Concerts

15 must-see concerts at Boston’s top venues for winter 2025-26

Big names and eclectic choices abound at some of Boston's best venues this winter. Here are 15+ to add to your calendar.

Among the artists coming to Boston’s top venues this winter are (clockwise from top left) Jason Isbell, Nine Inch Nails, Christian McBride, Melissa Ferrick, Ingrid Michaelson, and Seong-Jin Cho. Amy Harris/Invision/AP; Nathan Klima for The Boston Globe; Evelyn Freja; Alondra; Shervin Lainez; Robert Torres

By Ed Symkus

11 minutes to read

Here’s hoping for another winter of very little snowfall (sorry, skiers). That’ll make it all the easier to get from your home to your favorite concert venue. Here are some suggestions of what you’ll find over the next few months – in a variety of genres – around Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville.

(Sites include Club Passim, House of Blues, MGM Music Hall, The Orpheum, Regattabar, Roadrunner, Scullers, Shubert Theatre, Symphony Hall, TD Garden, Wang Theatre, The Wilbur. Check out listings for small venues here, suburban venues here, and holiday events here.)

Best pop concerts

Lauren Spencer Smith. – Baeth

Lauren Spencer Smith at House of Blues

Canadian popster Lauren Spencer Smith first caught the attention of TV audiences when, at the age of 16, she made it to the Top 20 circle in a 2020 edition of “American Idol.” A couple of years later, she gained international fame with a hit single — the anti-love song “Fingers Crossed” — which made it to number one in Norway. Her follow-up single — the ballad “Flowers” — was another big seller. In 2023, her studio debut album “Mirror” squeaked into the top 50 on American charts, and her summer 2025 release, “The Art of Being a Mess,” continues to display her knack for creating and performing contemporary pop anthems. Saturday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m., House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston. $58-$247.

Also of Note:

Best rock concerts

Something in the Way Fest at Roadrunner

It’s all about alt-rock when the Something in the Way Fest returns to town with two stages of non-overlapping performances by two dozen bands over two days. On Jan. 31: Explosions in the Sky, The Hotelier, Tigers Jaw, Momma, Angel Du$t, February, Gollylagging, Graham Hunt, Guv, Her New Knife, How Much Art, and Teen Suicide. On Feb. 1: Sunny Day Real Estate, Citizen, First Day Back, Glitterer, Glixen, Horse Jumper of Love, No Warning, Park National, Pelican, Pool Kids, Sheer Mag, and Wicca Phase Springs Eternal. Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 1, 1:30 p.m., Roadrunner, 89 Guest St., Boston. $74.94 each day.

Opeth at The Orpheum

Swedish rockers Opeth have been at it for more than a quarter of a century, initially referring to themselves as “the most evil band in the world,” then proceeding, over the years, to change the direction of their music almost as often as they altered their lineup. In fact, frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt is the only original member of the quintet (the newest is drummer Walterri Väyrynen, who joined about three years ago). Those directional changes? Well, first they were a death metal band, then they moved into prog metal, then a sort of fusion of death and prog metal, then prog folk metal, or something like that. Maybe it would be better to categorize them as experimental metal (with some acoustic instrumentation sometimes thrown into the mix). One other thing: You never know if they’ll be singing in English or Swedish. Their 2019 album, “In Cauda Venenum,” was released in two versions: one in English, one in Swedish. Last year’s “The Last Will and Testament” is all English. Friday, Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m., Orpheum, 1 Hamilton Place, Boston. $77-$555.

Nine Inch Nails at TD Garden

There aren’t many hardcore rock bands whose debut album attains platinum status (more than a million copies sold), but that’s what went down with Nine Inch Nails’ 1989 release “Pretty Hate Machine.” By the time their third album — “The Fragile” — came out a decade later, they had won Best Metal Performance Grammys for the songs “Wish” and “Happiness in Slavery.” Their lineup has had numerous changes, except for frontman Trent Reznor, and there have been a couple of hiatuses, but they have consistently been the face of industrial music around the world, and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. The current “Peel It Back” tour is being presented as a retrospective of the band’s history, and will likely feature a piece or two from their newest release, the soundtrack from the film “Tron: Ares.” Friday, Feb. 13, 8 p.m. TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston, $60-$267.

