 (July 9-Aug. 2) will bring lots of intrigue, sword fights, laughs, and music, likely enough to turn us all into “minions of the moon.” For more, go to fenixtheatre.com
Camden Shakespeare Festival
The Shakespeare festival at Camden has lined up The Tempest (July 15–Aug. 9) for this season. Prepare for “sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.” For more, go to camdenshakespeare.org
The Theater at Monmouth
The always exciting theater at Monmouth is projecting an “America 250” theme this year. Though dates are not yet announced, “Little Women” will take us all back in U.S. literary history while “The Mountaintop” goes historically as far as the 1960s. Of course, Shakespeare will show up again. The Taming of the Shrew will perhaps lead some to sing “as sweetly as a nightingale.” For more, go to theateratmonmouth.org
Hackmatack Playhouse, Berwick
Maine barns have contained a fair share of drama and romance over the years. The Hackmatack folks are filling their venue in Berwick with four compelling shows in 2026. “Singin’ in the Rain” (July 3 – 18), “Circle Mirror Transformation” (July 24-Aug. 1), “Matilda: (Aug. 7-22), and “Sweeney Todd” (Aug. 28-Sept. 12) will likely lure crowds into the venerated barn/theater. For more, go to hackmatackplayhouse.org
Deertrees Theatre, Harrison
Both scenic and serene, this theater in Harrison is a fun place to visit in the warmer months. Among the many theater events, this year are “Annie” (June 19-28) and “Avenue Q” (July 10-19). For more, go to deertrees-theatre.org
Waterville Opera House
A new play called “Unabashedly” has its world premiere run at the Waterville Opera House from Aug. 28-Sept. 6. Mixing ancient myth with the newspaper business, the play by Mike Teverbaugh sounds strangely interesting. For more, go to watervillecreates.org
Portland Theater Festival
This festival, convening at various sites around town, has been reliable for presenting challenging as well as entertaining theater. This year, “The Monsters” by Ngozi Anyanwu (June 25-July 12), “Octet” by Dave Malloy (July 23-Aug. 9), and “An Enemy of the People,” a new adaptation of the Ibsen original by Amy Herzog (Aug. 20-Sept. 6), will likely give audiences much to think about and discuss. For more, go to portlandtheaterfestival.org
City Theater, Biddeford
The lovely Biddeford mainstay will be welcoming what will likely be a spirited production of the farcical “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” for a run from July 17-Aug. 2. For more, go to citytheater.org
Portland Players, South Portland
The longstanding South Portland-based theater company will present the hard-rocking “American Idiot” to awaken the summer spirit (June 12-28). For more, go to portlandplayers.org
The Originals, Buxton
A “funny, mind-bending thriller” called “The Accomplice” will be presented by The Originals at the picturesque Saco River Theatre in Buxton (July 17-26). For more, go to sacorivertheatre.org
Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, Portland
Go to the Children’s Museum and Theatre in Portland if you want to be involved in the adventure of “Disney & Pixar’s Finding Nemo: A 60-minute Family Musical” (June 25-Aug. 23). For more, go to kitetails.org
Portland Ovations
The search for the Holy Grail of hilarity will be on at Merrill Auditorium when the Broadway national tour of Monty Python’s “Spamalot” takes the stage (June 23-25). For more, go to portlandovations.org
Footlights at Falmouth
This happy little theater in Falmouth will be piling on the laughs this summer. “Naughty, Bawdy, and Banned: America’s Forbidden Songbook” (June 11-20), a musical “ROMCOM-ical!” (July 28-Aug. 26), and “A Wicked Good Time,” with Susan Poulin as Ida LeClair (Aug. 6-27), are likely to bring good cheer to all. For more, go to thefootlightstheatre.com
Penobscot Theatre Company, Bangor
The thespians of Bangor will be filling the stage with “The Fantasticks” from June 11 to July 12. The ever-popular musical has been attracting audiences for well over a half century. For more, go to penobscottheatre.org
Hogfish, Portland
This “regenerative arts” organization will present “Wholly Unwinding: A Canticle of Cerebral Palsy,” a multigenre work, at Thompson’s Point in Portland on July 22, 24 and 25. For more, go to hogfish.org
DANCE
Bates Dance Festival, Lewiston
A major highlight for fans of contemporary dance, the Bates Dance Festival will this year feature works by choreographers Cynthia Olive, Kyle Marshall, Leslie Cuyjet, Jesse Factor, and more (July 10-31). Based on past festivals, I would have to say that this is in the not-to-miss category of summer events. For more, go to batesdancefestival.org
Maine State Ballet, Falmouth
For a change, the MSB in Falmouth is producing a play called “Silent Sky” (June 12-14). It’s based on a real-life woman astronomer who had a hard time in 19th century scientific circles. Ballet will be back later in the summer with programs under the heading of “Legacy in Motion” that will highlight the work of Linda MacArthur Miele and Gail Csoboth (July 30-Aug. 1 and Aug. 6-7, respectively). Topping things off will be a “Celebration of Legacy” gala on Aug. 8. For more, go to mainestateballet.org
Steve Feeney is a freelance writer who lives in Portland.
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