What's Happening in Oklahoma: Late July & August 2026

Summer's winding down, but Oklahoma isn't slowing down. From car shows and rodeos to Broadway, big-name concerts, and the start of football season, here's what's on the calendar across the state for the rest of July and all of August 2026.

Concerts & Live Music

Oklahoma City and Tulsa both have packed concert calendars heading into fall.

In Oklahoma City, Tower Theatre has a strong run of shows: Killer Queen on August 2, Passion Pit on August 3, and The Mavericks on August 6. Cody Johnson brings his "Live '26" tour to Paycom Center on August 7, and Simple Plan plays the OKC Zoo Amphitheatre on August 8. Scissortail Park hosts TailSpin, a two-day music festival, on August 7-8.

Tulsa's lineup includes K-Pop Superstars at Cain's Ballroom on August 1, The Black Crowes at Hard Rock Live in Catoosa on August 6, Steve Earle at the Skyline Event Center at Osage Casino on August 14, and Grand Funk Railroad closing out the month at Osage Casino on August 28. Cain's Ballroom also has additional shows throughout the month, and BOK Center has events scheduled for August 8 and 15.

Check Ticketmaster, Bandsintown, or each venue's site for the full listings, since new shows get added regularly.

Theater & Broadway

Lyric Theatre closes its summer season at the Civic Center Music Hall with Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, running July 28 through August 2.

Then OKC Broadway takes over the Civic Center with two heavy hitters back to back: Hamilton runs August 11-23, followed by The Outsiders (based on the S.E. Hinton novel set in Tulsa) from August 25-30.

Car Shows & Cruise Nights

Gearheads have plenty to do. The Original Lowrider Oklahoma Super Show hits the OKC Fairgrounds RV Park on July 19, and the Oklahoma Auto Expo & Hop series runs multiple dates through the summer, including July 25 and 31, then August 8, 13, 15, and 21. Smaller cruise nights and swap meets pop up statewide most weekends — OklahomaCarShows.com and CarCruiseFinder.com keep running calendars if you want to find one near you.

Sporting Events

Minor league baseball keeps rolling through August, with the Oklahoma City Comets (the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate) playing home games at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark — check MiLB.com for the full slate.

On the soccer side, OKC Energy FC has home matches at Taft Stadium on August 2 (vs. Reno 1868 FC), August 5 (vs. Real Monarchs), and August 19 (vs. San Antonio FC).

College football season doesn't officially open until September, but both in-state programs kick off just after Labor Day: Oklahoma State opens September 5 at Tulsa, and OU opens the same day at home against UTEP. Preseason camps and scrimmages ramp up throughout August, so it's a good time to catch practices before the real thing starts.

Festivals, Fairs & Rodeos

August is rodeo and powwow season across the state. The Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo runs August 3-8 in Vinita, and the Lawton Rangers Rodeo goes August 5-8. Red Earth, one of the country's largest gatherings of Native American artists and dancers, takes place August 1-2 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in OKC. The Kaw Nation Powwow follows August 7-9 in Kaw City.

Other highlights include the Firelake Fireflight Balloon Fest August 7-8 in Shawnee, and the Castle of Muskogee's festival at Hatbox Event Park August 21-22.

Back to School

Most Oklahoma districts start the new school year in the second half of August. Oklahoma City Public Schools heads back August 11, while Tulsa Public Schools starts a bit later on August 19. The Shawna Stovall Children's Back to School Pow Wow runs July 31-August 1 in Wyandotte if you're looking for a community event before the bell rings. Check your specific district's calendar, since start dates vary by a week or two across the metro suburbs.

Movies Coming Out

Theaters have a strong back half of summer. Minions & Monsters opens July 1, followed by the horror sequel Evil Dead Burn on July 10. Christopher Nolan's IMAX epic The Odyssey, adapted from Homer, arrives July 17 as one of the year's biggest releases. Disney's live-action Moana lands in late July, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day — Tom Holland's fourth solo outing — closes the month on July 31.

August is lighter on blockbusters but has a notable local tie-in: American Martyr: The Stanley Rother Story, about the Oklahoma priest and missionary, opens August 25. A handful of anniversary re-releases are also hitting theaters, including Train to Busan's 10th anniversary and Wet Hot American Summer's 25th anniversary on August 14.

Dates and lineups are subject to change — always confirm with the venue or official event page before making plans.

Wyatt Poindexter | Managing Partner | The Agency Oklahoma City & Tulsa | 405-417-5466 | www.OKLuxuryHomes.com | 31 years of selling Oklahoma's finest estates and homes | Elite Guild Member of The Institute of Luxury Home Marketing | One of the top 5 luxury realtors in all of Oklahoma for over 15 years | #1 Realtor in Oklahoma for Volume in 2026