What to do in Madison this weekend: May 21-24, 2026

Freddie Gibbs, World's Largest Brat Fest and more Isthmus Picks

by

Arts

  • Community Chat with Christopher Talton, Thursday, May 21, Goodman Community Center-Brassworks, 9 a.m.: At the end of March, Goodman Community Center announced Christopher Talton would step in as the east-side hub’s new president. Talton has more than a decade of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, most recently as a vice president with Goodwill in north central Wisconsin. The GCC is welcoming the community to meet Talton at a casual gathering at the Brassworks Building; RSVP here.
  • WisCon, May 21-25, Zoom and Discord: This science fiction convention has been defying the status quo since 1977. The first WisCon took place in a world where it was unusual to have one session devoted to women in sci-fi. WisCon devoted the whole convention to women and has been determinedly progressive, feminist and left-leaning ever since. This year it continues its social justice focus, with guest authors Darcie Little Badger, a Lipan Apache who’s written a number of well received fantasy novels, and Premee Mohamed, a Canadian Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction author. Registration and more info at wiscon.net.
  • Anne E. Stoner, through May 22, UW Memorial Union-Main Gallery: With a UW Police Department Flock Safety camera surveilling outside the Memorial Union, it feels fitting that inside, the installation “Infrastructure Bodies/Injury Systems” asks what it means to be seen — and recorded. Anne E. Stoner, the 2026 Russell and Paula Panczenko MFA Prize winner, pairs surveillance footage from recent Midwest protests with a sonic illustration of the movement of people in the video, along with audio of people injured during demonstrations. The work is a response to the current federal administration’s approach to law enforcement in American cities, and promises to be a sobering experience. Read more about the exhibition at chazen.wisc.edu.
  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration, Thursday, May 21, Madison Children’s Museum, 5-8 p.m.: Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with this free, all-ages event. Along with interactive activities, exhibits and Korean food, entertainment includes Japanese storytelling in the kamishibai tradition, taiko drumming ensemble Beni Daiko, Zhong Yi Kung Fu Chinese lion dancers. and Hmong traditional dance by Viv Ncaus Dance Troupe.
  • Words with Nerds: 4-Year Anniversary Edition: Thursday, May 21, Crucible, 7 p.m.: For this special anniversary edition of Words with Nerds, a recurring showcase blending stand-up with specialist talks, Cheshire Cat Comedy found a perfect headliner — Eeland Stribling — but Stribling had to cancel. “The headliner got too famous!” jokes CCC founder Sasha Rosser. There's still plenty of fun on offer, including a talk on learning languages by Tanner Letourneau, Setty Mois discussing the world of burlesque, a "nerdlesque" performance by Neimo, and Rosser hosting. Tickets at eventbrite.com.
  • Norman Gilliland, Thursday, May 21, Atwood Music Hall, 7 p.m.: Norman Gilliland makes classical music feel companionable rather than remote, adding warmth, wit and story to Wisconsin’s daily soundtrack. Before he signs off as host of Midday Classics in June, Wisconsin Public Radio is giving Madison a chance to hear one of its most familiar voices in person. At this event, Gilliland will discuss his more than four decades on WPR with Peter Bryant, as well as pose some "Midday Quiz" and “After the Fact Mysteries,” and of course there will be music. The event is free, but tickets are required: eventbrite.com.
  • Old Oaks EP release, Thursday, May 21, UW Memorial Union-Terrace, 7 p.m.: Old Oaks is an ongoing collaboration between Wurk singer-guitarist Frank Laufenberg and sax man Daniel Haschke, showcasing a different side of Laufenberg’s songwriting than Wurk’s funky rock. They’ll hit the Terrace with new music in tow: The new EP, I Wake Up in the Morning, is out on show day, and you can hear the contemplative and catchy single “Headed West” ahead of time on Bandcamp. The duo will be joined for this show by Zac Curtes on bass and Julian Russell on drums.
