Arizona Musicfest announces 2025-26 lineup. Here's who is performing

The seven-month concert series will bring Samara Joy, Kenny G and even Morgan Freeman to the Valley.

August 1, 2025

Image: Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience is set to perform in January at Highlands Church in Scottsdale.

Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience is set to perform in January at Highlands Church in Scottsdale. Arizona Musicfest

Audio By Carbonatix

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
            "component": "21251496",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "STN Player - Float - Mobile Only ",
            "component": "21327862",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "Editor Picks",
            "component": "16759093",
            "insertPoint": "4",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "17980324",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - 2x Rectangles Desktop, Tower on Mobile - Labeled",
            "component": "21934225",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25          
          
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "17980324",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
            "component": "17012245",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          }
        ]

Arizona Musicfest ain’t your average festival. Instead, it’s a seven-month sonic adventure. Running from October to April, the annual concert series brings 30 different performances to Scottsdale venues boasting a variety of sounds. Jazz and blues. Rock and pop. Broadway, swing and classical.

Essentially, it’s a genre-jumping musical joyride that draws an estimated 50,000 attendees each year.

Organized by the local nonprofit Arizona Musicfest, the series began as a small chamber festival back in the ’80s. These days, it taps some big names and major talent, including various Grammy and Tony winners.

Arizona Musicfest’s 2025-26 season, which was announced last month, is no exception. Highlights include shows from Samara Joy, Kenny G, Katharine McPhee, David Foster and Patti LuPone. Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman (yes, that Morgan Freeman) will bring his Symphonic Blues Experience to town. Here’s the full 2025-26 Arizona Musicfest schedule. Ticket prices vary.

Rachael and Vilray
Monday, Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m.
Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, 25150 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale

The Righteous Brothers
Friday, Oct. 31, 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

click to enlarge

Kenny G is scheduled to perform at an Arizona Musicfest concert in November.

Sandra Alphonse/CC BY-SA 2.0/Flickr

Kenny G
Friday, Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

The Texas Tenors: Let Freedom Sing
Saturday, Nov. 22, 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

Phat Cat Swinger: A Not So Silent Night
Friday, Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

Christmas with the Celts
Monday, Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience
Thursday, Jan. 8, 7:30 p.m.
with the Arizona Musicfest Pops Ensemble
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

click to enlarge

Composer, lyricist and musician Neil Berg.

Arizona Musicfest

Neil Berg’s the ’70s: Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

Laura Benanti and Norm Lewis
Friday, Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

Garrison Keillor at 83
Sunday, Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m.
with Heather Masse and Rich Dworsky
La Casa de Cristo, 6300 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale

The Dreamboats
Saturday, Jan. 31, 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

click to enlarge

UK-based musical theater group The Barricade Boys.

Arizona Musicfest

The Barricade Boys: Broadway at the Movies
Monday, Feb. 2, 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

Jazz at Lincoln Center: The Great American Crooners
Monday, Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

Counterpoint feat. Conrad Tao and Caleb Teicher
Friday, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m.
Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, 25150 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale

Patti Lupone: Matters of the Heart
Monday, Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

click to enlarge

The members of Australian music ensemble The Ten Tenors.

Arizona Musicfest

The Ten Tenors
Thursday, Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

Arizona Musicfest Festival Orchestra and Chorus: Mozart Symphony No. 35
Sunday, Feb. 22, 3 p.m.
La Casa de Cristo, 6300 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale

Arizona Musicfest Festival Orchestra: Rachmaninoff and Brahms
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m.
La Casa de Cristo, 6300 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale

Arizona Musicfest Festival Orchestra: American Portraits
Friday, Feb. 27, 7:30 p.m.
La Casa de Cristo, 6300 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale

Arizona Musicfest Festival Orchestra: The Planets and Tchaikovsky
Sunday, March 1, 3 p.m.
La Casa de Cristo, 6300 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale

click to enlarge

Vocalist and pianist Michael Feinstein.

Lepestate/CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons

Michael Feinstein: Big Band Broadway
Thursday, March 12, 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

Charlie Chaplin’s SMILE with Philippe Quint
Sunday, March 15, 7:30 p.m.
Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, 25150 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale

Il Divo: By Candlelight
Thursday, March 19, 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

Three American Troubadours: Celebrating James Taylor, Carly Simon and Carole King
Saturday, March 21, 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

click to enlarge

NYC-born jazz band The Hot Sardines will light up Highlands Church in Scottsdale in March.

Shervin Lainez

The Hot Sardines: Vive Le Jazz
Monday, March 23, 7:30 p.m.
with the Arizona Musicfest Pops Ensemble
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

Electric Light Orchestra Experience
Thursday, March 26, 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

David Foster and Katharine McPhee
Saturday, March 28, 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

Samara Joy
Thursday, April 9, 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

The British Invasion Years
Saturday, April 11, 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

“Ragtime”: A Theatrical Concert Experience
Friday, April 24, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 25, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 26, 2 p.m.
Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe Street

Benjamin Leatherman is a staff writer for Phoenix New Times where he focuses primarily on arts, culture, music and nightlife. He joined New Times in 2003. Prior to that, he contributed to magazines such as Tips & Tricks and The Wrestler. Benjamin has earned multiple awards from the Arizona Press Club including an award for sports enterprise reporting in 2009 and an award for statewide arts reporting in 2014. He holds a bachelor’s of arts in journalism from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

A message from Benjamin Leatherman: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of Phoenix's music, events and entertainment scenes.

Support Today