Cirque du Soleil is back on ice with AXEL, a new electrifying experience fusing world-class ice skating with breathtaking acrobatics. Follow AXEL and his dynamic group of friends whose passion for live music and graphic arts come to life in an exhilarating adventure that reminds us that our dreams are within reach.

Discover this young artist as he falls for the fascinating Lei in a high-speed chase for love and self-realization. Sparks fly as they set out on a fast-moving quest through fun colorful fantastical worlds. Will he fulfill his destiny and find his voice?

Click HERE for our standard arena policies and our most frequently asked questions. Ticket prices are always subject to change without notice. Additional fees apply.

The first show of the Playhouse’s 2020 season is sure to rock your world with Music on the Rock® The Music of Queen. Dustin Brayley and Ryan Guerra join forces with Nat Zegree for the first time on the Leiman Mainstage along with Music on the Rock® favorites Eric Anthony, Paul Babelay, and Ryan Dunn. The Music of Queen will feature all your favorite hits from the legendary rock group like “We Will Rock You,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Another One Bites The Dust,” and more!

As part of the Arboretum’s “Love Birds” month-long celebration, the Arboretum will host a “Sweets with Your Sweetie” hot cocoa bar at the Baker Exhibit Center during Valentine’s Day weekend.
Guests can enjoy a free cup of hot chocolate (while supplies last) followed by a free guided hike starting at 1 p.m. Hikes will focus on the natural history of the Arboretum, including some of the region’s more prominent birds, and will be about one- to two- miles in length. Please note: Guided hikes will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is free; however, standard parking fees apply for non-members

Registration is open for UNC Asheville’s 2020 Pi(e) Run, an annual fun run that celebrates all things Pi(e). This year’s event will be held on Pi Day, Saturday, March 14, at Pi time, 3:14 p.m. Runners will run 3.14 miles around UNC Asheville’s campus and celebrate with pie at the finish line. The event is open to the public with an early-bird rate of $15 before Feb. 15. Runners who sign up before March 1 will receive a t-shirt and swag bag, and registration continues through March 14 at a cost of $20, with on-site registration and check-in starting at 2 p.m. the day of the race. Visit unca.edu/pi-run to sign up.

The 2020 Pi Day Run will start from UNC Asheville’s Quad and circle University Heights three times, via campus sidewalks, concluding with pie at the finish line. The fun run includes a pie baking contest, judged by Math Leaders from the Marvelous Math Club, with prizes awarded, and this year will feature a raffle. Registration includes a raffle entry for each runner. Registration also is available for the pie contest, without the run, by filling out the interest form at unca.edu/pi-run.

Proceeds from the annual Pi(e) Run will benefit the Asheville Initiative for Math at UNC Asheville and its Marvelous Math Club at Pisgah View Community Center. Marvelous Math Club is a partnership between UNC Asheville, Asheville Housing Authority, and Asheville City Schools. The Club uses math as a catalyst to build leadership skills, create community and provide a space for individualized academic support and social-emotional growth.

We invite you to an evening of music & dance with powerful performances from Free Planet Radio & members of Toubab Krewe, featured music by Nex Millen & Adama Dembele, hip hop dance showcases by Otto Aquaboogy Vazquez & Goldilocks, and special surprises from New Orleans Legends, Dirty Dozen Brass Band! Join us for an exploration of this new bridge from our community to the world!
Tickets $75 (includes drinks & light dinner)

The music of Umphrey’s McGee unfolds like an unpredictable conversation between longtime friends. Its six participants—Brendan Bayliss [guitar, vocals], Jake Cinninger [guitar, vocals], Joel Cummins [keyboards, piano, vocals], Andy Farag [percussion], Kris Myers [drums, vocals], and Ryan Stasik [bass]—know just how to communicate with each other on stage and in the studio. A call of progressive guitar wizardry might elicit a response of soft acoustic balladry, or a funk groove could be answered by explosive percussion. At any moment, heavy guitars can give way to heavier blues as the boys uncover the elusive nexus between jaw-dropping instrumental virtuosity and airtight songcraft.

2018 saw the release of it’s not us and it’s you, [Nothing Too Fancy Music] the band’s eleventh and twelfth full-length studio albums. “[They] represent the band, because [they] basically run the gamut from prog rock to dance,” says Brendan. It’s also how the band celebrated its 20-year anniversary. Instead of retreading the catalog, they turn up with two albums worth of new tunes. “It’d be easy to play the hits from our first five or ten years,” continues Joel. “We’ve never been a band to rest on our laurels, though. New music is key to our continued development. We’re known as a strong live band, but we take so much pride in our writing.”

