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The Bankhead Theater stage will welcome a variety of acts and performers from around the globe in its 2025-26 season. (Photo courtesy LVA) 
“Irish Christmas in America” musicians photographed for Ceol Productions at O’Connell’s pub, Skryne, Co. Meath on Wednesday, 2 October 2024. Photography by Brendan Duffy. 
A glimpse from a past Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno performance. (Photo by Jon R. Luini courtesy LVA) 
Members of LA-based Filipino-American a cappella group, The Filharmonic, will bring their talents to Livermore. (Courtesy LVA) 
The holiday season will bring Campana Sobre Campana: Christmas in México to downtown Livermore. (Photo by Alegria Fotos Frontales courtesy LVA) 
Dustbowl Revival is set to make a highly anticipated return to the Bankhead stage. (Photo by Seth Jacobson courtesy LVA)
The Bankhead Theater stage will be alive with the sound of music, laughter and profound conversation as Livermore Valley Arts prepares to usher in another busy new season.
In its 2025-26 Bankhead Presents lineup, the downtown Livermore venue will host three-dozen events featuring singers, dancers, comedians and public figures set to dazzle and captivate Tri-Valley audiences.
The season is set to officially kick off on Aug. 23 with the Brilliance at The Bankhead gala fundraiser starring Grammy Award-winner LeAnn Rimes, according to an announcement from LVA.
In the months following all the way through February 2026, the series will welcome a variety of acts, including the globe-trotting, genre-defying little orchestra Pink Martini; LA-based Filipino-American a cappella group, The Filharmonic and special one-of-a-kind experiences like “Wheel of Fortune Live” and “Moana” Live-To-Film Concert.
Returning favorites in the new season include Dustbowl Revival, Luca Stricagnoli and Keiko Matsui. Award-winning actor and comedian Jason Alexander will also make his way back to the Bankhead stage as part of the Rae Dorough Speaker Series after previously headlining Brilliance at The Bankhead in 2023.
“In this day and age, it feels as if we all need to make an effort to treat others better, but how do we go about this?” LVA Chief Executive Officer Chris Carter said.
“Research suggests that people who engage in the Arts are more eager to help others, form stronger bonds, and feel a greater sense of community. If you want to be a better person, the prescription is Art … There is so much power in the Arts,” he added.
The Bankhead aims to be that “prescription” the doctor ordered by expanding access to the arts with a wide range of genres to appeal to broad interests as with each new season, LVA prides itself on offering something for everyone.
“From familiar ‘comfort food’ artists who return to Livermore every couple of seasons, to starry debut artists from the worlds of TV and music, to even a past International Guitar Night star and a Brilliance at The Bankhead artist who loved this Tri-Valley venue and audience so much they had to come back again, this season is a perfect mélange of genres that continues to bring only the highest-quality Arts programming to the Tri-Valley,” LVA officials said in their season announcement.
Shortly after Rimes lights up the stage, September will bring Emmy Award-winner Jane Lynch and Kate Flannery of “The Office” fame with their show “The Trouble with Angels”, cheekily described as an evening of mischief that is “like the Rat Pack … but with a couple of broads!”
At The Martin Sexton Abbey Road Show, the American singer-songwriter – who has released nine studio albums blending soul, gospel, country, rock, blues and R&B – will put his signature style on his rendition of the iconic Beatles album, combining what “Rolling Stone” calls his “soul-marinated voice” with his inventive guitar prowess, followed by a set of mainly original music.
Stricagnoli, a returning performer who once charmed Bankhead audiences as part of International Guitar Night, will display his unique style and innovative playing techniques during his own acoustic performance.
Internationally acclaimed pianist, composer, and humanitarian Matsui – who has worked with legendary artists including Miles Davis and Stevie Wonder – will also be back to grace the Bankhead stage again.
Other returning audience pleasers include Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno – acclaimed in both the United States and Mexico. Peking Acrobats will be back at The Bankhead, redefining audience perceptions of Chinese acrobatics by performing daring maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs, among other impressive feats.
Theater enthusiasts can also delight in the return of Selected Shorts, the live version of the popular podcast. Another new crop of yet-to-be-selected stars from stage and screen will be on the Bankhead stage, bringing to life the magic of storytelling with live readings of everything from heartwarming dramas to hilarious comedies in short stories selected specifically for Livermore.
At “A Celebration of 60 Years of Bob & Willie”, Dustbowl Revival and The Hot Club of Cowtown will play classics and deep cuts from the catalogues of Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, and share their own originals as well.
In the new year, The Stage Door Lounge will welcome renowned acoustic guitarist Andy McKee. An annual Tri-Valley staple, International Guitar Night, will return on its 26th anniversary tour, this time bringing global guitar stars Taimane Gardner, Lucas Imbiriba, Stephanie Jones and Alexandr Misko.
