July Culture Guide: 47 Things to Do in the DC Area

Happy July, DC!

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour hosts two nights of rodeo-themed entertainment at Northwest Stadium this month. Also, the Smithsonian opens several new galleries at National Air and Space Museum, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is back to show off the latest youth inventions.

10 Best Things to Do in DC

by Pat Padua

Festivals

Smithsonian Folklife Festival

July 2–7

This year’s event addresses the theme Youth and the Future of Culture, with participants demonstrating young people’s projects in film and music production, master crafts, and even a lowrider bike club.

Music

Beyoncé

July 4 and 7

The superstar giddyups into town on the heels of her Grammy-winning country pivot, Cowboy Carter. This stadium spectacle promises a dazzling light show and mechanical bulls, so come along for the ride.

Books

Amelia Tseng

July 7

A professor of Spanish and linguistics at American University, Amelia Tseng will discuss her new nonfiction book, Empanadas, Pupusas, and Greens on the Side, about how Latin American immigrants who arrived in Washington in the 1980s navigated a predominantly African American community.

Theater

Sesame Street the Musical

July 10–August 31

Sing along with Elmo, Cookie Monster, and friends in this Muppet production that includes old faves like “Rubber Duckie” and new songs written for the show.

Books

James Grady

July 18

The author of the classic DC spy thriller Six Days of the Condor set his latest novel, American Sky, in midcentury Montana, where a teen growing up in the wake of the Vietnam War and JFK’s assassination faces an uncertain future.

Opera

Dialogues of the Carmelites

July 18, 20, 24 and 26

Francis Poulenc’s 1957 opera–adapted from an unproduced screenplay by Georges Bernanos (The Diary of a Country Priest)–dramatizes the true story of Carmelite nuns who were martyred during the French Revolution for refusing to renounce their faith.

The District’s annual showcase for professional-tennis stars returns. This year’s lineup includes top players such as Taylor Fritz, Madison Keys, and Frances Tiafoe (above).

Music

Carmina Burana

July 25

Adapted from a medieval poem lamenting the cruelty of fate, Carl Orff’s “O Fortuna” shows up everywhere from TV to hip-hop samples. Hear it on a summer night, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra, two choruses, and Wolf Trap Opera soloists.

Music

Bad Moves

July 26

After releasing three hook-filled, high-energy albums in less than a decade, the excellent DC band is breaking up–this will be its final show. The goal? “[W]e thought the best move would be to party with the kids who wanna party with us one last time,” they recently wrote on Instagram.

Museums

Milestones of Flight and Other Galleries

Opening July 28

As part of a huge renovation that began in 2018, the museum is unveiling five new galleries, including Futures in Space, World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation, and Milestones of Flight Hall, which features big attractions such as the Mercury Friendship 7 capsule.

Want More Things to Do?

by Briana Thomas

Arts and culture:

• Time-travel to the 450-year-old city of the ancient Inca Empire with virtual reality at “Machu Picchu” experience (through September 28, $37, $29.50 for ages 8 to 17, Downtown).
• Video artwork The Last Post by Shahzia Sikander examines British colonialism in Asia (opens July 3, free, Smithsonian American Art Museum).
• The National Building Museum’s Great Hall transforms into an immersive parkour installation this month (July 3-20, $5 parkour ticket, $10 museum admission, $7 museum admission for ages 3-17 and 60+, Penn Quarter).
• Shop a farmer’s market, browse vendors, and listen to music at West Porch Fridays (every Fri through September 26, free, Union Station).
• Illustrator and writer Mari Andrew—who began her drawing career in DC—returns to town for an author discussion at Sixth & I (July 15, $22+ for in-person, $12+ for virtual, Downtown, virtual).
• Listen in on curator talks, watch drag performances, and sip cocktails at The Capital Jewish Museum’s after-hours party (July 24, $16+, Georgetown).
• Watch five films that explore the themes of adventure and art at The Trail Running Film Festival (July 31, $20, Eastern Market).

