Spend a Summer Evening at Lubber Run Amphitheater — Free Music in the Trees

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The Washington Post called it Arlington’s “hidden gem” — an intimate, woodsy musical space built into the fabric of the community — and generations of Arlingtonians have been making it their summer ritual since the amphitheater opened in 1969. Lubber Run Amphitheater at 200 N. Columbus Street sits tucked into Lubber Run Park in the Arlington Forest neighborhood, two blocks off Route 50, with the kind of wooded, dappled setting that makes every performance feel unhurried and slightly magical. The summer concert series features over twenty free performances spanning big band, blues, soul, orchestral music, cabaret, and more — with new seating being installed for the 2026 season, making the experience even more comfortable than before.

Performances typically run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 11 a.m. from early June through August, with the season often launching with a full theatrical production from The Arlington Players — the 2025 season opened with a two-week run of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” celebrating TAP’s 75th anniversary. The regular concert schedule that follows spans Afrobeat, Beatles tribute bands, blues guitar, soul-jazz vocals, the Arlington Philharmonic, the U.S. Navy Band Commodores, and family-friendly Sunday morning shows co-presented with Arlington Public Library. You can kick back on the bleachers overlooking the stage, sit in your own folding chair, or spread a blanket on the slope — all for free. The full schedule is posted each spring at arts.arlingtonva.us/lubber-run, with the season calendar typically releasing in May.