It may be frigid outside, but museums, concert halls and movie theaters are nice and warm indoors.
Among the highlights for winter entertainment are: an exhibition at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry devoted to the award-winning costume designer behind both “Wicked” films, the stage version of “Hamnet” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and a version of the opera “Madama Butterfly” that’s set in a video game simulation.
And if you’re already thinking ahead to the warm weather, we don’t blame you. Here’s who is coming for concerts this summer. Plus here’s our critic’s picks for club sets for early 2026.
Museums for winter 2026: ‘Oz,’ owls and ‘Costumes of Paul Tazewell’
Boy, do we have a winter museum roundup for you. Even as the rest of Chicago shifts into hibernation mode, our city’s finest museums remain busy and open for business. Read more here.
- Free admission: Make the most of Chicago museums’ free days for residents
- ‘Crafting Character: The Costumes of Paul Tazewell’ will debut at Griffin MSI
Art exhibitions for winter 2026: Don’t miss these 10 at the MCA, Art Institute and in Elmhurst
Go see art in 2026. Can’t hurt, might help, and it’s absolutely better than binge-watching trash television, click-buying things no one needs, doomscrolling the apocalypse or feeling helpless in the face of fascism. Read more here.
- Review: We can map that: Newberry Library exhibits 500-plus years of borders, folds and graticules
- Yoonshin Park includes students’ artwork in upcoming ‘Prompt and Prompted’ exhibit
Dance for winter 2026: Our top 10 includes Joffrey, Red Clay and a visit from Martha Graham
The first part of the year used to be slow for dance in Chicago. Not so, recently. And in 2026, the chilly months are teeming with rare appearances and fresh collaborations capable of inspiring a trip to the theater even in the darkest depths of winter. The Martha Graham Dance Company presents its first full evening in Chicago since 2007. As a nod to the 100th season of that revered choreographer’s company, the Joffrey Ballet tries on Graham’s “Secular Games” for its winter mixed rep — a program celebrating the blurred lines between modernism and classicism. Speaking of lines, festivals aplenty, at Steppenwolf, the Logan Center and the Harris Theater this winter and spring, dissolve perceived boundaries between genres and forms, dance and music — crafting rich and varied experiences for patrons and performers, both. Read more here.
- Chicagoan of the Year in Dance: Dancemaker Erin Kilmurray looks for what’s next after ‘Fly Honey’
- Review: Ensemble Español celebrates 50 years with glimmers of things to come
Theater for winter 2026: ‘Hamnet,’ a local ‘Evan Hansen’ and Robert Falls returns to the Goodman
A new year has dawned and Chicago’s energetic new theater season will keep your winter chill away. Here’s a quick look at 10 of the most intriguing shows opening between now and the end of March. Read more here.
- Review: In ‘Eureka Day’ by TimeLine Theatre, time marches on for a funny vaccine comedy
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- Review: Otherworld Theatre’s ‘Prospera’ reaches for a sci-fi adaptation of Shakespeare
TV for winter 2026: A new ‘Game of Thrones’ spinoff, ‘Bridgerton’ returns and Nicole Kidman leads a new series
The overriding theme defining television in recent years has been a fear of the new. Which is why reboots and spinoffs continue apace, with old titles brought back from the dead (“Scrubs”) or from the not-so-distant past (“The Night Manager”) and intellectual property milked within an inch of its life (somehow HBO has yet another “Game of Thrones” series coming our way). Read more here.
- For Chicago Pride Hockey, ‘Heated Rivalry’ is more than just a show
- Column: Chevy Chase and Seymour Hersh get the documentaries they deserve
Movies for winter 2026: Post-apocalyptic thrillers, crime stories and gothic romance
The bigger financial questions surrounding the long and short-term viability of the movie industry are out of our hands, which means our only job as moviegoers is to pick and choose what we want to see. So let’s commit to a New Year’s resolution to stop talking about movies in terms of box office. What’s happening on the screen is so much more interesting anyway. Read more here.
- Review: ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ is a taut continuation of zombie world
- Review: ‘Greenland 2: Migration’ is Gerard Butler’s predictable January return
Classical music for winter 2026: Embracing the unexpected
Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, the Chicago Symphony’s artist-in-residence, returns to sing a work specially written for her and string trio Time For Three, and director-in-waiting Klaus Mäkelä bookends his East Coast CSO tour with two home-turf appearances. Meanwhile, Lyric’s production of “El último sueño de Frida y Diego,” composed by the bountifully gifted Gabriela Lena Frank, ought to be on any art-lover’s calendar — not just the opera buffs. Read more here.
- In 2026, Grant Park Music Festival commemorates the United States’ founding and bids adieu to its leader
- Lizzadro Museum’s Community Music Programs curates auditory art
Jazz for winter 2026: Concerts to heat up the cold months
Everywhere from concert halls to holes-in-the-wall, these 13 shows will be portals to a happier clime in the coming weeks. And if you’re still hankering for more, keep your eyes on your favorite clubs: Many have yet to announce their late winter lineups. Read more here.
- Chicago will host International Jazz Day 2026. Here’s what’s coming this spring.
- Column: Defying the calendar and playing on, jazzman Bobby Lewis is turning 90
Sudan Archives and Sprints: Our top 10 club concerts for early 2026
The new year means resolutions. One you might consider adding to your list: Frequenting some of the city’s smaller concert venues that help Chicago thrive as a live-music mecca. Since most large-scale tours don’t begin until late spring or summer, now is an ideal time to see artists who might not have household-name recognition. Read more here.
- Who’s coming for concerts this summer: 50 shows for 2026, from Rosalía to Guns N’ Roses
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