  • Stone Oak, Thursday, May 21, Muso, 7 p.m.: Longtime Madison bluegrass scenesters probably just thought: Stone Oak!? It’s true, the quartet is reconvening for a few shows this summer, starting with this Muso concert. Since disbanding in the early 1980s, Stone Oak’s members have inspired generations of Midwest musicians in groups such as Harmonious Wail, Honor Among Thieves, The Honey Pies and Sugar Bush. Keep an eye out for a few more shows this summer, including Waterfront Fest in June.
  • Joy Harjo, Thursday, May 21, Overture Center-Playhouse, 7 p.m.: It’s not every day that the first Native American poet to serve as the U.S. poet laureate comes to town. But Joy Harjo, who held that role from 2019 to 2022 and is an internationally acclaimed performer and writer of the Muscogee Nation, will appear as part of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters’ “Finding Home” series. Harjo, whose 12th book of poetry will be published this fall, will focus on the layered meanings of home through poetry and conversation — drawing on themes of land, memory, ancestry, displacement and healing. Karen Lincoln Michel, a cultural consultant and story producer for PBS Wisconsin, will serve as moderator. Find tickets for in-person and livestream options at overture.org.
  • Overture Galleries spring exhibitions, through May 24 or 31, Overture Center: Possibly the best public galleries in town are hallways in the Overture Center, with patrons passing by on all levels of the building and careful, creative curation always at play. This spring’s exhibits encompass a consideration of space, the language of love, and world landscapes, from artists Katherine Steichen Rosing, Sandra Schoen, Susan Dupor, Valerie Savarie, Gerit Grimm, Matthew Warren Lee, Mack Bo Ross and DarRen Morris. Bonus! Madison’s book-making group, The Bone Folders' Guild, displays its members’ art books in the Playhouse Gallery.
  • World's Largest Brat Fest, May 22-24, Alliant Energy Center-Willow Island, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.: There’s nothing like a Memorial Day weekend cookout to kick off the summer season. World’s Largest Brat Fest supersizes that idea, presenting plenty of activities and entertainment while raising funds for more than 100 local nonprofits. Three music stages feature a cornucopia of regional favorites and headliners you may not expect at a free festival (Canadian country star Meghan Patrick, '90s hard rockers Slaughter, and rap legends SugarHill Gang among them). It all kicks off ahead of the fest proper from 6 a.m.-9 a.m. on Friday with “Take Your Brat to Work Day,” where you can buy enough brats to feed your officemates an only-in-Wisconsin breakfast. Full schedule at bratfest.com.
  • Isthmus Dance Collective, May 22-23, Madison Youth Arts: The nonprofit Isthmus Dance Collective came together to help raise awareness of the regional dance community and also to build bridges within the community. Those two threads come together in IDC’s annual Dance Experience Lab for Vibrant Exchange (DELVE) program, in which choreographers create new, often genre-blending works, and debut them in a concert featuring both professional and nonprofessional dancers. This year’s choreographers are Katrina Atkin, Alyssa Ayen, Anupama Bhattacharya, Pa Ying Gia Thao, Molly Johnson and Guy Thorne; performances are at 7:30 p.m. May 22 and 3 and 7:30 p.m. May 23. Tickets at tickettailor.com.
  • Freddie Gibbs, Friday, May 22, The Sylvee, 8 p.m.: Midwestern native Freddie Gibbs has had a steady but not terribly fast rise in the rap game over the last 20 years — a tenure that's 10 times as long as many other emcees in the current digital/streaming ecosystem. Known for spitting unabashed and aggressive lyrics over abstract and spaced-out beats, he's settled into a unique niche of acceptance by both gangster rap and underground hip-hop fans. And he's been on a relative hot streak lately after partnering twice with legendary producer The Alchemist for albums Alfredo and Alfredo 2. Gibbs is also an acclaimed performer who leaves fans fulfilled, so expect to hear new tracks like "Ensalada" and "Mar-a-Lago" as well as older ones like "Thuggin." Gibbs is joined by lo-fi synth-pop emcee Nourished by Time and Liim. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