Community and heritage:

• Don your red, white, and blue, and head to Constitution Avenue for the annual National Independence Day Parade (July 4, free, Downtown).
• Bring a chair or blanket, and stake out a spot on the lawn as the US Navy Concert Band performs on the Chrysalis Stage (July 4, free, Columbia).
• Museum-goers get to listen in on a reading of the Declaration of Independence by founding father reenactors, as well as live music performances at the National Archives (July 4, free, Downtown).
• Our favorite Fourth of July celebration returns to light up the National Mall (July 4, free, National Mall).

Theater:

• Studio Theatre presents Wipeout—a comedy about surfing and friendship (through July 27, $42+, Logan Circle).
• Circus, theater, and dance retell the story of Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Duel Reality (July 1-20, $39+, Penn Quarter)
• You’ve Got A Friend: Women Pop Songwriters showcases the hits of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Adele, and more music stars at Signature Theatre (July 2-13, $51, Arlington).
• Don’t miss the stage adaptation of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at National Theatre (July 8 through September 7, $66+, Downtown).
• Attend the US premiere of the new musical Dead Inside at Woolly Mammoth Theatre (July 9-27, $31+, Penn Quarter).
• Love, irony, and friends explore their relationships in the DC premiere of Apropos of Nothing, a Comedy (July 12 through August 10, $54, Dupont Circle).
• Sail away to the melodies of soft rock and R&B at Signature Theatre’s cabaret-style show Sailing: Yacht Rock (July 22 through August 10, $53, Arlington).
• The life of a Black, deaf, queer writer is at the center of the new musical A Strange Loop (July 23 through August 10, $40+, H Street Corridor).

Shows and performances:

• After debuting in Europe in the ’60s, American opera The Alcestiad will be heard in the US for the first time this summer (July 20, $40, MLK Library).
• Solve puzzles at a live game of Dungeons & Dragons The Twenty-Sided Tavern (July 22 through August 3, $39+, Kennedy Center).

Music:

• Concert ensembles such as Patrick Lundy and the Ministers of Music, The Choral Arts Society of Washington, and classical conductor Jack Everly perform A Capitol Fourth Concert (July 4, free, US Capitol).
• The Washington National Cathedral presents a musical celebration showcasing the world premiere of Fantasia for brass quintet and organ by David Hurd (July 4, free, Northwest DC, virtual).
• Put on your cowboy hat and boots and head to Fourth at The Wharf for a country music concert (July 4, free, Wharf).
• Tickets are selling fast to see folk duo The Milk Carton Kids perform live at The Birchmere Music Hall (July 6, $45, Alexandria).
• Party in all white atop Arlo’s stylish rooftop with a DJ and skyline views (July 6, $22+, Downtown).
• Live from the Lawn returns to Strathmore with weekday outdoor concerts for adults and kids (July 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, 30, pay-what-you-can, Bethesda).
• Rock band Wavves is live in concert at Union Stage (July 12, $35+, Wharf).
• Celebrate Latin music at Wolf Trap’s Todo Sonido music festival (July 12-13, $67+, Vienna).
• Teddy Swims sings soul-stirring songs from his project I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy at the Anthem (July 16, $130+ from third-party sellers, Wharf).
• The two-day concert-style National Cannabis Festival brings hip-hop artists Big Boi, Three 6 Mafia, and Ty Dolla Sign to DC (July 18-19, $75+, RFK Festival Grounds).
• Former Saturday Night Live comedian Kyle Mooney arrives in DC to showcase his latest craft, music (July 20, $49+, Shaw).
• Pixies—a rock group that’s been making music since the ’80s—plays their greatest hits at Anthem (July 25, $75+, Wharf).
• Rap star Lil Wayne is sure to hype fans at Jiffy Lube Live with rhymes from his new album Tha Carter VI (July 30, $30+, Bristow).

Things to do with kids:

• Get a sneak peak of Independence Day sparkles at Nats Park on July 3. Then, attend the annual holiday Nationals baseball matinee on July 4 (July 3-4, $19+, Nationals Park).
• Children can learn international folk tales from the Pushcart Players at Wolf Trap (July 9-10, $12, free for ages younger than 2, Vienna).

Bites and beverages:

• Savor bites from more than 50 local eateries, and sip unlimited drinks at Washingtonian’s Best of Washington culinary bash; tickets are on sale now (July 24, $195+, promo code BOW for 15% off, Penn Quarter).

A version of this article appears in the May 2025 issue of Washingtonian.