THE CREATIVE CAPITAL OF THE MIDWEST
QUAD CITIES ARTS AND CULTURE
BY JONATHAN TURNER
O ne of the many reasons that make the Quad Cities an amazing place to live and visit is its staggeringly varied and affordable arts and culture scene. The amount and quality of live music, theater, art, dance, and film is mind-blowing, creating an indelible sense of place and community – plus you won’t break the bank checking out the bountiful offerings. The beloved Quad City Symphony Orchestra is in its 111th season, and under the baton of music director Mark Russell Smith, it regularly features new music alongside classics. Upcoming concerts will have a world premiere by Angel Lam, with the iconic Stravinsky “Rite of Spring,” and a premiere of Rebecca Burkhardt’s Ballet for Cello and Orchestra, with the Beethoven 2nd Symphony. Come back later in the year for “The Lion King” in concert, with the film accompanied by its soundtrack live. The QCSO’s Davenport home, the sumptuous Adler Theatre , is a 1931 former movie palace, and it always hosts a great variety of events. Following comedy legend Jerry Seinfeld in January, other popular comics Daniel Tosh and Kevin James play here. Other events include the Simon and Garfunkel Story, musical “Beetlejuice,” Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone, Riverdance, Alison Krauss and Union Station, and Wickedest City Burlesque & Variety Fest. Davenport was once known as “the wickedest city in America,” for its plethora of bars and brothels around the turn of the 20th century, and Ballet Quad Cities also pays tribute to that debauched history in April with a new dance program, “The Wickedest City in America” at St. Ambrose
Bass Street Landing
University’s Galvin Fine Arts Center. The exquisite professional ballet company will present “Romeo + Juliet: A Love Story” at Galvin for Valentine’s Day. There’s lots of live music year-round at places large and small. Vibrant Arena at The MARK in Moline is the premier arena (with 11,000 seats), and its 2026 lineup includes the rock band Journey this summer. The beautifully restored 1920 Capitol Theatre in downtown Davenport hosts many concerts, and other venues include The Rust Belt in East Moline, Gypsy Highway , Redstone Room , Raccoon Motel , and The Grape Life in Davenport, and Centennial Hall and Rozz-Tox in Rock Island. Opera Quad Cities will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2026, with a gala concert at Galvin in Davenport. One of the longest-running summer festivals, the Bix Jazz Festival , will celebrate its 55th year, honoring the Davenport native and jazz legend Bix Beiderbecke. The 2026 fest at Rhythm City Casino will highlight Bix’s collaborations with Jean Goldkette, and other sets highlighting works of the 1920s.
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