August brings music stars Karol G and Masego to the DC area while local parks and docks gear up for outdoor concerts. Also, actor Cynthia Erivo is a headliner at the National Book Festival, and there’s a new exhibition at the Phillips Collection spotlighting artwork from local creatives.
10 Best Things to Do in DC
By Pat Padua
Music
Zoh Amba
August 1
The free-jazz saxophonist takes an unexpected turn toward acoustic singer-songwriter territory on her latest album, Eyes Full, while retaining the adventurous spirit she’s known for.
Museums
“Tomorrow the Sun Will Rise”
August 1–September 20
Faced with 1,500 submissions, the jury for this exhibition devoted to artists from DC, Maryland, and Virginia had a tough task. The result of those efforts is a collection of multimedia work by 48 artists, some of whose creations are appearing in an exhibit for the first time.
Books
Chang-Rae Lee
August 13
The acclaimed Korean American novelist’s latest, A Tender Age, follows an 11-year-old son of immigrants through a transformative summer in a sweeping coming-of-age story.
Music
The NSO Performs Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
August 14
Gianandrea Noseda leads the National Symphony Orchestra in an all-Beethoven program featuring the overture to “The Consecration of the House,” the rarely performed “Elegiac Song,” and the monumental Ninth.
Music
Foo Fighters
August 17
Dave Grohl—who grew up in Virginia and got his start in local bands like Dain Bramage and Scream—returns to his hometown in support of Your Favorite Toy, Foo Fighters’ latest album.
Theater
The Notebook
August 18–30
Nicholas Sparks’s bestselling love story arrives as a musical, transforming the tale of enduring romance and memory loss into a three-hanky production.
Music
Masego
August 22
The Jamaican American singer, saxophonist, and producer returns with Fix Your Face, his first album since 2023, continuing his blend of jazz-inflected R&B and smooth grooves.
Theater
Merrily We Roll Along
August 25–November 1
This Stephen Sondheim musical—recently revived on Broadway and released as a film of that production—traces the evolving friendship of three show-business collaborators in reverse chronology, charting ambition, success, and the cost of pursuing dreams.
Books
Tony Fletcher
August 27
The biographer of Keith Moon and the Smiths discusses his latest book, Pow! When UK Punk Went Pop, 1980–84. In the book (and probably at the event), he tells stories of encounters with British music figures like Paul McCartney and Paul Weller.
Theater
Therapy Gecko
August 27
Podcaster and comedian Lyle Drescher, clad in his signature reptilian costume, fields questions from audience members while dispensing advice that ranges from thoughtful to delightfully absurd.
Want More Things to Do?
by Briana Thomas
Arts and culture:
- Meet more than 50 authors at the third annual Black Books Matter Fest (August 1, free, National Harbor).
- Manga, anime, and pop culture geeks can attend this year’s Otakon (through August 2, $45+, free for children younger than 8, Walter Washington Convention Center).
- Sing karaoke and play word games at Planet Word’s Wordplay Wednesday (August 5, $5+, Downtown).
- The newest museum to join the after-hours trend is Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens. Make art, listen to live music, and more at the inaugural event (August 5, $25, Northwest DC).
- Compete—or play for fun—in a multi-style mahjong tournament (August 8, $75+, Union Market).
- African Diaspora International Film Festival returns to DC to screen movies and documentaries on African culture and history (August 14-16, $40+, George Washington University).
- Cynthia Erivo, Ann Patchett, Martin Scorsese, Annette Gordon-Reed, and 80 more authors are participating in this year’s National Book Festival (August 22, free, registration required, Mount Vernon Square).
Sports:
- Keep up the summer’s soccer energy at a Washington Spirit home game (August 2, 8, 23, 30, $29+, Audi Field).
- Cheer on our favorite women’s basketball team, the Washington Mystics (August 5, 7, 9, 15, 19, 21, $69+, Congress Heights).
- Watch sporty pups do high jumps, fast sprints, and more tricks at Chesapeake Dock Dogs competition (August 8, free, Wharf).
- Indycar racers will zoom through downtown at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix (August 22-23, free, National Mall).
Theater and shows:
- A witty dark comedy about playground memories and romance opens at Keegan Theatre (August 15 through September 6, $55, Dupont Circle).
- Catch more than 200 hilarious shows at Washington Improv Theater’s Improvapalooza (August 19-23, $25+, Logan Circle).
