The Cleveland Orchestra is loading up summer 2026 with a two-venue marathon, splitting warm-weather nights between Blossom Music Center and Severance Music Center with movie-with-orchestra events, pops stars and core symphonic programs. The announcements - released March 13, 2026 - open a full slate of subscription and single-ticket options. Out in Cuyahoga Falls, the Blossom season runs from early July through Labor Day weekend, while the Summers at Severance series brings select evenings back to Mandel Concert Hall. All of it lands as Music Director Franz Welser-Möst heads into the final stretch of his long Cleveland tenure.
Blossom Dates, Scope And The Big Finish
The 2026 Blossom Music Festival clocks in at 13 programs from July into early September, starting with an "America at 250" celebration in early July and wrapping with three nights of The Music of John Williams over Labor Day weekend. According to Cleveland.com, both subscriptions and individual tickets are already on sale.
Movie Nights, Pops And Soloists To Watch
The orchestra’s official 2026 Blossom calendar mixes family-friendly hits with orchestral staples and pops bills. Harry Potter takes over the pavilion July 11 and 12, while a night with Idina Menzel lands later in July, tucked among standard symphonic fare and special event programs. The full lineup and dates are posted on The Cleveland Orchestra, which also highlights special-event nights and pavilion or marquee designations throughout the run.
Summers At Severance Returns To University Circle
Back in University Circle, the Summers at Severance series again brings a handful of warm-weather evenings to Mandel Concert Hall for audiences who would rather skip the drive to Blossom. Local coverage notes that the 2026 Summers at Severance slate will unfold across several nights this summer, extending the series’ comeback after a multi-year pause. BroadwayWorld has pointed to the series’ emphasis on compact, accessible programs and pre-concert terrace events for ticketholders.
Tickets, Lawn Books And Where To Buy
For regulars who practically live on the Blossom lawn, Season Lawn Ticket Books remain the budget move. Orchestra materials describe the package as including 10 adult vouchers, 20 Under-18 vouchers and two free pavilion upgrade passes, all for $200. The same materials state that packages and individual tickets can be ordered through the box office, with contact information for Severance and the ticket office published alongside the season listings. Full purchase details, parking information and related policies are laid out in the orchestra’s season materials.
What The Season Means For Welser-Möst
The 2026 schedules arrive with extra weight because Franz Welser-Möst is slated to end his 25-year run as music director after the 2026–27 season. The Associated Press has reported his planned retirement in June 2027. This summer’s programs give Cleveland audiences another chance to hear Welser-Möst lead the orchestra at both Blossom and Severance while he is still in the role that has defined a quarter-century of the ensemble’s sound.
Complete schedules, ticket options and membership details are available through the orchestra’s season pages and regular ticketing channels, and readers can turn to those materials and the cited coverage for subscription and single-ticket links.
