Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.

Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.

Saturday, May 3, 2025
Asheville Symphony Orchestra Masterworks 7: Tall Tales
May 3 @ 2:00 pm
First Baptist Church

Darko Butorac, conductor

TIME FOR THREE
Ranaan Meyer, double bass
Nick Kendall, violin
Charles Yang, violin

Music possesses an almost magical ability to tell stories. It can paint vivid images of far off lands, enchanted forests, fairy tale villages, the timeless battle between good and evil — all without a single spoken word. Step into the enchanted world of German legends, filled with tales of mysterious swan knights, magic bullets, and mischievous tricksters. Then, delve into the otherworldly Contact; inspired by the idea of interstellar communication, this jazzy, bluegrass-infused, and ethereal concerto for trio was collaboratively written with and for Time For Three.

Weber: Overture from Der Freischütz
Puts: Contact
Wagner: Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin
Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel

Asheville Symphony Orchestra Masterworks 7: Tall Tales
May 3 @ 8:00 pm
First Baptist Church

Darko Butorac, conductor

TIME FOR THREE
Ranaan Meyer, double bass
Nick Kendall, violin
Charles Yang, violin

Music possesses an almost magical ability to tell stories. It can paint vivid images of far off lands, enchanted forests, fairy tale villages, the timeless battle between good and evil — all without a single spoken word. Step into the enchanted world of German legends, filled with tales of mysterious swan knights, magic bullets, and mischievous tricksters. Then, delve into the otherworldly Contact; inspired by the idea of interstellar communication, this jazzy, bluegrass-infused, and ethereal concerto for trio was collaboratively written with and for Time For Three.

Weber: Overture from Der Freischütz
Puts: Contact
Wagner: Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin
Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel

Shakey Graves: And The War Came
May 3 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel
Shakey Graves: And The War Came – 10th Anniversary Tour with Ruby Waters
Saturday, May 03 and Sunday, May 04. 
Show: 8pm | Doors: 7pm
The Orange Peel
Ages 18+
Sunday, May 4, 2025
Thomas Keesecker, Pianist
May 4 all-day
The Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness

Just in time for May flowers, Music & Arts Series of The Episcopal Church of St.
John in the Wilderness presents a piano concert from composer and church musician Thomas Keesecker. The
program features selections from Mr. Keesecker’s concert tour with performances taking place across the
country.

The free concert in Flat Rock is set for Sunday afternoon, May 4, 2025 at four o’clock in the Parish Hall
located at 1905 Greenville Highway across from the church.

Handicapped accessibility and free parking are available; donations will be gladly accepted for Music & Arts
Series. For more information please call the church office at 828-693-9783 or visit www.stjohnflatrock.org.

Gratitude Serenity Sound Bath
May 4 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Center for Spiritual Living Asheville

Gratitude is more than a feeling, it is a frequency! Gratitude can help you shift your perspective and find the silver lining in challenging situations, further raising your vibrational frequency. When we vibrate at the frequency of gratitude, we align ourselves with the energy of abundance.

As we meditate on the theme of gratitude, we allow the frequencies of the instruments to raise our vibrations.

Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience. A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.

Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.

The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 12:45 PM, doors close promptly at 1:00 PM.

This service is being offered on a Love Offering basis. Donations allow us to continue to provide these immersive experiences. (Retail Value $25)

Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.

The Blue Ridge Orchestra 25th Anniversary Season Finale
May 4 @ 3:00 pm
University of Asheville

Our 25th Anniversary Season Finale, part of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra’s bi-annual festival: “The Art of Storytelling spans genres of jazz and classical in a highly collaborative program. Two exciting works by Leonard Bernstein – Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story – will bookend a beautiful, lyrical piece for jazz quartet and orchestra, Mom by Asheville-based composer Richard Shulman. The program concludes with the glorious Beethoven Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral.”

BRO’s Season Finale is generously sponsored by Ingles Markets.

Friday, May 2nd, 2025, 7:00 pm

Sunday, May 4th, 2025, 3:00 pm

Tickets:

General Admission: $20

Friends of the Orchestra: $15

Students: $5

Children 6 and under: Free

Info:https://blueridgeorchestra.org/may-25th-anniversary-season-finale-25 or call 828-782-3354.

Maya de Vitry Trio and special guest David Wimbish
May 4 @ 4:00 pm
Olivette Farm

Enjoy an outdoor concert at Olivette Farm featuring genre-bending artist Maya de Vitry and special guest David Wimbish. $25•KIDS ARE FREE•BYOB•BYOC (chair)

Maya de Vitry weaves country, folk, rock, and pop elements through her vibrant storytelling and her extraordinarily dynamic singing. Whether she is playing with her electric band in a bar or sharing a song on acoustic guitar at a folk festival, there is an emotional immediacy and a striking magnetism in Maya’s music. She’s joined by Joel Timmons on guitar and harmonies and Rhees Williams on bass.

