February Culture Guide: 45 Things to Do in the DC Area

Happy February, DC!

From Galentine’s DJ dance parties to Cupid’s Undie Run, and romantic R&B concerts with major artists like Miguel, there are a number of ways to celebrate Valentine’s throughout the month. Also, film fest season is underway featuring local showcases such as DC Black History Film Festival—to mark Black History Month—and DC Independent Film Forum.

10 Best Things to Do in DC

by Pat Padua

 

Theater

The World to Come

February 3–March 1

Playwright Ali Viterbi’s new work, about the residents of the SeaBreeze Hebrew Home for the Aging who are facing an impending apocalypse with humor and resilience, gets its world premiere.

 

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Books

Eugene Robinson

February 5

Freedom Lost, Freedom Won, the new book by the Pulitzer-winning former Washington Post columnist, tells the story of race in America through the lens of Robinson’s own family, from his enslaved great-great-grandfather through the 1960s civil-rights movement to today’s heated racial climate.

 

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Theater

Stereophonic

February 10–March 1

David Adjmi’s Tony-winning musical is set in a 1970s recording studio, and its drama stems from a Fleetwood Mac–like band dealing with creative and sexual tension while trying to make an album. The show’s original songs are by Arcade Fire’s Will Butler.

 

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Podcast

Slate Political Gabfest 20th Anniversary Live Taping

February 11

Over this popular podcast’s two-decade existence, the political landscape has changed in ways that might have seemed unimaginable at its start. City Cast’s David Plotz, New York Times Magazine writer Emily Bazelon, and former CBS News journalist John Dickerson now return to the venue where the panel recorded its first live show back in 2009.

 

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Dance

The Winter’s Tale

February 11–15

British choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, the man behind the Michael Jackson jukebox musical MJ, directs this American Ballet Theatre adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy-drama about childhood friends, murder plots, and abandoned babies.

 

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Throughout a long career performing physical comedy, actor-clown Bill Irwin has found inspiration in the work of Samuel Beckett. Irwin taps Beckett touchstones like Waiting for Godot and Texts for Nothing in this one-man evening of comedy and tragedy.

 

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Museums

“Nick Cave: Mammoth”

February 13, 2026–January 3, 2027

The American sculptor has long addressed race and identity in his politically charged art. For his latest work, he turns to nature, transforming gallery space into a surreal landscape populated with the hides and bones of long-extinct mammoths.

 

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Books

Marc Shaiman

February 14

The versatile composer will discuss his new memoir, Never Mind the Happy, which traces his career from a longtime creative partnership with Bette Midler through his frequent film collaborations with the late Rob Reiner to Broadway musicals like Hairspray.

 

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Music

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

February 27

Acclaimed Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä–who’s set to lead the CSO full-time starting in 2027–offers a preview with the orchestra, helming two majestic concert staples: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Berlioz’s visionary Symphonie Fantastique.

 

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Museums

“Making Their Mark: Works From the Shah Garg Collection”

February 27–July 26

Komal Shah and Gaurav Garg are a married couple who have amassed an impressive collection of art, much of it by female artists. This exhibit includes more than 70 of their pieces, spotlighting both well-known and unheralded women whose works in various media have made an impact on abstract art from midcentury to the present.

 

More Things to Do in February

by Briana Thomas

 

Arts and culture:

