What to do in Madison this weekend: June 25-28, 2026

Live on Queen, Midwest Log Rolling Championships and more Isthmus Picks

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Arts

Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival, through June 27, San Damiano, Monona: This biennial festival brings together 13 wood sculptors — a mix of Indigenous artists from the U.S. and artisans from overseas — to create new work on site, using both contemporary and traditional techniques. It honors the memory of Harry Whitehorse, the late Ho-Chunk sculptor from Monona. Artists can be seen at work from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. daily from June 20-26. The schedule also features cultural arts demonstrations; the closing ceremony is at 2 p.m. June 27. Find more info at harrywhitehorse.com.

Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair, through June 30, UW Cinematheque: Hark ye, all who enter here, and despair over the state of the world…as seen through the eyes of film auteurs, anyway. UW Cinematheque kicks off its summer season dressed in black (presumably), as in partnership with the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles they present an installment of Bleak Week. Among nine films are stories of mysterious murders (the Madison premiere of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Chime and his classic Cure, both June 26) and infidelity (Le Bonheur, June 28). Misery in 35mm never looked so good. Read Grant Phipps' preview here. Find the full schedule at cinema.wisc.edu; the regular summer schedule kicks off July 1.

Overture Center summer exhibitions, through Aug. 30, Overture; reception June 25, 5:30-8:30 p.m.: It’s summer at Overture and the galleries are packed with new art. In Gallery I, Fatemeh Fani and R-Lo offer “Echoes Between Us,” a look in varied media at what often goes unnoticed. In Gallery II, “Natural Bodies,” a themed show from Blue Naga and Ciel Skål examines the boundaries between the human body and the natural world. In Gallery III, Nika McKagen and Chele Ramos also embrace the unseen and unexplored. In the Playhouse Gallery (through Aug. 23), the Mexican Folk Art Collective offers “Corazona: Art and Heritage of Mexican Women.” All shows should prompt interior reflection on all things seen and unseen. The reception from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on June 25 features artist talks at 6 p.m. on the Rotunda Stage.

Town & Country Days, June 25-28, Lake Mills: American Legion Post 67 in Lake Mills may be best known for its hamburger stand, basically a service window right in the village square across from the park, from May to October. It serves hamburgers it calls sliders, and a highlight of this Post 67-sponsored fest is plenty of sliders hot off the griddle. In addition, there are rides, the requisite beer tent with live music (bookended by evocatively named classic rock cover band Altar Boy Picnic on Thursday and bluesy Tall Paul & the Naughty Cats on Sunday), and a parade along Main Street at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. It’s a small town summer fest in one of our most charming small towns.

Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers, Thursday, June 25, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Nashville has long been home to a varied and robust DIY scene alongside the country music industry. Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers are a good example; the trio rocks hard on their latest album, Every God Forsaken Morning, showing a knack for a pop hook buoyed by crunchy guitars, relatable story songs, and a bit of righteous anger at the state of the world. They’re on tour with singer-songwriter June Henry, and the Madison show also features pop heroes Kat and the Hurricane. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Madison Jazz Festival, through June 27, various venues: The annual Madison Jazz Festival presents a moving feast of creative music delights spanning locations from Middleton to the near east side of Madison. The fest, coordinated by Arts + Literature Laboratory and the Wisconsin Union Theater, just about always presents a headliner of the moment; this year it’s an ensemble led by drummer-composer Nate Smith, who just picked up a pair of Grammys this spring for the album LIVE-ACTION. Smith plays June 26, the first of two fest-closing days of free music at the UW Memorial Union Terrace; trombonist Wycliffe Gordon headlines June 27. Find the full schedule at artlitlab.org.

Live on Queen, Friday, June 26, Orpheum, 5 p.m.: FPC Live’s recurring Pride Month celebration, Live on Queen, is back and bigger than ever. This year’s event starts with “The Queen’s Court,” a pre-show in the lobby with DJ Femme Noir, James the Magician, roaming drag queens, and more. A variety show hosted by Bianca Lynn Breeze gets under way at 7 p.m. with a stacked lineup of drag performers, comedians and DJs. Admission is free and open to all.

Home Grown, through Aug. 8, Textile Arts Center: Fiber and textile artists in the Midwest don’t always have the opportunity to work with materials from their own home areas; the Midwest Linen Revival collective is working to change that. As part of its annual Field to Frock events series (June 23-28), the organization is partnering with the Textile Arts Center on “Home Grown,” an exhibition featuring contemporary artists incorporating Midwestern fibers and dyes in their work. A reception takes place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on June 26; regular gallery hours are noon-4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.

Edward IV, through June 28, Madison Children's Museum: Madison Shakespeare Company goes niche with Thomas Heywood’s Edward IV, performed outdoors at the Wonderground play structure at Madison Children’s Museum. Note, this is not a play for kids, despite the setting. Nonetheless, the Wonderground should prove an inventive set for a drama about Renaissance political intrigue and domestic strife. Final performances are at 7 p.m. June 26 and 6 p.m. June 27-28. Tickets at madisonchildrensmuseum.org.

