Four nights of Bruno Mars at MetLife, a Count Basie birthday block party, a Miles Davis centennial tribute in Camden, and a mini golf classic hosted by the Devils headline a genuinely packed final stretch of summer across the state.
Things to Do in New Jersey: August 20-26, 2026
Summer is winding down, but New Jersey’s events calendar has not gotten the memo. This week alone brings a stadium sized Bruno Mars run in East Rutherford, a jazz legend’s 122nd birthday party in Red Bank, a reggae festival colliding with Pirate Day at the Shore, and enough free concerts up and down the coast to fill a full week of evenings without spending a dollar. Here is the complete rundown, day by day, through the final week of August.
Middletown Arts Center: Indoor Summer Nights
Five dollars doesn’t buy much these days. It buys a full evening here. The Middletown Arts Center is packing ten original songwriters into one indoor showcase this week, running entirely on donation pricing, which says plenty about what this venue actually cares about. Not ticket margins. Music that’s real, played by people who have spent decades earning the right to call it their own.
Thursday, August 20
Rogue Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor $25
No director, no safety net, just Shakespeare. This six day rehearsed production unleashes the cast’s own imagination on stage.
Latin Percussion Camp, August 17-21 Free
A week of hands-on Latin percussion instruction for kids ages 7 to 12.
Ben Bankas
2026’s most viral comedian brings his stand-up set to Red Bank for a multi-night run.
Triple Threat Workshop presents 13: The Musical $25
Jason Robert Brown’s rock musical about surviving the pre-teen popularity pecking order.
Cranford Thursdays at the Clock: Burnside Manor Free
Local favorites Burnside Manor bring 2000s pop-punk and emo nostalgia to Cranford’s Summer Sounds series.
DJ Drewski, Mayor’s Concert Series Free
Mayor Raymond A. Giacobbe and the Rahway City Council present a free live hip hop party.
Andy Frasco & Kitchen Dwellers Free
Andy Frasco’s rock and roll party band joins Montana’s Kitchen Dwellers for a night of roots and grit.
Keith Roth and Bonny
Songwriters on the Beach closes another memorable summer along the Jersey Shore.
Change of Position
A bold, unflinching portrait of survival and identity from one of New Jersey’s most ambitious theatre companies.
Morris Museum 2026 Back Deck Presents Carla Cook Free
Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Carla Cook brings her rich, soulful sound to the Back Deck series.
Wildwood’s Music in the Plaza: 99 Reasons Free
Downtown Wildwood’s summer concert series continues with another night of free live entertainment on the boardwalk.
Aaron Lewis and The Stateliners: 2026 American Tour Free
Staind frontman turned country hitmaker Aaron Lewis brings his full band and patriotic anthems to town.
Josh Bassett presents Jersey Magick $27
The LA-based rocker and Somers Point native returns home for a fundraiser night benefiting the Gateway.
NJ Devils Mini Golf Classic
Join the New Jersey Devils for a fun filled day of competition, entertainment, and unforgettable fan experiences at Jenkinson’s Boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach, capping off the summer with a mini golf format built for real hockey fans.
Friday, August 21
William “Count” Basie Birthday Block Party Free
A free outdoor block party with the Count Basie Orchestra celebrates the jazz legend’s 122nd birthday in his hometown.
Triple Threat Workshop presents 13: The Musical $25
The rock musical about pre-teen popularity returns for another performance.
Dylan Scott $55
Curb Records hitmaker Dylan Scott brings his string of No. 1 country singles to the stage.
105.5 WDHA Presents: Plush $25
All-female rock powerhouse Plush, fresh off touring with Slash, Bush, and Breaking Benjamin.
Bruno Mars: The Romantic Tour Free
Bruno Mars brings his first ever headlining stadium tour to MetLife Stadium for four unforgettable nights.
“Funk-tastic Voyage” & Dana Fuchs
Soul, funk, and fire on the bay as Legacy Concerts on the Beach delivers a summer music explosion.
Saturday, August 22
New Jersey Clearwater Festival
The festival returns for its 51st year, celebrating more than half a century of music, community, and environmental stewardship.
Backstage Tour: The Merry Wives of Windsor $12
Go behind the curtain with an exclusive tour of the wings and sound booth.
Inaugural Bradley Beach Reggae Festival at the 6th Annual Pirate Day
Swashbucklers by noon, horn sections by evening. Pirate Day meets reggae fest, and somehow it works.
