Top Concerts for May/June 2026

Sting (Photo Credit: Steve Cerf) — Sting performs three nights at Wolf Trap! (Photo Credit: Steve Cerf)

What concerts are you excited about in May and June? If the answer is none, either you don’t like music or you haven’t looked yet.

Welcome to another live music guide for DC! We have plenty of local artists, including two, count them TWO, neighborhood porchfests (in Adams Morgan – 5/2 and Petworth – 5/30) that you can enjoy and get a huge dose of DC’s music scene. Also, a few festivals are coming, like the Capital House Festival at Alethia Tanner Park – 5/23, the Home Rule Festival at The Parks at Walter Reed – 6/20, and the Project Glow festival – 5/30 & 5/31 at the RFK Stadium Grounds (without RFK Stadium anywhere in sight!).

This is the season when outdoor concerts come to fruition, so be on the lookout for some of the good recommended concerts at Wolf Trap (the best outdoor venue in the DMV? Yes.) and Merriweather Post Pavilion.

As always, find local music in yellow. This is the nexus where you can support local businesses and artists at the same time. There is no such thing as too much live music. No need to fact check, it is true.

(Note: This is a draft, will update with additional details shortly.)

May 2026

Foxtide @ DC9 (5/1/26) (Foxtide, from San Diego, is touring for their second album, Entropy (via Position Music). They have a surf-rock sound that moves towards something nostalgic and vulnerable. Elijah Gibbins-Croft (vocals) shares about the album, “Entropy is sonically a look in the mirror. You never look the same in the mirror on any given day. I think the band learned to push each other to new places in our writing on this album. Entropy is the perfect word for the qualities of this album as well as my experience while making the record. I initially picked this idea of entropy for the album because it is one of my girlfriend’s favorite concepts. ‘It represents the tendency of systems to move toward higher disorder (natural processes).’ I kept reading this definition and couldn’t help but align it with the record and my experiences recently. I think everything for me is definitely moving towards higher disorder, for better or for worse, it just is.”)

Adams Morgan Spring PorchFest (5/2/26) (The first of two PorchFests in Adams Morgan this year!)

Katie Tupper @ Songbyrd Music House (5/2/26)

Sophia Stel @ DC9 (5/3/26)

John-Robert @ Pie Shop (5/4/26) (Virginia native John-Robert just released his latest EP titled Where Do You Wanna Go? For the jazzy title track he describes it, ‘I moved back to Virginia (from Los Angeles) and had developed a crush on someone I’ve known since I was 18. The saxophone was recorded by Ognjen ‘Ogi’ Gotovcevic in his bedroom during a trip to LA. The intro was inspired by an Isley Brothers song called “Choosey Lover”. A solo like that at the top of the song is bold and sets the tone.’)

Jordan Patterson (Photo courtesy of Girlie Action)

Searows w/ Jordan Patterson @ 9:30 Club (5/5/26) (Come early to watch Jordan Patterson open. She just released The Hermit, a debut album that is a spiritual successor to all of her earlier works, and showcases her understated lyrics and quiet folk melodies. Searows, the project of Alec Duckart, is from Portland, Oregon, and just released his second album, Death in the Business of Whaling.)

ULTRA SUNN (Photo courtesy of Press Here)

ULTRA SUNN w/Mystery Friends @ Black Cat (5/7/26) (Belguim band ULTRA SUNN is on their largest headlining tour to date, giving audiences a taste of their new album, The Beast In You. They are part of the new electronic darkwave movement, so you should expect an energetic show. Bonus! You have local pop favorites Mystery Friends opening to sweeten the lineup perfectly.)

Vanessa Carlton @ The Birchmere (5/8/26)

Momma (Photo Credit: Jaxon Wittington)

Courtney Barnett w/ Momma @ The Anthem (5/10/26)

SKORTS (Photo courtesy of Big Hassle Media)

Brigitte Calls Me Baby w/ SKORTS @ The Atlantis (5/11/26) Sold Out

Katelyn Tarver @ Songbyrd Music House (5/13/26)

Pictoria Vark w/ Flo Petite + Cuni @ Quarry House Tavern (5/14/26) (Pictoria Vark is from Chicago, but both openers are DC bands!)

