2026–2027 Season Announcement
For immediate release
June 15, 2026
The Carpenter Center’s 2026–2027 Season Features Patti LuPone, Samantha Bee, Elizabeth Gilbert, Adam Kinzinger, Jen Hatmaker, Plus Dance, Music, Tributes, and Family Fun
LONG BEACH, Calif. — The Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center at California State University, Long Beach announced its 2026–2027 season, featuring dazzling performances, powerful storytelling, vibrant dance, music, and more. The season opens in September 2026 and runs through May 2027. Current series subscribers enjoy early renewals and ticket access beginning June 15. Single tickets and new series subscriptions go on sale July 15. Tickets to see Bilal on Sept. 24 are on sale today at the Center’s website, www.carpenterarts.org.
“Our 2026-2027 Season is one of our most diverse seasons yet, featuring twenty-seven fabulous artists,” says Executive Director Megan Kline. “We’ve also kept our existing subscription pricing and tiered pricing to make live entertainment affordable for everyone. I can’t wait for our arts community to enjoy virtuosic performances, transformative dance, intimate cabaret, and thrilling music—all at their doorstep.”
This season’s offerings include author Elizabeth Gilbert, whose memoir Eat, Pray, Love became an international phenomenon; former U.S. Representative and January 6 Committee member Adam Kinzinger; Emmy Award-winning comedian Samantha Bee; Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Bilal; and three-time Tony Award winner and Broadway star Patti LuPone.
The season also features internationally recognized dance companies Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana and MOMIX, as well as family-friendly shows, including The All New Wizard of Oz on Ice. The Center’s main stage hosts tributes to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the Grateful Dead, and Paul McCartney, while the Center’s intimate Cabaret Stage brings vocalists Tierney Sutton and Stella Cole, trumpeter and vocalist Bria Skonberg, and the duo of Ann Hampton Callaway and Niki Haris.
The entire season lineup, including shows in the Center’s Spotlight Series and Arts for Life Community Connections concerts, is listed below.
Parking remains $10 for all shows in the Center’s new and even more accessible parking lot (G12), less than a mile from the 405 and only steps from the theater. The bus stop at Atherton & McNab SE (Bus 173) is a minute’s walk from the theater, for easy public transportation.
Press photos are available at carpenterarts.org/press.
2026–2027 Season Calendar
FALL 2026
September 2026
- Sept. 19 — An Evening with Elizabeth Gilbert
- Sept. 24 — Bilal (with opener Yaya Bey)
- Sept. 27 — Live from Laurel Canyon Presents: CSNY – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
- Sept. 30 — Tierney Sutton & Tamir Hendelman
October 2026
- Oct. 1 — Tierney Sutton & Tamir Hendelman
- Oct. 2 — Gretchen Parlato
- Oct. 4 — The Doo Wop Project: Echoes of the Street
- Oct. 16 — Mumu Fresh
- Oct. 24 — Sa Dance Company: RISE
- Date TBA — Samantha Bee
December 2026
- Dec. 4 — Pacífico Dance Company
- Dec. 6 — Forever Tango
- Dec. 9–10 — Christmas Dreaming with Stella Cole
- Dec. 11 — Nella
- Dec. 12 — David Benoit Christmas Tribute to Charlie Brown featuring Courtney Fortune
SPRING 2027
January 2027
- Jan. 24 — Splintered Sunlight: A Tribute to the Grateful Dead
- Jan. 30 — An Evening with Adam Kinzinger
- Jan. 31 — Jazz at Lincoln Center presents World on a String featuring Kate Kortum and David Marino
February 2027
March 2027
- Mar. 10–11 — Bria Skonberg Quintet
- Mar. 14 — The All New Wizard of Oz on Ice
- Mar. 18 — Patti LuPone: Songs from a Hat
- Mar. 20 — Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana: Quinto Elemento
- Mar. 21 — Live and Let Die: The Music of Paul McCartney
- Mar. 26 — Tien Hsieh
- Mar. 27 — An Evening with Jen Hatmaker
May 2027
- May 2 — MOMIX: Botanica
- May 5–6 — Ann Hampton Callaway and Niki Haris
Location:
Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center
California State University, Long Beach
6200 E. Atherton Street
Long Beach, CA 90815
Tickets and Subscriptions
Existing series subscribers can renew on June 15. New series subscriptions and single tickets will be available July 15. Subscriptions offer the lowest prices, the best seats, discounts on additional tickets, and early access to next season’s shows.
- Wit & Wisdom (3 events): $171
- Dance (3 events): $123
- WOW! (3 events): $117
- Sunday Afternoon Concert (4 events): $156
- Cabaret (4 events): from $180 (optional dinner add-on available for $176)
- Build Your Own Series: save from 15–25%
View all series subscription information at www.carpenterarts.org/series.
Attendance and Parking Information
We advise patrons to visit our Frequently Asked Questions page at www.carpenterarts.org/faqs before any performance for the most up-to-date attendance information.
Convenient parking is available directly in front of the Carpenter Center in lot G12. All parking lots on campus, including lot G12, are operated by CSULB’s Parking and Transportation Services, which sets all parking fees. The Carpenter Center does not earn any portion of the collected fees. Parking fees this season remain at $10 after 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and $10 all day on weekends. Additional parking information is available at www.carpenterarts.org/parking.
About the Carpenter Center
The Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center is located on the campus of California State University, Long Beach. Its 1,054-seat theatre gracefully accommodates large and small productions, including a season of performances showcasing emerging and established musicians, dancers, actors, speakers, comedians, and visual artists, as well as other artistic, educational, and cultural experiences that enrich lives, promote lifelong learning in and through the performing arts, and serve as a gateway between the university and the greater community.