David Wimbish delivers raw, emotion-driven performances that match the depth of his songwriting. After 10 years playing as a band, he’s been newly incarnated as a solo artist. “There’s a new life to this next chapter. I’m getting back to a more organic sonic footprint that’s more focused on serving the song. I returned to writing in a way that I hadn’t in a long time and stepping into a very honest space.”

Thomas Keesecker, Pianist
May 4 @ 4:00 pm
St John in the Wilderness

Just in time for May flowers Arts Series of The Episcopal Church of St.
John in the Wilderness presents a piano concert from composer and church musician Thomas Keesecker. The
program features selections from Mr. Keesecker’s concert tour with performances taking place across the
country.
The free concert in Flat Rock is set for Sunday afternoon, May 4, 2025 at 4pm in the Parish Hall
located at 1905 Greenville Highway across from the church.

Polish Fest
May 4 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Fireforge Crafted Beer

🍻 Na Zdrowie! Join us May 2-4, 2025 for our 3rd Annual Polish Fest: polka, piwo (beer) and pierogi, need we share more? 😛 Festivities will include live performances from local favorites Wasted Wine and Foothills Oompah Band, as well as Atlanta Polish folk dance group Mazury Folk Dance Ensemble. Remember to keep your pets at home, yet definitely bring your ID, dancing shoes — and your appetite!

Entertainment Schedule:

🍺 Friday, May 2 (5-10 p.m.)

🎶 Wasted Wine 6-9 p.m.

🍺 Saturday, May 3 (11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.):

🎶 Foothills Oompah Band (12:30-3:30 p.m.)

🎶 Mazury Folk Dance Ensemble (4-4:30 p.m. & 5:30-6 p.m.)

🍺 Sunday, May 4 (11:30 a.m.-8 p.m.)

🎶 Wasted Wine 2-5 p.m.

🌭 Fireforge’s festy food and beverage menu will include house-brewed “Polka Party” Lager and “Cendrowski” Grodziskie Wheat Ale; pork kielbasa from Asheville’s Chop Shop Butchery made with Fireforge beer and served on a bun with sauerkraut and horseradish beer mustard; potato and cheese pierogies from Polish American sister-owned Jaju Pierogi served with housemade sour cream, caramelized onions and chives; kabanos snacking sausage from Upstate Polish Market, house-made borscht (chilled beet soup) as well as other Polish cuisine-inspired sides and sweets!

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
May 4 @ 7:00 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Join us for an unforgettable night of epic music and cinematic magic as The Greenville Symphony Orchestra presents Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in concert. The concert will be led by conductor Thiago Tiberio on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Tickets are available at the GSP International Airport Box Office located at the arena from the on sale through show day while supplies last. Box Office hours vary but we are generally open M-F 10AM-2PM.

Shakey Graves: And The War Came
May 4 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel
Shakey Graves: And The War Came – 10th Anniversary Tour with Ruby Waters
Saturday, May 03 and Sunday, May 04. 
Show: 8pm | Doors: 7pm
The Orange Peel
Ages 18+
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Majesty: Music for Kings and Queens
May 6 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Central United Methodist Church

Join the Asheville Symphony Chorus for a very regal evening as part of Asheville’s Amadeus Festival. Director Kyle Ritter and ASC will present an evening of choral masterworks written for coronations and royal weddings. Featuring works by composers Sir William McKie, William Mathias, Will Todd, and others, the concert’s twin crowning glories will be W.A. Mozart’s Coronation Mass and G. F. Handel’s Zadok the Priest. Special guest appearance by the Asheville Youth Choir.

Date and Time: On Tue, 06 May 2025 at 19:00 – Tue, 06 May 2025 at 20:30

Venue details: Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church Street, Asheville, North Carolina, 28801, United States

Category: Live Music | Choral

Prices:
Adult: USD 29.00,
Youth: USD 16.00

Artist: The Asheville Symphony Chorus

Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Bach: Tales in Music and Words
May 7 @ 7:30 pm
Brevard Music Center
Step into the world of Johann Sebastian Bach in this captivating evening of chamber music and storytelling, led by Brevard Music Center’s own Nicholas Tzavaras, Senior Director of Artistic Planning & Educational Programs. A native of East Harlem in New York City, Nicholas has toured the globe as a celebrated cellist, performing over 1,600 concerts worldwide.

