Weekend Event Planner

These are the 13 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

It's another big weekend in and around Dallas, with all sorts of significant events taking place. There will be four new theater productions, including a national Broadway tour, a genre movie celebration, a visit from the premier acrobatics troupe, three big festivals, two dance productions, an orchestra playing live to a classic movie, and the annual return of a great rock band.

Richard Thomas in the national tour of To Kill a Mockingbird

Photo by Julieta Cervantes

Broadway Dallas presents To Kill a Mockingbird, playing at the Music Hall at Fair Park through May 28.

Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, May 18

Lyric Stage presents Tarzan
Adapted from the 1999 Walt Disney Animation Studios film of the same name, Tarzan follows the journey from "boy to man" of an infant who is raised by gorillas in the jungles of West Africa. As Tarzan develops feelings for a young woman who suddenly appears in his jungle, he discovers that his animal upbringing clashes with his human instincts, causing him to struggle with not only his love for Jane but how to protect his family. The musical, with music & lyrics by Phil Collins, will have five performances through Sunday at Majestic Theatre.

Echo Theatre presents I and You
Caroline doesn’t do school. And she hates poetry. Home-bound due to a life-threatening illness, Caroline has isolated herself in her room as she awaits an organ transplant, which seems fated to never arrive. But then classmate Anthony, a devoted Walt Whitman enthusiast, bursts into her life armed with an urgent homework assignment, waffle fries, and his own vivacious love of life. The production runs through June 3 at Bath House Cultural Center.

Dallas Noir Fest
The 2nd annual Dallas Noir Fest includes three days of films, books, and events, all tied together by a mutual love of great Noir stories. Taking place at Violet Crown Cinema in Dallas, the festival will include screenings of Hell or High Water, Dial M for Murder, Point Blank, Strangers on a Train, Cape Fear (1962), The Getaway (1972), and The Maltese Falcon.

Broadway Dallas presents To Kill a Mockingbird
Set in Alabama in 1934, Harper Lee’s enduring story of racial injustice and childhood innocence centers on one of the most venerated characters in American literature, small-town lawyer Atticus Finch (played by Richard Thomas). The cast of characters includes Atticus’s daughter Scout, her brother Jem, their housekeeper and caretaker, Calpurnia, their visiting friend Dill, and a mysterious neighbor, the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley. The touring production, adapted by Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin, will run through May 28 at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

Cirque du Soleil presents Corteo
Corteo, which means "cortege" in Italian, is a joyous procession, a festive parade imagined by a clown. The clown pictures his own funeral taking place in a carnival atmosphere, watched over by quietly caring angels. Juxtaposing the large with the small, the ridiculous with the tragic and the magic of perfection with the charm of imperfection, the show highlights the strength and fragility of the clown, as well as his wisdom and kindness, to illustrate the portion of humanity that is within each of us. The Cirque du Soleil production runs through Sunday at Comerica Center in Frisco.

Friday, May 19

39th Annual Main Street Fest: A Craft Brew Experience
Main Street Fest: A Craft Brew Experience in Historic Downtown Grapevine is a fun event for all ages, with a carnival, artisans, shopping, A Taste of Texas, the Craft Brew Experience, and more. Live music will be featured along Main Street from headliners Vertical Horizon and Little Texas, as well as tribute bands like Blaze of Glory, Dunn & Brooks, and King George. The festival takes place through Sunday.

Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival
The annual Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival will be headlined by bands like X Ambassadors, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, and Jimmie Vaughan & The Tilt-a-Whirl Band. Taking place through Sunday at Galatyn Park in Richardson, the festival also features the Singer Songwriter contest, the family friendly WF! Kids, the WF! Eats, the WF! Marketplace and Performers Row featuring strolling entertainers, buskers and acrobats, a Battle of the Bands contest, the Budding Talent Competition, and the Art Guitar Auction.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre presents Spring Celebration
Spring Celebration from Dallas Black Dance Theatre will feature the world premiere of T A B E R N A C L E by Chanel DaSilva, which takes the audience on a journey through layered emotions and concepts, paying homage to the many facets and complexities of Black Culture. In Furtherance, Kirven Douthit-Boyd created a work that portrays overcoming a personal struggle from anguish to bliss. DBDT veteran dancer McKinley Willis choreographs her first mainstage work for the company. SMILE is a ballet filled with whim and wonder, suspense, and unpredictability. There will be performances on Friday and Saturday at Wyly Theatre.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in Concert
Filled with unparalleled magic and imagination, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial follows the moving story of a lost little alien who befriends a 10-year-old boy named Elliott. Audiences can experience all the mystery and fun of their unforgettable adventure in the beloved movie, complete with John Williams’ Academy Award-winning score performed live by a full symphony orchestra in sync to the film projected on a huge HD screen. There will be three performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Texas Ballet Theater presents Alice in Wonderland
Audience can go down the rabbit hole with Texas Ballet Theater this weekend, as the dance company presents their final production of the season, Alice in Wonderland, a family-friendly ballet that showcases charming characters and a fantastical journey narrated by Alice herself. There will be four performances through Sunday at Winspear Opera House before the production moves to Fort Worth next weekend.

The Core Theatre presents Portal to the Keep
Portal to the Keep is a mind-bending melodrama of epic proportions. When John and Lacey find an old watch in an antique store, they have no idea that it is about to send them on a life-changing adventure, one that will pit them against the ghastliest villain of the universe bent on controlling time itself. The production runs through June 11 at The Core Theatre in Richardson.

