Almost half of this weekend's featured events are concerts, with each of the five shows highlighting a different type of music. Other choices include a film festival, a visit from a well-known comedian, a dance performance, a local theater production, a magical drone show, and an annual rodeo.
Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. If you want more options, check out our calendar for an even longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, July 23
Asian Film Festival of Dallas
The 25th edition of the Asian Film Festival of Dallas will feature screenings of 19 feature films and eight short films over four days. Highlights include Opening Night Film Colony (South Korea); Centerpiece Film Never After Dark (Japan); and Closing Night Film, a retrospective screening of Train to Busan (South Korea), as well as a number of premieres. The festival runs through Sunday at Angelika Film Center in Dallas.
Not For Radio in concert
María Zardoya is best known as the lead vocalist of the indie pop band The Marías, with whom she has released multiple albums and EPs, most recently Submarine in 2024. For her debut solo album, Melt, she has used the "alternate reality" moniker of Not For Radio, delivering a collection of intimate psychedelic ballads, imbued with a touch of gothic romanticism. She'll play the second night of a two-night stay at Winspear Opera House.
Improv Arlington presents Tony Rock
Being the brother of an established entertainer, Tony Rock was able to successfully elude the shadows of his older sibling (Chris Rock) and step into his own limelight. After 25 years of experience, Tony has proven himself as a skillful comedian, actor, and executive producer. He'll perform six times through Sunday at Improv Arlington.
The Black Keys in concert
The rock duo The Black Keys had a slow build-up in their career, releasing several albums before being signed by a major label. They hit their pinnacle in the early-to-mid 2010s, which included the No. 1 album, Turn Blue. They've now released 14 albums in their career, including the new Peaches!, which they'll showcase at this concert at The Bomb Factory.
Friday, July 24
Motionless in White in concert
Metalcore band Motionless in White has been at the top of the hard rock genre for well over a decade, releasing a string of top 10 albums on Billboard's Hard Rock chart, including three that went to No. 1. They'll play at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving in support of their new album, Decades, joined by Lorna Shore, Fit For A King, and Static Dress.
Bandan Koro presents Wakati Wa Mavuno
Wakati Wa Mavuno is a signature, interactive experience exploring one’s cultural identity guided by the music and dance of Sub-Saharan Africa. The cultivating journey presents the idea that through reflection you can learn that the power to manifest a plentiful harvest for your life lies within you. The event, part of AT&T Performing Arts Center's Elevator Project, will take place at Hamon Hall inside Winspear Opera House.
Mainstage Irving-Las Colinas presents Inherit the Wind
Inherit the Wind is a gripping courtroom drama inspired by the famous 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, which challenged the legality of teaching evolution in a Tennessee classroom. When a high school teacher is put on trial for introducing Darwin’s theory to his students, the case quickly becomes a national spectacle, drawing two of the country’s most formidable attorneys to the small-town courtroom. The production runs through August 8 at Irving Arts Center.
Grupo Frontera in concert
Regional Mexican band Grupo Frontera, out of Edinburg, Texas, is relatively new to the music business, with their first songs coming out in 2022. In that short amount of time, they've become one of the biggest acts in their genre, with 11 No. 1 hits, including collaborations with other stars like Bad Bunny, Junior H, Carín León, Christian Nodal, and Shakira. They'll play at American Airlines Center in support of their 2025 album, Lo Que Me Falta Por Llorar.
DroneArt Show: Harry Potter
DroneArt Show: Harry Potter is a first-of-its-kind open-air drone spectacle. The 60-minute show blends advanced drone choreography with the music and iconic moments from the Harry Potter film series, featuring 1,200 illuminated drones soaring across the night sky. Audiences can also enjoy a celebratory wizarding world-inspired pre-show atmosphere, including food and beverage offerings, as well as Harry Potter merchandise. The event takes place on Friday and Saturday at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium.
Saturday, July 25
Texas Black Invitational Rodeo
The annual Texas Black Invitational Rodeo features Black cowboys and cowgirls competing for cash prizes in bronc and bull riding, calf and steer roping, barrel racing, and a Pony Express relay race. It also includes on-field kids activities, trick lasso performances, concessions, music, and more. This year’s event pays tribute to the late Cleo Hearn, National Rodeo Hall of Famer and founder of the Cowboys of Color Rodeo. The rodeo takes place at Fair Park Coliseum.
Sunday, July 26
Sarah McLachlan in concert
There were few bigger female singers in the 1990s than Sarah McLachlan, who had a string of top 10 albums and was the driving force behind the Lilith Fair festival. This concert doesn't have the cachet of her last visit in 2024, which celebrated the 30th anniversary of her 1993 breakout album, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, but fans will still have a great time singing along to McLachlan's greatest hits, as well as enjoying songs from her 2025 album, Better Broken. She'll play at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.
DroneArt Show: Harry Potter takes place July 24-25.
The Chicks — then called the Dixie Chicks — at Poor David's Pub.Poor David's Pub