Curtain Up! 2026
Celebrate 43 years of live theatre in Western New York on Friday, September 18th at Curtain Up! 2026 in the Buffalo Theatre District! This will be the 43rd in-person celebration of the opening of Buffalo’s professional theatre season. Curtain Up! is produced by the Theatre District Association of WNY, Inc. Founded in 1979, Theatre District Association of WNY, Inc. is a not-for-profit community association dedicated to the promotion of the health and well-being of Buffalo’s neighborhood known as the Theatre District. Curtain Up! 2026 is sponsored by M&T Bank | Wilmington Trust.
The Theatre District Association will begin a week-long celebration with the highly anticipated Plaza of Stars Induction Ceremony. On Monday, September 14th, longtime arts leader and children’s theatre pioneer Meg Quinn will be honored with a star in the Buffalo Theatre District. The installation ceremony will begin at 5:30PM in the lobby of the newly renovated
Shea’s 710 Theatre, followed by the unveiling of the star outside on the Plaza of Stars. A reception will follow immediately after at The Bijou, 646 Main St.
Curtain Up! 2026 Schedule
Curtain Up! will be held on Friday, September 18th in Downtown Buffalo. As always, Curtain Up! is a “make your own” night signature event. Join us at the Kickoff party or select a place to dine in the Theater District, purchase tickets for any of a wide variety of shows, and then enjoy free entertainment on the street throughout the Theater District. Complete details
regarding Curtain Up! 2026 may be found online at: https://tda-wny.com/event/curtain-up-2026/
Act 1 – Cocktail Kickoff Party
The Curtain Up! Kickoff Party will be held in the lobby at Scene One Market Arcade Cinemas on September 18th from 5pm through 7 pm. Guests will enjoy a two-hour open bar and delicious heavy hors d’oeuvres. Stomachs will be full and happy with the amazing spread catered by The Bijou! A limited number of tickets are available and priced at $100 per person. For
more information and to purchase tickets, call Shea’s Buffalo Theatre Box Office at (716) 847-0850. Tickets can be purchased through this link: https://am.ticketmaster.com/sheas/buy/cupcocktail. Or dine at one of the Theatre District’s wonderful restaurants.
Act 2 – Theatre Performances
7:30 pm – Curtains rise at productions at area theaters. Advance reservations are recommended. Guests should check with the theatre venue to review start times, run times, and ticket pricing.
Click here for a lineup Of Curtain Up! 2025 Theatrical Performances
Act 3 – Free Street Party
10 pm When the curtains fall, the free Theatre District Street party goes into high gear. Free outdoor entertainment on Main Street between Chippewa and Tupper Streets will feature a variety of music and specialty acts.
Act 3 Entertainment will include:
Pianist Griffin Kramer, playing showtunes, classics, and your favorite sing- along songs in the Alleyway Theatre bar area.
WIDE RIGHT, Buffalo music award winners performing current Radio Hits, Classic Rock, County, Disco, Motown and more, will be playing outside The Bijou.
Pyromancy, a premier fire performance troupe, will be in front of the Levy, King & White building, across the street from The International House.
Max Davis will be ticking the ivories inside 42 North at the Flats
Don’t miss The Francis Bacon Experiment, Buffalo Aerial Dance, and many more acts all along Main Street!!
Once again this year, Theatre of Youth will be presenting Curtain Up for Kids! on Sunday, September 20th beginning at 9am. It is a Family Fundraising Event Benefiting Theatre of Youth (TOY). Join TOY for a day of creativity, imagination, and family fun at Curtain Up For Kids! This special fundraising event invites children and their grown-ups to step into the spotlight together
while supporting Western New York’s only professional theatre dedicated exclusively to young audiences. For a minimum donation of $10 per person, enjoy interactive theatre workshops, hands-on activities, crafts, story stations, and a special staged reading of one of Theatre of Youth’s upcoming productions, The Little Engine That Could: The Musical.