  • Joe Jackson, Friday, May 22, Orpheum, 8 p.m.: Versatile British musician Joe Jackson recently told the UK’s MOJO magazine that “I make better records now” than when he was racking up Top 40 U.S. singles like “Steppin’ Out,” “Breaking Us in Two,” “You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)” and “Is She Really Going Out with Him?” Between his ’80s heyday and Hope and Fury — Jackson’s 20th album, released in April — he did soundtrack work, released some instrumental albums, and recorded a tribute to Duke Ellington. Now, at age 71, Jackson is making Madison the seventh stop on an 80-date, 14-country tour. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
  • Hill Farms Art Walk, Saturday, May 23, Hill Farms neighborhood, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.: The west-side University Hill Farms 'hood gets its chance to become a large-scale gallery with the annual Hill Farms Art Walk. More than 30 artists — including members of Madison Art Guild and 14 South Artists — display their works at 19 locations, with maps available at the host site at 5027 Marathon Drive (or online at jamesshulkinarts.com). A stroll will be rewarded with pottery, watercolors, woodworking, photography and fiber arts, plus a few surprises. Grab a map, follow the sidewalks, and see what catches your eye.
  • Vegan Sausage Fest, Saturday, May 23, Breese Stevens Field, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Vegan Sausage Fest kicks off the summer with plant-based panache that isn’t preachy but notes that you don’t need meat at a picnic. The vendors will pull out all the stops and there’s a great lineup, from Madison’s own Vibrant Veg, featuring chef Lauren Montelbano, to a number of veg visitors from Illinois including Feed Your Head, Aztec Vegan Kitchen, The Chunky Scone and Pig Minds Brewing Company, among others. Treats include a mac ‘n cheese flight, many versions of plant-based bratwurst, and even king oyster and crispy sausage ceviche. Music by Madison’s own Wurk. Find more info at vegansausagefest.com.
  • Black Veil Brides, Saturday, May 23, The Sylvee, 6:35 p.m.: Straight outta Hollywood, Black Veil Brides are celebrating their 20th anniversary with not only a North American tour but also a new album. Vindicate drops May 8 and is reportedly full of songs about struggle and resistance. It’s the seventh album from the band, embracing gothic imagery while combining heavy metal and arena rock with metalcore. This show starts early, with three openers: From Ashes to New blends hard rock with hip-hop and electronic music, while TX2 and As December Falls inject emo into their rock. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
  • Watershed Reading Series, Saturday, May 23, 7 p.m., Arts + Literature Lab: It’s fiction for this edition of ALL's ongoing Watershed Reading Series, from a diverse crew. Visiting from Chicago is Alex Jennings, whose novel Dead End Boys will be published in 2027. Also hopping up to Mad City from ChiTown is LP Kindred, who writes speculative fiction and is working on a novella. And Milwaukeean Ben Pladek’s debut novel DRY LAND was published in 2023. Expect the unexpected.
  • Kenny Reichert residency, Saturdays, through May 30, North Street Cabaret, 8 p.m.: Guitarist-composer Kenny Reichert is a prolific and inventive collaborator, whose breadth will be on display each Saturday in May during a residency hosted by BlueStem Jazz. The Wisconsin native will play electric guitar with five quite different ensembles. Still to come: Colours (May 23), a quintet that came together from a previous residency, and Twin Cities Quartet (May 30); both are ensembles that blend composed material with plenty of space for improvisation. Find more info and tickets at northstreetcabaret.com.
  • Andy Ewen, Doug DeRosa & Tim Haub, Sunday, May 24, Harmony Bar, 5 p.m.: Blues savant Andy Ewen is known to sit on his couch and editorialize with his dreadnought, posting late night micro-jams on social media. It’s a reminder of how well an acoustic guitar puts over the quirky, belching blues riffs that Ewen has been playing on his electric guitar for decades with Madison’s Honor Among Thieves. The Thieves' bassist (and Ewen musical soulmate) Doug DeRosa joins Ewen and longtime collaborator and multi-instrumentalist Tim Haub for the show.

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