The Cleveland Orchestra is sending Blossom Music Center back to Hogwarts and then out to a galaxy far, far away next summer, with two film-screening events built around John Williams's scores. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban screenings are set for July 31 and August 1, 2027, while Star Wars: A New Hope takes over the outdoor amphitheater for three nights, September 3 through September 5, 2027. All showings begin at 7 p.m., and tickets for the summer shows go on sale today.
According to FOX 8 News, the Prisoner of Azkaban performances will be led by conductor Brett Mitchell, who will lead the orchestra through the score for the third film in the Harry Potter franchise as the movie plays on screen above the stage. The Star Wars run, meanwhile, will be directed by Jacob Joyce for all three performances of A New Hope, the film George Lucas directed and the one that kicked off the franchise even though it carries the Episode IV label. FOX 8 reports the Cleveland Orchestra plans to announce the rest of its 2027 summer season at a later date.
A Tradition Years in the Making
Blossom has leaned into live-to-film concerts for the better part of a decade now. Back in 2018, the orchestra staged three performances of Star Wars: A New Hope at the venue, running 8:30 p.m. shows on Friday, August 31, and continuing through the weekend, according to cleveland.com. The following year brought a doubleheader of its own, with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone screenings running June 29-30 and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back following August 30-31, 2019, per Cleveland Scene. That same 2019 announcement noted each movie-screening concert would be capped off with a fireworks display.
More recently, the orchestra brought Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert to Blossom for performances on July 11 and 12, 2026, cleveland.com reported at the time. Just weeks later, the venue closed out its summer season with three performances celebrating John Williams's film music over the weekend of September 3, 2026 — concerts the outlet described as family-friendly events.
What to Expect Next Summer
The pattern suggests Blossom audiences can expect the same mix of nostalgia and spectacle that has defined these programs for years: a full orchestra playing Williams's scores live while the films unspool on a big screen above the stage. With both 2027 events now dated and tickets already on sale, fans eager for a Hogwarts-to-hyperspace summer have a head start on planning their trips to the Cuyahoga Falls venue.
