Noah Schaffer

Contributor

10 ways to hear live music for free this summer

Boston Landmarks Orchestra with Boston Lyric Opera at the DCR Hatch Shell. (Courtesy Michael Dwyer)

Arts & Culture

Music

WBUR's arts and culture team highlights classical music performances, film festivals, theater productions, books, albums and more to check out this season.

2024 Summer Arts Guides

A collection of stories from our ongoing series, Field Guide to Boston. The series at wbur.org/fieldguide offers guides and public service journalism focused on how residents can better connect with each other while exploring the city's neighborhoods and rich culture. 

Field Guide to Boston

Arts

Jacquinn Sinclair

Performing Arts Writer

11 theater productions to see this summer

The cast of Barrington Stage Company's "La Cage aux Folles." (Courtesy Jeremy Daniel)

Summer Theater Guide

https://www.wbur.org/tag/2024-summer-arts-guides

Performing Arts

Solon Kelleher

Arts Writer

16 art exhibits to explore this summer

Salvador Dalí, "Old Age, Adolescence, Infancy (The Three Ages)," 1940. (Collection of The Dalí Museum. Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

Barbara Bosworth, "Midnight at the meadow (the night the bird sang)," from the series "The Meadow," 2006. (Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

Summer Art Guide

Visual Arts

Shira Laucharoen

8 dance events to enjoy this summer

Lia Cirio and Sadie Brown in motion. (Courtesy Brooke Trisolini)

Artists onstage at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. (Courtesy Christopher Duggan)

Summer Dance Guide

Katherine Ouellette

Literature Writer

10 books by New England authors to read this summer

Literature writer Katherine Ouellette recommends 10 books to read this summer. (Courtesy the publishers)

2024 Summer Books Guide

Books/Poetry

Books

Lloyd Schwartz

Arts Critic

A guide to summer’s classical music festivals

A quartet performs at Bang on a Can's 2023 LOUD Weekend at MASS MoCA. (Courtesy Liz McCarthy Photo)

A 2023 performance at Bang on a Can's annual LOUD Weekend at MASS MoCA. (Courtesy Liz McCarthy Photo)

2024 Summer Classical Music Guide

Erin Trahan

Film Writer

7 film festivals to check out this summer

A still from Crosby Tatum's film “The People, United." (Courtesy Crosby Tatum/Triceptus Studios)

Summer Film Festival Guide

Film/TV

14 albums by New England musicians to listen to this summer

Top row, from left: Arto Vaun (Courtesy Brittany Rose Queen), Grayson Ty (Courtesy), Lake Street Dive (Courtesy Shervin Lainez), and Ivanna Cuesta (Courtesy Penelope Santana). Bottom row, from left: Salem Wolves (Courtesy Black Cherry Creative), Seventh Sun (Courtesy Jay Pics), and American Ocelot (Courtesy John Soares).