Saturday, May 20

Exodus Music and Arts Festival
Iconic gospel artist Kirk Franklin and Live Nation Urban will present the return of the Exodus Music & Arts Festival. The event, taking place on Saturday and Sunday at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, is the preeminent festival for gospel music and culture, spotlighting the genre’s superstars and elevating the vanguard of its next era. Franklin will host and headline the show, leading a lineup that includes Yolanda Adams, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Tamela Mann, Natalie Grant, Naomi Raine, Taya, and more.

Dave Matthews Band in concert
If it's the third weekend in May, that means it's time for the annual visit from Dave Matthews Band. The group has consistently played the same venue, Dos Equis Pavilion, on virtually the same weekend in May every year since at least 2013. Though their days of delivering hits like "What Would You Say," "Crash Into Me," and "The Space Between" are behind them, they always score No. 1 albums, including (most likely) their new album, Walk Around The Moon, which is being released on May 19, just in time for this concert.

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FIFA World Cup preview

France and Spain set for epic semifinal in last Dallas World Cup match

Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Kylian Mbappe #10 of France celebrates scoring a penalty for the team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Paraguay and France at Philadelphia Stadium.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kylian Mbappé and France haven’t trailed at all at this year's World Cup. Neither has Spain with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and clutch goal-scoring substitute Mikel Merino.

Only one of those teams can make it to the final.

France and Spain are both playing at their 17th World Cup, but have met only once previously on soccer’s biggest stage. They play Tuesday, July 14 at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in the first of two powerhouse semifinal matches.

After entering this tournament as FIFA’s top-ranked team, France has outscored its opponents 14-2. Mbappé, the 2022 Golden Boot winner, has eight goals to match Lionel Messi for the scoring lead this time, and is one behind the Argentina captain’s career record of 21 at the World Cup.

“We are focused,” France midfielder Adrien Rabiot said. “We are confident, of course, with the course we have done so far, and we have to be, but always with this humility that has characterized us since the beginning of the competition.”

The 27-year-old Mbappé has 20 goals in his 20 World Cup matches, including one in the 2018 win over Croatia when he joined Pele as the only teenagers to score in a World Cup final. And the star striker for Les Bleus had said he is fine despite exiting in the 77th minute of their 2-0 quarterfinal win over Morocco after scoring a goal.

Lamine Yamal, Spain, World Cup Lamine Yamal #19 of Spain controls the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Final match between Spain and Belgium at Los Angeles Stadium.Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, has already been part of two semifinal wins with Spain over France. He was just days shy of his 17th birthday when he scored in a 2-1 win during the 2024 European Championship semifinals, and Spain then won 5-4 in Nations League play last year.

“I believe if France has to fear anyone, it should be us, in my opinion,” Yamal said after Spain's quarterfinal victory over Belgium. “We were the ones that knocked them out before.”

The teen has only one goal while putting 10 shots on target after coming into this World Cup still nursing a left hamstring issue that forced him to miss the final weeks of the season for Spanish club Barcelona.

France defender Jules Koundé also plays for Barcelona, so he knows Yamal well and didn't feel disrespected by those comments.

“For me he is a sign of confidence. He always does it with (Barcelona). He trusts a lot in his virtues, in the virtues of the team where he plays,” Koundé said in translated remarks. “So I see nothing as an extra motivation for him and that’s it, that’s all.”

Spain has outscored opponents 10-1 since a stunning scoreless draw against surprising Cape Verde to open group play, but La Roja needed late decisive goals from Merino after he entered the last two games as a second-half substitute. All while goaltender Unai Simón set a World Cup record of 650 minutes without allowing a goal until Belgium found the net in the 41st minute of their quarterfinal game.

“I think that from the first game until today, the team needed to catch the rhythm, we had been without seeing each other for a long time,” Spain midfielder Alex Baena said, adding that with more games and practices “the better the team has been.”

Merino scored in the 88th minute for that 2-1 win over Belgium on Friday. That came after the Arsenal forward’s goal in the first minute of second-half stoppage time for the 1-0 win over Portugal in the round of 16 at the same stadium where Spain's semifinal match will be played.

Quartet of past champions
This is the first World Cup since 1990 that each of the final four teams are former champions.

Messi and defending champion Argentina, which beat France for the title in 2022, play England in the other semifinal match Wednesday in Atlanta.

The championship match is Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, across the river from New York City. A third-place game will be played Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Both have raised World Cup trophy since they last met in the tourney
In their only previous World Cup meeting, France beat Spain 3-1 in a round of 16 game at the 2006 tournament in Germany.

Both teams have won the World Cup since then. Spain claimed its only title in 2010, and France won its second World Cup in 2018.

France, which will be playing on its country's Bastille Day national holiday, is trying to join five-time champion Brazil and four-time winner Germany as the only teams to make three consecutive World Cup finals. Brazil did it in 1994, 1998 and 2002 — winning two titles and losing to host France in the middle of that run. Germany’s championship in 1990 came after being runner-up in the previous two World Cups — all playing as West Germany at the time.

Argentina beat France in a penalty shootout in 2022 after playing to a 3-3 draw.

This is France's seventh semifinal appearance, its fifth in the last eight World Cups. Spain's only other semifinals were in 1950 and then 2010 on the way to the title.

Wrapping up in Dallas
AT&T Stadium in North Texas - called "Dallas Stadium" for the tournament - will be hosting its tournament-high ninth game, and in that one-month run there have been some soccer superstar moments in the building that has hosted a Super Bowl and NCAA championship games for football and men's basketball.

Messi scored three goals in Argentina's two group games, the first on June 22 when after missing a penalty kick he broke the World Cup career scoring mark with the first of his two goals in a 2-0 win over Austria. He added another goal as a late substitute in the group finale June 27 against Jordan.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the 41-year-old superstar from Portugal, finished his sixth and final World Cup in the 1-0 round of 16 loss to Spain on July 6.

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