There will be no shortage of music in this new season as the men of Uptown will grace the Bankhead stage for the first time, fusing Bruno Mars-caliber stage presence with top-tier vocals and wall-to-wall choreography, combining the smooth stylings of R&B with the fresh hits of today in a unique and modern show that seeks to get viewers up and on their feet.
The Ten Tenors – an Australian music ensemble that has toured extensively nationally and internationally and released more than 20 albums – will drop by the Bankhead for their 30th Anniversary World Tour.
The String Queens trio will also bring its authentic, soulful and orchestral sound to Livermore, offering fresh takes on the music of contemporary soul legends and pop icons.
While music and theater continue to be at the forefront of performances in the lineup, the Bankhead has plenty other offerings in store including a new show “90s Mix Tape Live”, touted as a love letter of a concert for the TRL generation and created by the same creative minds behind The Doo Wop Project.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” will make Livermore a stop on its 50th Anniversary Spectacular Tour during which audiences will join the original Columbia — Nell Campbell — for a screening of the original unedited movie with a live shadow cast and audience participation, featuring a costume contest, among other surprises.
More performers will pay homage to legendary trailblazers that paved the way for them in the new year, with “100 Years of Hank Williams” starring Jason Petty, celebrating Williams’ 100th birthday. Top of the World — A Carpenters Tribute will also play the Bankhead, fronted by singer Debbie Taylor.
As the saying goes, laughter is the best medicine and there will be plenty of opportunities to get a dose of it at the Bankhead this season with the San Francisco Comedy Competition, the return of “Funny Women of a Certain Age” and an evening with Jon Lovitz of “Saturday Night Live” fame and countless comedic film roles.
Live experiences are also sprinkled in the mix of talent headed to the Bankhead. In addition to “Wheel of Fortune Live”, Psychology of Cults will take audiences deep inside the world of cults including how they form, why people join, and what it takes to break free.
“‘Stop Making Sense’: A Film by Jonathan Demme and Talking Heads” will be a thrilling live event hosted by Jerry Harrison from the Talking Heads.
The annual Rae Dorough Speaker Series – which honors the late Dorough, a respected Livermore resident and strong supporter of cultural events – will bring “Seinfeld” alum Alexander back to the stage for an evening of comedy, music and conversation, along with former head of the Pentagon’s UFO Investigation Unit Luis Elizondo, National Geographic Live with “A Pirate’s Life” presented by archaeologist Lisa Briggs and paleoanthropologist Louise Leakey who will have audiences “Digging for Humanity’s Origins”.
During “70 Years of Everest”, adventurer Peter Hillary will share how he carries on the legacy of adventure and purpose, as crafted by his father Sir Edmund Hillary, part of the first climbing team to summit the world’s tallest peak.
Heading into the 2025 holiday season, the lineup is chock-full of music and dance, tradition and family, returning favorites and Livermore debuts including Pleasanton’s own Jeff Bordes presenting “Jeff Bordes & Friends: A New Orleans Christmas”.
“Irish Christmas in America” will also play Livermore once again and Stella Cole, with Strings Holiday Show, will bring her viral charm and nostalgia to life on stage.
Rounding out the global holiday celebration is Campana Sobre Campana: Christmas in México, a vibrant show that weaves cherished Mexican traditions into a magical story of the season.
“Over the past few years, I’ve noticed a shift — playing the Bankhead is becoming a ‘must’ for agents and artists, and that’s making a real difference in the caliber of talent we’re able to bring to our community,” Ruth Egherman, director of marketing for Livermore Valley Arts, told the Weekly. “When performers like Jason Alexander, LeAnn Rimes, Jane Lynch & Kate Flannery, and Jon Lovitz take the stage here, they know they’ll be supported by an exceptional production and hospitality team and embraced by an enthusiastic audience.”
She added, “That reputation doesn’t just attract big names — it gives us the ability to take chances on rising stars like The String Queens, Stella Cole, and The Filharmonic. When I first started, people saw the Bankhead as a place for artists before they were known or after their prime. That’s no longer the case. The Bankhead is now a sought-after stop, where artists at every stage of their careers want to perform.”
The start of the 2025-2026 season follows a star-studded summer season, which now includes two new additions, Dry Bar Comedy and Livermore-favorite Mustangs Of The West, inspired by the music of Poco and the Eagles. Beginning on June 21, the Bankhead Presents summer season also includes Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Maria Bamford, “Are You Ready For It?” A Taylor Experience, The Great Dubois: Masters of Variety, and not one, but two performances from Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show.
In addition to Bankhead Presents shows, the resident companies of the theater — CYT Tri-Valley, Del Valle Fine Arts, Livermore-Amador Symphony, Livermore Valley Opera, Pacific Chamber Orchestra, Tri-Valley Theatre Company, and Valley Dance Theatre — will offer dozens of events of their own during the season.
Livermore Valley Arts members have exclusive presale access to the new season now through April 23 at noon, when general public tickets will go on sale. For more information visit LivermoreArts.org.
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