The program includes timeless Bach masterpieces including the Cello Suite in G major, the dynamic Trio Sonata BWV 1039, and the exuberant Brandenburg Concerto No. 4. Tzavaras welcomes violinist and BMC President Jason Posnock, Asheville Symphony Principal Piccolo Dilshad Posnock, and concert flutist Sophia Anastasia to join him as they perform favorite works from this beloved composer. Through engaging narratives and musical brilliance, discover Bach’s artistry and legacy while connecting with one of Brevard’s newest artistic leaders. This concert promises an unforgettable blend of music, insight, and connection.

Parker Concert Hall, Brevard Music Center

Thursday, May 8, 2025
ALT ASO: Cabaret @ The Orange Peel
May 8 @ 7:00 pm
The Orange Peel

Get swept up in the timeless allure of cabaret with singer Anaïs Reno and the Asheville Symphony. This ALT ASO program, which will also be part of Asheville Amadeus: The Art of Storytelling, will seamlessly blend classical masterpieces and timeless French standards.

Tickets are general admission and the show will be seated.

Linkin Park: From Zero World Tour
May 8 @ 7:30 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

LINKIN PARK: From Zero World Tour – 2025 with special guest grandson

Nolan Taylor
May 8 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel

The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds Present

Nolan Taylor

with Laurie Anne, The Hill Country Devil

All Ages

Thursday, May 08
Doors: 7pm // Show: 8pm
$27.36 to $79.16

Grey Eagle Music Hall
ALL AGES
STANDING ROOM ONLY
LIMITED NUMBER OF VIP MEET & GREET PACKAGES AVAILABLE INCLUDING (TAKES PLACE AT 6pm, ONE HOUR BEFORE DOORS OPEN): 
  • one ticket to the show
  • 3-5 acoustic songs
  • A short Q&A with Nolan
  • Early Merch Access 
Dirty Bird
May 8 @ 9:00 pm
Asheville Music Hall

Asheville Music Hall and The One Stop presents Dirty Bird

Ages 21 and up
Show: 9pm

The One Stop
Dirty Bird is a 4-piece rock band based in Asheville, North Carolina. Comprised of a charismatic front man, a groovin’ rhythm section, and smokin’ guitar leads. Dirty Bird electrifies the room wherever they play. Best known for their original music with a diverse song style and sound that amplify their unique lyrics. From festivals, fundraisers, parties and breweries to large scale music venues, Dirty Bird has been enriching the local music scene and beyond for the past five years.
Friday, May 9, 2025
Annie the Musical
May 9 @ 7:00 pm
Wortham Center for the Performing Arts

Based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray, Annie has become a worldwide
phenomenon and was the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The
beloved book and score by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and
Martin Charnin, features some of the greatest musical theatre hits ever written,
including “Tomorrow.”

With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone’s
hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to
find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City
Orphanage that is run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan. With the help of the
other girls in the Orphanage, Annie escapes to the wondrous world of NYC. In adventure
after fun-filled adventure, Annie foils Miss Hannigan’s evil machinations… and even
befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt! She finds a new home and family in
billionaire, Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary, Grace Farrell, and a lovable
mutt named Sandy.

The R&B Invitation Tour
May 9 @ 8:00 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

 

Saturday, May 10, 2025
Descendants: The Musical
May 10 all-day
Valley Springs Middle School Theatre

Valley Springs Middle School proudly presents Descendants: The Musical. Based on the popular Disney Channel Original Movies, Disney’s Descendants: The Musical is jam-packed with comedy, adventure, Disney characters, and hit songs from the films! Four family-friendly shows guaranteed to make you Rotten to the Core. Get tickets while they last!

An Evening With Chris Thile and Asheville Symphony
May 10 @ 7:00 pm
Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

An Evening with Chris Thile features a true array of genres. You’ll hear Thile’s new work ATTENTION! A narrative song cycle for extroverted mandolinist and orchestra, the third movement of Barber’s masterful Violin Concerto – which he will play on mandolin – and more.

MacArthur Fellow and Grammy Award-winning mandolinist, singer, songwriter Chris Thile, who the Guardian calls “that rare being: an all-round musician who can settle into any style, from bluegrass to classical,” and NPR calls a “genre-defying musical genius,” is a founding member of the critically acclaimed bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek. For four years, Thile hosted public radio favorite Live from Here with Chris Thile (formerly known as A Prairie Home Companion). With his broad outlook, Thile creates a distinctly American canon and a new musical aesthetic for performers and audiences alike, giving the listener “one joyous arc, with the linear melody and vertical harmony blurring into a single web of gossamer beauty” (New York Times).