The Strumbellas at The Wilbur

Formed 15 years ago in Toronto, the Strumbellas have carefully avoided being pigeonholed into any sort of musical genre. Depending on what you’re listening to on any of their albums or EPs, or on whatever they’re performing onstage, you could get a dose of straight-up rock, alt-country, pop, or folk, or maybe a mélange of all of those types of music. The sextet, first put together by songwriter-guitarist-vocalist Simon Ward, became darlings of the Canadian music scene. They won two JUNO Awards, and their song “One Hand Up” — from the “Rattlesnake” album — was used by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as his 2019 campaign song. After seeing some success in the American market with their 2016 album “Hope,” they landed guest slots on a number of late-night talk shows (among them, Stephen Colbert’s and Seth Meyers’s). Simon Ward stopped performing with the band in 2022, but continues to write their songs. Their newest album is last year’s “Part Time Believer.” Their brand new EP is “Burning Bridges Into Dust.” Wednesday, Feb. 18, 8 p.m. The Wilbur, 270 Tremont St., Boston. $45-$145.

ALSO OF NOTE:

Best singer-songwriter concerts

Ingrid Michaelson at The Shubert

There was no doubt that it was going to be either a career in acting or in music for Ingrid Michaelson. As her fans have now known for more than two decades, even though she earned a theater degree at Binghampton University, music won out. Maybe it had to do with those piano lessons since the age of 4, or the fact that her dad made his living composing classical music. Maybe she just knew she had the talent to write and then sing her own songs. Some of those made their way onto the soundtracks of the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy.” Some of those appeared on her 2006 debut album “Girls and Boys.” She started her own label, Cabin 24 Records, recorded and released more albums, created a musical adaptation of the film “The Notebook” for the stage (which made it to Broadway) in 2022, and went back to the recording studio for the 2024 album “For the Dreamers,” which included some standards along with her own songs. Thursday, Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m. Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont St., Boston. $64-$136.

Melissa Ferrick at Club Passim

Veteran folksinger Melissa Ferrick’s debut album “Massive Blur” came out in 1993, by which time she was already familiar with local coffeehouse stages (she’s from Ipswich). But she had been involved with music long before that — being classically trained in violin and piano early on, and later learning to play trumpet and bass and, of course, guitar. Both an alum of and a teacher at Berklee College of Music, and later a professor at Northeastern, Ferrick has also kept her performing career going. An interesting twist was her decision to revisit her well-regarded 1998 folk-pop album “Everything I Need” last year, then re-record it without the original’s studio accompaniments, tackling it now with just her voice and her guitar. It shouldn’t surprise longtime fans to hear tunes from that album — hopefully “I Will Arrive” or “Don’t Say Goodbye” — at her upcoming Passim shows. Saturday, Dec. 27, 5 and 8 p.m. Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Cambridge. $43.

Also of Note:

Best country and Americana concerts

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit at The Wang Theatre

Although Jason Isbell most often finds himself filed under the broad umbrella known as Americana, he’s been involved in a number of other musical circles. He first gained notice as a member of the southern rock group Drive-By Truckers, then headed out along the solo singer-songwriter route, then went alt-country with his band the 400 Unit, which he’s been fronting since 2008. Yet, the six Grammys that he’s been awarded — three for albums, three for songs — are all in the Americana category. These days, he’s in the midst of a back-and-forth career — he and his band released the album “Weathervanes” in 2023, and earlier this year, he put out the solo album “Foxes in the Snow.” Which means Isbell spent the first part of 2025 traveling and playing alone, but his upcoming tour brings him back out on the road with the band. Friday & Saturday, Feb. 27 & 28, 8 p.m. Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St., Boston. $86-$271.

Also of Note:

Best world music concerts

Boston Celtic Music Festival in Cambridge and Somerville

The 23rd annual Boston Celtic Music Festival, taking place from Jan. 15-18, is such a sprawling event, it’ll need more than one venue (actually more than five venues) for everyone involved to play. Sites include: Club Passim, the Somerville Theatre, the Crystal Ballroom, Arts in the Armory, The Burren, and The Rockwell. The dozens of performers — some of them musicians, some of them dancers, some traditional, some contemporary — are too many to mention here, but a complete list and schedule can be found at https://www.passim.org/live-music/bcmfest-2026/. Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 15-18, various venues, starting times, and prices.

The Elovaters at MGM Music Hall

Formed just over a decade ago, the Boston-based Elovaters will always be known primarily as a reggae band — just listen to their sound and their beat. But after a journey to the top of Billboard’s Reggae Albums chart with their 2018 release “Defy Gravity,” and years of constant touring, they changed things up a bit with 2021’s “Castles.” Oh, it remained a reggae album, but it also featured hints of more straight-ahead songwriting. The following year proved to be a big one, with the band achieving both Artist of the Year and Live Act of the Year status at the 2022 New England Music Awards. And more change was to come. Showing that they’re a band that just keeps growing, their 2023 album “Endless Summer” maintained those reggae flavors, but also featured tastes of R&B. Friday & Saturday, Jan. 30 & 31, 8 p.m. MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston. $53-$235.