Music:
- Sing songs from Karol G’s latest tropical-infused record Tropicoqueta; be on the lookout for themed snacks and drinks at Northwest Stadium (August 2, $184+, Northwest Stadium).
- Pack a picnic and bring a blanket to a live concert on the Kalorama Park lawn (August 6, 13, 20, free, Adams Morgan).
- The Honey Dewdrops and Brass Queens close out this season’s Jazz in the Garden (August 7, 14, free with lottery ticket, National Gallery of Art).
- The Experience Band and Show blends go-go and R&B together at Rock the Dock (August 14, free, Wharf).
- It’s been two decades since My Chemical Romance released pop-punk anthems from The Black Parade. Emo fans can relive the music at Nats Park this month (August 18, $101+, Nationals Park).
- Ella Mai performs intimate tracks from her Do You Still Love Me? record to a sold-out audience at The Anthem (August 21,$95+ from third-party sellers, Wharf).
- Listen to live bands play zydeco, bluegrass, and more folk sounds at the Washington Folk Festival (August 23, free, Glen Echo).
- Rapper Jack Harlow rhymes over hip-hop beats at the Anthem (August 25, $58+, Wharf).
- Comedian KevOnStage does standup about grief (August 29, $64, MGM National Harbor).
- Go on a country cruise with vocalist Cooper Alan aboard City Cruises (August 30, $80+, Wharf).
Bites and beverages:
- Stick a fork in Alexandria’s diverse culinary scene during Restaurant Week (August 14-23, $35, various participating locations).
- Panda-themed decor, street food, face painting, and Asian culture get the spotlight at Panda Fest (August 15-16, free, Penn Quarter).
- Satisfy your cravings with cheap eats from more than 150 participating restaurants during Summer Restaurant Week (August 24-30, $25+, various participating locations).
Things to do with kids:
- Kiddos will be enchanted by fairy magic, princess fun, and a narrative on love in the Maryland Youth Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty (August 1-2, $14, free for ages under 2, Wolf Trap).
August brings music stars Karol G and Masego to the DC area while local parks and docks gear up for outdoor concerts. Also, actor Cynthia Erivo is a headliner at the National Book Festival, and there’s a new exhibition at the Phillips Collection spotlighting artwork from local creatives.
10 Best Things to Do in DC
By Pat Padua
Music
Zoh Amba
August 1
location_on Pearl Street Warehouse
language Website
The free-jazz saxophonist takes an unexpected turn toward acoustic singer-songwriter territory on her latest album, Eyes Full, while retaining the adventurous spirit she’s known for.
Museums
“Tomorrow the Sun Will Rise”
August 1–September 20
location_on Phillips Collection
language Website
Faced with 1,500 submissions, the jury for this exhibition devoted to artists from DC, Maryland, and Virginia had a tough task. The result of those efforts is a collection of multimedia work by 48 artists, some of whose creations are appearing in an exhibit for the first time.
Books
Chang-Rae Lee
August 13
location_on Politics and Prose (Connecticut Avenue)
language Website
The acclaimed Korean American novelist’s latest, A Tender Age, follows an 11-year-old son of immigrants through a transformative summer in a sweeping coming-of-age story.
Music
The NSO Performs Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
August 14
location_on Wolf Trap
language Website
Gianandrea Noseda leads the National Symphony Orchestra in an all-Beethoven program featuring the overture to “The Consecration of the House,” the rarely performed “Elegiac Song,” and the monumental Ninth.
Music
Foo Fighters
August 17
location_on Nationals Park
language Website
Dave Grohl—who grew up in Virginia and got his start in local bands like Dain Bramage and Scream—returns to his hometown in support of Your Favorite Toy, Foo Fighters’ latest album.
Theater
The Notebook
August 18–30
location_on National Theatre
language Website
Nicholas Sparks’s bestselling love story arrives as a musical, transforming the tale of enduring romance and memory loss into a three-hanky production.
Music
Masego
August 22
location_on The Anthem
language Website
The Jamaican American singer, saxophonist, and producer returns with Fix Your Face, his first album since 2023, continuing his blend of jazz-inflected R&B and smooth grooves.
Theater
Merrily We Roll Along
August 25–November 1
location_on Signature Theatre
language Website
This Stephen Sondheim musical—recently revived on Broadway and released as a film of that production—traces the evolving friendship of three show-business collaborators in reverse chronology, charting ambition, success, and the cost of pursuing dreams.