Darko Butorac, conductor

Chris Thile, mandolin

BADBADNOTGOOD
May 10 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel

BADBADNOTGOOD in concert with Baby Rose on Saturday, May 10 at The Orange Peel.

Show: 8pm | Doors: 7pm

Ages 18+
Sunday, May 11, 2025
The Greenville Symphony presents Season Finale: Beethoven and Brazil
May 11 @ 3:00 pm
Peace Concert Hall

Peace Concert Hall
Saturday, May 10 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, May 11 at 3:00 pm

PROGRAM
Jessie Montgomery: Starburst
João Guilherme Ripper: Cinco Poemas de Vinicius de Moraes
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F major, “Pastoral”

Join us for the grand finale of our season with a captivating concert that celebrates the enduring legacy of Beethoven alongside the vibrant rhythms of Brazil. From the cosmic brilliance of Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst to the lyrical beauty of João Guilherme Ripper’s Cinco Poemas de Vinicius de Moraes, this is a journey of musical exploration and cultural fusion. Our season finale culminates with the timeless majesty of Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony, transporting you to the serene landscapes of the countryside.

GUEST
Tess Altiveros, soprano

Of Mice & Men
May 11 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel

Of Mice & Men and Until I Wake in concert

Sunday, May 11

Show: 8pm | Doors: 7pm

The Orange Peel
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Exodus
May 13 @ 6:00 pm
The Orange Peel

Exodus with special guests Havok and Misfire

Show: 7pm | Doors: 6pm

The Orange Peel
Ages 18+
Rising Stars Concert with Cristian Makhuli
May 13 @ 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

This event is a collaboration between the Asheville Chamber Music Series and the Asheville Art Museum featuring North Carolina musicians embarking on a major concert career.

Season Finale with Roberto Díaz, Peter Wiley, and The Erinys Quartet • Curtis on Tour
May 13 @ 7:30 pm
Brevard Music Center

Conclude the Parker Concert Hall 2024-25 Series with a triumphant performance by Roberto Díaz, Peter Wiley, and The Erinys Quartet from the famed Curtis Institute of Music. The concert embodies our aspiration for excellence and collaboration featuring world-class artists working alongside outstanding students. Curtis on Tour showcases the finest talents in the country, providing an unforgettable season finale.

Season Finale with Roberto Díaz, Peter Wiley, and The Erinys Quartet • Curtis on Tour
May 13 @ 7:30 pm
Brevard Music Center

Season Finale with Roberto Díaz, Peter Wiley, and The Erinys Quartet • Curtis on Tour

The Bones of JR Jones
May 13 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

The Bones of JR Jones with Henry (of Ruen Brothers)

Doors: 7pm // Show: 8pm
$20.91

Grey Eagle Music Hall
ALL AGES
STANDING ROOM ONLY
THE BONES OF JR JONES
Growing up, Jonathon Linaberry was obsessed with the radio.
“I remember sitting there at night, glued to the boombox, cassette player ready to record whenever my favorite songs came on,” he recalls. “There was something so thrilling about it, something romantic that I think we’ve lost now that everything’s available at our fingertips. I wanted to find a way to get back to that place, to recapture those feelings of excitement and anticipation and possibility.”
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Tedeschi Trucks Band
May 14 @ 7:30 pm
Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville

Tedeschi Trucks Band(TTB) is a Grammy Award-winning 12-piece rock and soul powerhouse that holds the well-deserved reputation as one of the best live acts touring today. Led by husband & wife, guitarist Derek Trucks and singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi – hailed as “two of the best roots rock musicians of their generation” (NPR), the 12-piece Tedeschi Trucks Band is known globally for their unmistakable sound and world-class musicianship that seamlessly blends distinctive genres of American music.

Since forming in 2010, Tedeschi Trucks Band’s caravan has traveled countless miles to bring their music to audiences around the world. With a large catalog that spans rock, blues, jazz and even country, no setlist is ever the same, leaving their ever-growing fan base of all-ages returning again and again for electrifying performances. In the fall of 2023, Tedeschi Trucks Band played a pair of career-defining arena shows at TD Garden in Boston and a sold out Madison Square Garden in New York City. Dubbed “The Garden Parties” the pair of gigs saw praise from Relix who raved of the group’s “seasoned grace and artistry.”  From sold-out multi-night residencies across America to tours through Europe and Japan, to their flagship annual summer amphitheater tours, the band’s shows are an eagerly anticipated highlight of the live music calendar and “nothing short of exhilarating” (Salon).