Your weekly guide to East Tennessee arts, music, theater and entertainment. Sept. 17-23, 2026

On Stage

  • Dial M for Murder – Clarence Brown Theatre, through Sept. 20. Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of the classic thriller turns a meticulously planned murder into a tense game of deception and unraveling alibis. Details
  • Moon Over Buffalo – Tellico Community Playhouse, through Sept. 20. Ken Ludwig’s backstage comedy follows two fading actors who learn that director Frank Capra may be coming to see their matinee. Details
  • The Iliad, The Odyssey, and All of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less – Theatre Knoxville Downtown, through Sept. 20. The fast-moving comedy races through the legends of ancient Greece with audience participation and plenty of theatrical chaos. Details
  • The Last Five Years – River & Rail Theatre at the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, through Sept. 27. Jason Robert Brown’s intimate musical traces a marriage from two opposing directions in time. Details

Live Music

  • Knoxville Symphony Orchestra: Gershwin’s An American in Paris – Tennessee Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17-18. The KSO opens its Masterworks season with Gershwin’s vivid portrait of Paris, Dvorak’s Cello Concerto No. 1 and William Grant Still’s Afro-American Symphony. Details
  • Ten Year Town film screening and concert – Bijou Theatre, 6 p.m. Sept. 17. The A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee fundraiser combines a documentary screening with live performances by singer-songwriters Erin Enderlin and Chris Canterbury. Details
  • WDVX Blue Plate Special – Visit Knoxville, noon Sept. 17 and 19. Wiser Time and Cody Gentry and The Buffalo Show perform Thursday; Danny Kensy and Mary McGuinness take the stage Saturday. The live radio shows are free. Details
  • WDVX Big Plate – Barley’s Taproom, noon Sept. 18. Jason Lee Wilson and James County bring a free lunchtime roots-music performance to the Old City. Details
  • Son Volt with Shannon McNally – Bijou Theatre, 8 p.m. Sept. 18. Jay Farrar’s influential alt-country band visits Knoxville with singer-songwriter Shannon McNally opening. Details
  • The Summer Sessions – Museum of Appalachia, 6-9 p.m. Sept. 19. Shawn Camp, Verlon Thompson and Madelyn Tallent close the outdoor concert series. Admission is free. Details
  • KSO Q Series: Woodwind Quintet & String Quartet – Elks Lodge, noon Sept. 23. The lunchtime chamber concert features musicians from the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra in an intimate setting. Details

Arts & Exhibits

  • Collected Exposure: A Gathering of Creative Perspectives – Emporium Center, through Sept. 25. The juried Professional Photographers of East Tennessee exhibition features up to 50 works, with many available for purchase. Details
  • Fair Portions II by Robert Grassel and A Slight Tilt on its Axis by Douglas Molinas Lawrence – Emporium Center, through Sept. 25. The exhibitions pair Grassel’s lens-based work with new mixed-media pieces by Lawrence. Details
  • Coming / Be.Longing: Tennessee Asianx Artists – Emporium Center, through Sept. 25. Curated by Karlota I. Contreras-Koterbay, the exhibition explores identity, belonging and lived experience. Details
  • Art, Movement, and Disability: Transcending the Beauty Paradigm – UT Downtown Gallery, through Sept. 26. The exhibition challenges conventional ideas about bodies, movement and beauty. Details
  • Keeping Trees by Ashton Ludden – Dogwood Arts Gallery, through Sept. 25. Ludden’s printmaking and mixed-media work centers on trees, conservation and the natural environment. Details
  • Birds of Prey Art Show and Owl Ridge Raptor Center Benefit – Bennett Galleries, through Sept. 26. The exhibition celebrates raptors while supporting Owl Ridge Raptor Center. Details
  • No-Man’s-Land – Knoxville Museum of Art, through Nov. 8. The exhibition brings together artists who worked outside established art-world boundaries and conventional categories. Details

Family Fun

  • Tennessee Valley Fair – Chilhowee Park and Exposition Center, through Sept. 20. The final days offer midway rides, live entertainment, competitions, livestock, exhibits and traditional fair food. Details
  • The Adventures of Tortoise & Hare – Bijou Theatre, Sept. 20. The Bijou’s Imagination Series presents Lightwire Theater’s glow-in-the-dark retelling of the familiar fable. Details

History & Community

  • Art in the Gardens: Ursa curiosa – UT Gardens, through Sept. 18. The outdoor art installation offers one final week to discover sculpture along the garden trails. Details
  • Lines Were Drawn: The Treaty of the Holston and its Legacy – East Tennessee History Center, ongoing. The feature exhibition examines the 1791 treaty and its lasting impact on Native nations, settlers and the region. Details
  • Fashioning Ourselves: The Power of Clothing & Adornment – McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture, ongoing. The exhibition explores how clothing and adornment communicate identity, culture and power. Details
  • Dine & Discover: Harrison Mayes, A Legacy – Knoxville Museum of Art, noon-1 p.m. Sept. 23. Lindsey Gallaher, president of the Museum of Appalachia, discusses the life and work of the self-taught East Tennessee artist. The lunchtime program is free. Details

Looking Ahead

  • Ashley McBryde: Into the Wild Tour – Tennessee Theatre, 8 p.m. Sept. 25. The Grammy-winning country singer-songwriter brings her tour to downtown Knoxville. Details
  • Brit Floyd: The Moon, The Wall, and Beyond – Tennessee Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27. The Pink Floyd tribute production combines music, lighting and visuals drawn from the band’s landmark catalog. Details
  • KSO Chamber Series: Bach & Bluegrass – Bijou Theatre, 2:30 p.m. Sept. 27. Mandolinist Jeff Midkiff joins the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra for a program connecting classical traditions and bluegrass. Details

This Week’s ArtBeat Picks

  • Best Date Night: Gershwin’s An American in Paris at the Tennessee Theatre
  • Best Free Event: The Summer Sessions at the Museum of Appalachia
  • Best Family Event: The Adventures of Tortoise & Hare at the Bijou Theatre
  • Hidden Gem: Dine & Discover: Harrison Mayes, A Legacy at the Knoxville Museum of Art

Know of an upcoming concert, play, festival, exhibit or arts event? Send information to news@knoxtntoday.com for consideration in an upcoming ArtBeat.

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