Mess Fest II: The Refill Free
Medicated Mess Inc’s full day of local punk, ska, and rock bands returns for round two.
Winslow Family Day
Winslow Township’s summer concert and community celebration series brings Motown, gospel, funk, and family events to South Jersey.
The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra $19.26
The world famous orchestra returns home for its first Basie Center show in over a decade.
Andy Grammer: The Big Stupid Heart Tour with Walk Off The Earth
A powerful night of music built around growth, resilience, and connection.
Almost Queen with The Machine, performing Pink Floyd
The legendary sounds of Queen and Pink Floyd collide for an unforgettable night of rock history.
Imagine Lennon Live $45
Scot Michael Arch, the template for John Lennon in The Beatles: Rock Band, leads a full brass tribute to Lennon’s music.
Jersey Shore’s Top Comic
The Shore’s homegrown comedy competition returns to The Vogel stage.
Sunday, August 23
The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra $35.50
The legendary 18-piece big band carries Glenn Miller’s sound and legacy forward live.
The Wiggles: Tree of Wisdom Spectacular!
An early show has been added for this family favorite, with Bluey stopping by for real life meet and greets.
Chance the Rapper: Coloring Book 10 Year Anniversary Tour $65
Chance the Rapper celebrates a decade since his groundbreaking, Grammy-winning mixtape.
Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara Free
Two Tony Award winners join the Count Basie Orchestra for an unforgettable evening of Broadway’s best.
The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra
A timeless celebration of America’s greatest big band legacy returns to New Jersey for generations of music lovers who know the name carries real weight.
Monday, August 24
Photography Camp, August 24-28 Free
A week of hands-on photography instruction for kids ages 7 to 12.
Will Calhoun: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Miles Davis
A landmark tribute performance honoring a century of Miles Davis, reinforcing New Jersey’s place in the country’s jazz lineage.
Celebrating 55 Years of The Allman Brothers “At Fillmore East”
Featuring Melody Trucks, Vaylor Trucks, Fitzkee Brothers, Peter Levin, and Lamar Williams, the spirit of Fillmore East returns to Atlantic City as Mardi Gras on the Boardwalk celebrates the Allman Brothers’ legacy.
Tuesday, August 25
Cranford Tuesdays at the Clock: Laurie Vega Trio Free
Spanish Harlem-raised vocalist Laurie Vega brings her trio and decades of NYC cabaret experience to Cranford’s Summer Sounds.
Bruno Mars: The Romantic Tour Free
Night three of Bruno Mars’s four night run at MetLife Stadium.
Joanna Connor $40
The viral slide guitar sensation and Queen of Blues Rock Guitar, produced by Joe Bonamassa, brings Chicago blues to Tuckerton.
Wednesday, August 26
Bruno Mars: The Romantic Tour Free
The final night of Bruno Mars’s four night MetLife Stadium run.
Dead Zep and Hayley Jane
Two legendary musical worlds collide at Mardi Gras on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City.
Morris Museum 2026 Back Deck Presents Bria Skonberg Free
Juno Award winner Bria Skonberg, called the shining hope of hot jazz, brings her trumpet and smoky vocals to the Back Deck series.
Robert Glasper with special guest Bilal Free
Five-time Grammy winner Robert Glasper reunites with longtime collaborator Bilal for a night of jazz, hip hop, and soul.
The Verve Pipe
The band’s emotional alt-rock legacy and enduring 1990s songcraft headlines the 2026 Sundown Music Series.
Play All Day with Tonies in Millburn
This past weekend, the Millburn Public Library hosted a regional pop-up for Tonies, the screen-free audio entertainment system built around a padded speaker cube and small, hand-painted character figures that play stories, audiobooks, and music the moment a child sets one down. The event included hands-on listening stations where kids could swap characters and try different stories, a Tonie exchange table for neighborhood families to trade duplicate or outgrown figures, and the launch of the library’s own new Tonieboxes and starter kits, now available for local cardholders to check out for free. Families who missed it can still ask about the library’s new circulating collection directly at the youth services desk.
Whether the plan is four straight nights of stadium pop with Bruno Mars, a quiet donation-based songwriter showcase in Middletown, or a mini golf afternoon with the Devils at the Shore, this stretch of late August makes a genuinely strong case that New Jersey’s summer isn’t done handing out reasons to leave the house just yet.