Best jazz concerts

The Either/Orchestra. – Eric Antoniou

The Either/Orchestra at The Regattabar

It’s doubtful that even band leader Russ Gershon could say how many times Either/Orchestra has played at the Regattabar. But it’s safe to refer to the 10-piece big band as semi-regulars there. And it’s accurate to say that their upcoming performance at the venue marks the 40th anniversary — to the day — of their first-ever gig (that one was at the Cambridge Public Library). Saxophonist-composer Gershon (and other members) have contributed plenty of original material to E/O, but have never been shy about reinterpreting music by others — including Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Bob Dylan, and Burt Bacharach — on albums and in concert. At one point, a number of years back, the group also started incorporating Ethiopian pop songs into their sets. That direction will be in full swing at the Regattabar show with a few tastes from the upcoming album “Éthiopiques 32: Nalbandian the Ethiopian.” Wednesday, Dec. 17, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Cambridge. $30.15-$41.79.

Christian McBride & Ursa Major at Scullers

A few years ago, in an interview with bassist Christian McBride, I asked him to explain the function of a jazz bass player. He said, “It’s to hold down the fort, to make sure we’re playing in good time to make the music have that forward motion, and playing the right notes to make everything work.” McBride, who started playing electric bass when he was 8, and moved to acoustic when he was 11, had been doing that and more. A huge fan of the Philly Sound and of James Brown, he attended Juilliard to study classical music, but left after a year, having been bitten by the jazz bug, and headed into a performance (and composing) career. At another point in that interview, I asked him about the importance of studying music in school. He said, “That is always great, but the stage is where you put all of that stuff to use.” Joining him on the stage for his upcoming tour will be his current band Ursa Major. Friday & Saturday, Feb. 27 & 28, 7 & 9 p.m. Scullers, 400 Soldiers Field Rd., Boston. $59.25-$182.45.

Also of Note:

Best rap & R&B concerts

Machine Gun Kelly. – Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

Machine Gun Kelly at TD Garden

No matter what order you put his areas of talent in — singing, rapping, composing, acting — Machine Gun Kelly (sometimes called mgk, real name Colson Baker) is a hot commodity, and has been one since he made history at the Apollo Theater in Harlem where, in 2009, he became the first rapper to win the legendary venue’s amateur night. His debut album “Lace Up” followed a few years later, as did “General Admissions” in a few more, then his third release, “Bloom,” went gold. Although critics were less than kind to the 2019 Netflix film “The Dirt” — a biopic about the band Mötley Crüe — most of their thumbs were up for Kelly’s performance as drummer Tommy Lee. These days, he splits his time between acting and filling arenas. His newest album, “Lost Americana,” was released in August. Friday, Dec. 12, 8 p.m., TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston. $53-$318.

Also of note:

Best classical concerts

Andrea Bocelli at TD Garden

Most fans of Italian singer Andrea Bocelli follow him for his performances of light classical music and pieces from the opera repertoire. A whole other segment of his admirers like what he does with pop ballads — such as those he’s recorded with Celine Dion, Sarah Brightman, and Josh Groban. Of course, it was another singer — Luciano Pavarotti — who first brought Bocelli to prominence, when Bocelli participated in his 1992 album “Miserere.” Here’s what you might not know about the blind singer from Tuscany. As a boy, he studied piano, flute, and saxophone. He earned a Doctor of Law degree at the University of Pisa. He wrote a 2015 editorial about Pope Francis for Time Magazine. He rang the opening bell at NASDAQ in December of 2017. All of that, and he’s constantly on the road, sharing the sound of his tenor voice with the world. Thursday, Dec. 11, 8 p.m. TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston. $118-$658.

Seong-Jin Cho at Symphony Hall

Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho has a pretty good track record at keyboard competitions. When he was 15, he won the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan. Two years later, he came in third at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Four years after that, he nabbed First Prize at the Chopin International Competition in Warsaw. Since then, he’s played with orchestras the world over, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Since then, he’s played with orchestras the world over, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. When he returns to Symphony Hall this time, with the BSO and conductor Andris Nelsons, he’ll be tackling the familiar chestnut Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto No. 1.” Also on the program is Leonard Bernstein’s choral piece “Chichester Psalms,” featuring the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. Open rehearsal on Thursday, Jan. 15, 10:30 a.m. $35.99-$58.99. Concerts on Jan. 15 & 16, 7:30 p.m., and Jan. 17, 8 p.m. $65.99-$218.99.

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