Books
Tony Fletcher
August 27
location_on Politics and Prose (Union Market)
language Website
The biographer of Keith Moon and the Smiths discusses his latest book, Pow! When UK Punk Went Pop, 1980–84. In the book (and probably at the event), he tells stories of encounters with British music figures like Paul McCartney and Paul Weller.
Theater
Therapy Gecko
August 27
location_on Miracle Theatre
language Website
Podcaster and comedian Lyle Drescher, clad in his signature reptilian costume, fields questions from audience members while dispensing advice that ranges from thoughtful to delightfully absurd.
Want More Things to Do?
by Briana Thomas
Arts and culture:
- Meet more than 50 authors at the third annual Black Books Matter Fest (August 1, free, National Harbor).
- Manga, anime, and pop culture geeks can attend this year’s Otakon (through August 2, $45+, free for children younger than 8, Walter Washington Convention Center).
- Sing karaoke and play word games at Planet Word’s Wordplay Wednesday (August 5, $5+, Downtown).
- The newest museum to join the after-hours trend is Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens. Make art, listen to live music, and more at the inaugural event (August 5, $25, Northwest DC).
- Compete—or play for fun—in a multi-style mahjong tournament (August 8, $75+, Union Market).
- African Diaspora International Film Festival returns to DC to screen movies and documentaries on African culture and history (August 14-16, $40+, George Washington University).
- Cynthia Erivo, Ann Patchett, Martin Scorsese, Annette Gordon-Reed, and 80 more authors are participating in this year’s National Book Festival (August 22, free, registration required, Mount Vernon Square).
Sports:
- Keep up the summer’s soccer energy at a Washington Spirit home game (August 2, 8, 23, 30, $29+, Audi Field).
- Cheer on our favorite women’s basketball team, the Washington Mystics (August 5, 7, 9, 15, 19, 21, $69+, Congress Heights).
- Watch sporty pups do high jumps, fast sprints, and more tricks at Chesapeake Dock Dogs competition (August 8, free, Wharf).
- Indycar racers will zoom through downtown at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix (August 22-23, free, National Mall).
Theater and shows:
- A witty dark comedy about playground memories and romance opens at Keegan Theatre (August 15 through September 6, $55, Dupont Circle).
- Catch more than 200 hilarious shows at Washington Improv Theater’s Improvapalooza (August 19-23, $25+, Logan Circle).
Music:
- Sing songs from Karol G’s latest tropical-infused record Tropicoqueta; be on the lookout for themed snacks and drinks at Northwest Stadium (August 2, $184+, Northwest Stadium).
- Pack a picnic and bring a blanket to a live concert on the Kalorama Park lawn (August 6, 13, 20, free, Adams Morgan).
- The Honey Dewdrops and Brass Queens close out this season’s Jazz in the Garden (August 7, 14, free with lottery ticket, National Gallery of Art).
- The Experience Band and Show blends go-go and R&B together at Rock the Dock (August 14, free, Wharf).
- It’s been two decades since My Chemical Romance released pop-punk anthems from The Black Parade. Emo fans can relive the music at Nats Park this month (August 18, $101+, Nationals Park).
- Ella Mai performs intimate tracks from her Do You Still Love Me? record to a sold-out audience at The Anthem (August 21,$95+ from third-party sellers, Wharf).
- Listen to live bands play zydeco, bluegrass, and more folk sounds at the Washington Folk Festival (August 23, free, Glen Echo).
- Rapper Jack Harlow rhymes over hip-hop beats at the Anthem (August 25, $58+, Wharf).
- Comedian KevOnStage does standup about grief (August 29, $64, MGM National Harbor).
- Go on a country cruise with vocalist Cooper Alan aboard City Cruises (August 30, $80+, Wharf).
Bites and beverages:
- Stick a fork in Alexandria’s diverse culinary scene during Restaurant Week (August 14-23, $35, various participating locations).
- Panda-themed decor, street food, face painting, and Asian culture get the spotlight at Panda Fest (August 15-16, free, Penn Quarter).
- Satisfy your cravings with cheap eats from more than 150 participating restaurants during Summer Restaurant Week (August 24-30, $25+, various participating locations).
Things to do with kids:
- Kiddos will be enchanted by fairy magic, princess fun, and a narrative on love in the Maryland Youth Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty (August 1-2, $14, free for ages under 2, Wolf Trap).
A version of this article appears in the August 2026 issue of Washingtonian.