With over 2,400 gigs and 5 million tracks sold, the band, now in their 21st year, have enjoyed countless milestones and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. They became the first group to launch its own single artist streaming service with UMLive.net, which houses recordings of every gig since 2005. They recorded ten tracks in one day at Abbey Road for The London Session in 2015. 2016’s studio mash-up album, ZONKEY, smashed the strangest of bedfellows into a critically acclaimed collection that unites Radiohead and Beck, Talking Heads and Bob Marley, Metallica and Gorillaz, and more.

“There’s something uniquely Umphrey’s McGee that could never be mistaken for another band,” Joel concludes. “I hope it makes people think a little bit or shed a tear or two. Maybe, you smile or laugh. Life is hard. We still believe music can heal and motivate.” “We’re here,” Brendan leaves off. “We’re not going anywhere. We’re starting to find our identity.”

One of the funniest musicals ever written. Sondheim’s joyous musical romp through Rome has desperate lovers, scheming neighbors and secrets behind every toga. This unforgettable, hysterical musical allows a terrify ensemble of comedic actors to shine!

Flamenco Vivo / Carlota Santana — Friday & Saturday, February 14 & 15, 2020, 8 p.m. Hailed as “the Keeper of Flamenco” by Dance Magazine, internationally renowned artist and educator Carlota Santana has made it her mission to promote flamenco as a living art form — a vital part of Spanish culture. Serving more than 40,000 people nationwide each year, Flamenco Vivo entertains, educates and empowers through the arts. Friday & Saturday, Feb. 14 & 15, 2020 at 8 p.m. at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts.

Engage with Flamenco Vivo in a special Valentine’s Day pre-show V.I.P. tableau performance, featuring a special drink and hors d’oeuvres package at the Henry LaBrun Studio. On Saturday, Feb. 15, join the company once more in the Henry LaBrun Studio for a community dance master class, open to all ages and skill levels.
Engage with Flamenco Vivo:
Tablao Performance
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a pre-show V.I.P. tablao performance featuring a special drink and hors d’oeuvres package, Feb. 14. at 6pm. Space is limited. Henry LaBrun Studio.

Community Dance Master Class
Open to the general public – all ages and skills. Feb. 15 at 1pm. Henry LaBrun Studio.

This public master class will increase the participant’s awareness and understanding of flamenco dance and its cultural heritage. The class is 75 minutes and includes a brief history of the origins of flamenco dance, music and song and how the various cultures that inhabited Spain have influenced flamenco.

This is a hands-on workshop with instruction in rhythmic handclaps (palmas), arm movements (braceo), body posturing (marcaje), and footwork (taconeo). The class is supportive and fun, and flamenco technique is woven into a short choreography. By the end of the class, participants will be able to perform a simple choreographed dance.

The first show of the Playhouse’s 2020 season is sure to rock your world with Music on the Rock® The Music of Queen. Dustin Brayley and Ryan Guerra join forces with Nat Zegree for the first time on the Leiman Mainstage along with Music on the Rock® favorites Eric Anthony, Paul Babelay, and Ryan Dunn. The Music of Queen will feature all your favorite hits from the legendary rock group like “We Will Rock You,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Another One Bites The Dust,” and more!

As part of the Arboretum’s “Love Birds” month-long celebration, the Arboretum will host a “Sweets with Your Sweetie” hot cocoa bar at the Baker Exhibit Center during Valentine’s Day weekend.
Guests can enjoy a free cup of hot chocolate (while supplies last) followed by a free guided hike starting at 1 p.m. Hikes will focus on the natural history of the Arboretum, including some of the region’s more prominent birds, and will be about one- to two- miles in length. Please note: Guided hikes will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is free; however, standard parking fees apply for non-members

  Exact location TBA, depending on the weather. (Maybe Burnt Man & Corn Mill Shoals.) Learn about the history of this beautiful area, and the grassroots effort that preserved it as a park. For questions, please contact hike leader (closer to the date of the hike).

Level: Moderate

Finally, on Saturday November 30th after Thanksgiving, we’re excited that it’s Kid Hop time again! Kid Hop Hooray (our awesome indoor family dance party that happens monthly all winter long) is back. This event is for kids of all ages, with family-appropriate music from DJ Oso! Drop in anytime – it goes from 10am til 1pm. There will be FREE Glow accessories for little dancers while they last, plenty of room to run, dance, and get their sillies out while it’s cold outside, and snacks for purchase from Asheville Pizza Co and the Hop Ice Creamery, as well as popcorn and juice boxes! And of course, The Orange Peel bar will be open for mom and dad’s refreshments.

Padded area available for crawlers and new walkers to play and explore.