Kara Levchenko w/ Miss Moon + Sean Custer @ Pie Shop (5/15/26)

The Joy Formidable (Photo courtesy of the artist)

The Joy Formidable @ Miracle Theatre (5/16/26) (The great Welsh rock band The Joy Formidable returns to DC after four years. (Check out our review.) They don’t have a new album to promote this time around, but they are performing intimate and stripped down versions of their songs, along with stories and connecting with fans. Rhydian Dafydd Davies also answered a few questions for A DC Journey, check out the Interview.)

A Shrewdness of Apes w/ Careless Flight + Howling at the Earth @ The Pocket (5/17/26)

she’s green (Photo Credit: Wendy Rosales)

Chapterhouse w/ she’s green @ Black Cat (5/17/26)

MEMORIALS @ Pie Shop (5/20/26)

Sting @ Wolf Trap (5/21, 5/22 & 5/23/26)

Capital House Music Festival @ Alethia Tanner Park (5/23/26)

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band @ Nationals Park (5/27/26)

Duunes w/ The Montaines + MAYSUNS @ DC9 (5/27/26) (Duunes are from New York City, while both the openers are DC bands.)

The Knocks x Dragonette x Aquaria @ 9:30 Club (5/29/26)

Petworth Porchfest (5/30/26)

Max Styler @ Project Glow (5/31/26)

Rachel Bobbitt & Lia Pappas-Kemps @ Songbyrd Music House (5/31/26)

June 2026

Andrew Bird (Photo courtesy of The Strathmore)

Andrew Bird with the National Philharmonic @ Strathmore (6/3 & 6/4/26) (Check out a previous review of Andrew Bird.)

Sundyr w/ DE4DSET + Undoll @ The Pocket (6/4/26) (Heavy metal enthusiasts rejoice! Members of other local bands recently formed Sundyr to explore a heavier sound.)

Patrick Wolf (Photo Credit: Emma Jones)

Patrick Wolf @ DC9 (6/5/26)

Gary Clark, Jr. @ Wolf Trap (6/6/26)

The Darts w/ Teen Cobra @ Pie Shop (6/11/26)

Dinner Time w/ Makeup Girl + Night Hawk @ Quarry House Tavern (6/11/26) (Dinner Time is from Atlanta, while both the openers are from DC.)

Young the Giant w/ Cold War Kids @ Wolf Trap (6/12/26)

Seventh Stanine Festival @ Rhizome DC (6/12/26) (Last year we asked founder/organizer Matthew Byars a few questions about this local festival.)

Ally Nicholas @ Songbyrd Music House (6/14/26)

Chinese American Bear (Photo Credit: Eleanor Petry)

Chinese American Bear @ Pie Shop (6/16/26)

Wilco @ Wolf Trap (6/18/26)

The Bad Plus @ Blues Alley (6/20 & 6/21/26) (This world renowned jazz ensemble’s farewell tour! Founding bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King are joined by Ben Monder (guitars) and Chris Speed (saxophones) at the Blues Alley for two nights.)

Home Rule Music Festival 2026 @ The Parks at Walter Reed (6/20/26)

Del Amitri @ The Atlantis (6/21/26) (I’m not going to lie, I played Del Amitri’s best of album, Hatful of Rain, a lot back in the day. Kiss this thing goodbye, as you’re always the last to know. Nothing ever happens when you spit in the rain. Sorry, let’s just say I’m intrigued by this show at The Atlantis!)

St. Vincent @ Wolf Trap (6/25/26)

Cailin Russo @ DC9 (6/25/26)

Circles Around the Sun @ The Atlantis (6/25/26)

Argo & The Violet Queens + MAYSUNS + Mystery Friends @ Union Stage (6/26/26)

Kid Again + Bluebelt w/ Marti @ The Pocket (6/26/26)

The Strokes w/ Thundercat @ Merriweather Post Pavilion (6/27/26)

Bonus!

(For when someone told you that you deserved more, and you believed them! Always believe them.)

Chuwi w/ Taisha Estrada @ 9:30 Club (5/8/26) (Taisha is local!)

Cass McCombs @ The Atlantis (5/8/26) (Check out a review of a previous show.)

The Legwarmers @ The State Theatre (5/9/26)

JVK w/ Soul Meets Body + Mac N’ Toss @ Pie Shop (5/9/26)