My Fair Lady, June 26-28, Middleton-Cross Plains Area Performing Arts Center: Middleton Players Theatre teams up with Middleton Community Orchestra for a staged concert version of the Lerner and Loewe classic My Fair Lady. The big orchestra treatment is exactly how you want these songs to arrive: less staircase-and-hat business and more room for “The Rain in Spain,” “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?” to do what they do best. Eliza Doolittle still gets the makeover, Henry Higgins still gets to be insufferably certain, and the score still has the nerve to sound effortless after nearly 70 years. Consider it summer theater with a symphonic engine. Performances at 7:30 p.m. on June 26-27 and 2 p.m., June 28. Tickets at middletonplayers.ludus.com.

Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, June 5-7, 19-21 and 26-28, various venues: Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society has spent 35 summers proving chamber music doesn't have to be buttoned-up. This year’s festival, titled “Never Say Never,” features music from various eras presented with serious musicianship and not-so-serious manners. The final weekend finds BDDS in three locations, starting June 26 at Stoughton Opera House for a concert featuring young artists from the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras. Saturday is back at UW Hamel Music Center for a concert featuring works by Johannes Brahms, John Harbison and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Sunday's sold-out concert takes place at Hillside Theater at Taliesin. Find program and ticket information at bachdancing.org.

The Effigies, Friday, June 26, Gamma Ray, 8 p.m.: Fans of Midwestern rock music should not sleep on a chance to hear The Effigies. The current incarnation of the long-running band came together in 2024 to play some shows to celebrate the release of the album Burned, and honor the memory of lyricist/singer John Kedzy, who lost his life in a bike accident shortly after the band finished the album. Anyone who’s caught one of their fiery live sets in the last couple years will be heartened to hear the band is working on another new album, with plans for a release later this year. With Wristwatch, Poly Mall Cops. Tickets at gammaray.bar.

Midwest Log Rolling Championships, Saturday, June 27, Wingra Park, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.: The good news is you do not have to go all the way to Hayward to see log rolling. While it may seem like an obscure feat restricted to 19th century lumberjacks, it’s actually a terrific test of dexterity, interspersed with refreshing dunks in the lake. Amateur warm-ups start at 8 a.m. with amateur competition at 9 a.m.; celebrities roll at noon and the elite squads battle it out beginning at 1 p.m. Perhaps Donald Trump would like to introduce log rolling to the newly green reflecting pool. Just putting it out there. Find more info and roller registration at madisonlogrolling.com.

All White Party, Saturday, June 27, Orpheum, 4:30 p.m.-midnight: The 10th annual fundraiser All White Party returns at a particularly meaningful moment for Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County. The event follows the death on June 7 of Michael Johnson, the Boys & Girls Clubs' longtime president and CEO, whose leadership transformed the organization's reach and impact across the community. Along with celebrating Johnson's legacy, attendees can enjoy a star-powered evening featuring comedy by Jay Leno and a stand-up showcase hosted by DJ Spinderella, music by Tyrese, Chakari Daezhare, J Clark, and more entertainment. Don your finest white apparel and prepare for a high-energy night supporting opportunities for local youth. Find ticket options at bgcdc.betterworld.org.

Field of Drums, Saturday, June 27, Breese Stevens Field, 5:45 p.m.: Breese Stevens Field is celebrating its centennial this summer, and events marking the occasion continue with the cleverly named “Field of Drums,” a concert featuring local percussion ensembles. Closing the evening is a return to Breese by Madison Scouts, a group with a lot of history on the field. Before that, Breese will reverberate to the rhythms of the UW Band, Beni Daiko, The Handphibians, Panchromatic Steel, Sound of Sun Prairie, and Black Star Drum Line with Rockford Rhythm. If you want to read up on the history of the stadium before you go, see Isthmus alum David Michael Miller’s new book, The Rise of Breese Stevens Field. Tickets at breesestevensfield.com.

Assemblage 23, Saturday, June 27, Crucible, 7 p.m.: Assemblage 23, the electronic music institution helmed by songwriter/producer Tom Shear, returned to record racks in 2025 with Null, the project’s first album in about five years. It was worth the wait, with 10 new songs featuring Shear’s melodic hard-edged synth beats and unsparingly honest lyrics. Assemblage 23 is hitting Crucible for one Midwest show before heading to Europe, joined by Sensuous Enemy, Lorelei Dreaming, Mari Kattman and Brittany Bindrim. Tickets at ticketleap.com.

Black Country, New Road, Saturday, June 27, The Sylvee, 8 p.m.: If there’s a consistent through line for UK band Black Country, New Road, it’s their knack for creative reinvention. The 2025 album Forever Howlong finds the band featuring three singers-songwriters and making an album that at times sounds like the freakiest Fairport Convention record ever, blending ethereal singing, unconventional song structures, and the occasional prog rock meltdown. With retro-tinged-but-singular-sounding rock trio Horsegirl. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.