• Play an array of fun board games with neighbors at Mr. Henry’s (February 1, $10, Capitol Hill).
• Sit in on four movie screenings at the library’s Black Film Festival (every Tues through February, free, MLK Library).
• National Gallery Nights returns this month for another season of after-hour art strolls and dancing. You can grab a lottery ticket to the opening party, “Art Under the Stars” (February 12, free, lottery open February 2-5, National Gallery of Art).
• Phillips After 5 hosts a Valentine’s Fete where attendees can celebrate self-love with live music, craft workshops, and a happy hour for singles (February 5, $20, Dupont Circle).
• Binge-watch a mix of short and feature films at DC Independent Film Forum (February 11-16, $65+ for passes, multiple DC locations).
• Explore the rare and vibrant artwork of impressionist artist Mary Cassatt (February 14 through August 30, free, National Gallery of Art).
• Photographer George Hurrell captured the glitz and glam of Hollywood during the ’30s and ’40s. Now, 20 vintage images are on display in “Star Power” (opens February 13, free, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery).
• NMWA Nights is back for an evening of museum entertainment including hands-on crafts, live music, and cocktails (February 18, $25, Northwest DC).
• Discover the latest Irish dramas, documentaries, and animations at Capital Irish Film Festival (February 26 through March 1, prices are TBA, Silver Spring)

Community and heritage:

• Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Scott Shane uncovers the history of Thomas Smallwood—an enslaved person who helped people escape bondage (February 10, $30, virtual).
• Commemorate George Washington’s Birthday at the first president’s historic estate (February 16, free, Mount Vernon).
• Attend the annual George Washington Birthday Parade in Old Town (February 14, free, Alexandria).
• The DC Black History Film Festival celebrates Black culture through go-go music, and a showcase of 15 films at the Lincoln Theatre (February 20, free, U Street Corridor).
• Ring in the Lunar New Year with Asian cuisine, crafts, and live cultural performances at Twin Lakes Golf Course (February 21, $10, Clifton).
• Mark the year of the horse with art, jewelry-making, lion dance performances, and more at a Lunar New Year Festival (February 21, free, Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art).

Theater:

• Check out the ghostly world premiere of John Doe at Keegan Theatre (February 5-22, $55, Dupont Circle).
• Storytelling and magic come together at Nothing Up My Sleeve…Simple Deceptions for Curious Humans (February 11 through March 15, $50+, Bethesda).
• Storytellers share their own love journeys live at Story District’s Sucker For Love (February 14, $45+, U Street Corridor).
• Chicago’s hilarious improve troupe The Second City is coming to Wolf Trap (February 25-28, $63+, Vienna).
• If you are looking for some humor, snag a ticket to Jim Gaffigan’s standup at the Anthem (February 26-28,  $62+, Wharf).

Music:

• The Art Song Festival presents music from American and European composers this month (February 1, free, virtual, Baltimore).
• National Symphony Orchestra plays a symphonic rendition of music from Brahms and Radiohead (February 10-11, $33+, Kennedy Center).
• Veteran rock band Nine Inch Nails arrives in DC for an epic Peel It Back tour stop (February 11, $63+, Capital One Arena).
• R&B singer Dende teams up with local artist Melan for a pre-Valentine’s Day concert (February 12, $16+, Wharf).
• Celebrate Galentine’s Day in a pink, rose-inspired outfit as a nod to the love goddess Venus (February 13, $13, Shaw).
• Decades is throwing a DJ dance party in Bollywood style for everyone in a situationship (February 13, $12+, Downtown).
• The Folger Consort plays some of the most popular love songs of the 15th century hailing from France and Burgundy (February 13-15, $20+, Capitol Hill).
• Singer-songwriter Miguel performs airy tunes and pop hits at the Anthem (February 15, $73+, Wharf).
• Soul group SZN4 from Netflix’s “Building the Band” is live in concert at Howard Theatre (February 19, $33+, Shaw).
• On the rise pop-rock artist Alemeda arrives at The Atlantis to promote her latest EP (February 20, $35+, Shaw).
• Capital City Symphony performs a concert of melodies based on the theme of hope (February 21, $36, H Street Corridor).
• Feminist musician Peaches performs at 9:30 Club (February 27, $57+, Shaw).

Bites and beverages:

• Satisfy your sweet tooth at Virginia’s three-day Chocolate Lovers Festival, where you can sip hot cocoa, make your own chocolate bars, and taste treats from vendors (February 6-8, free admission, $1 for treat tokens, Fairfax).
• Have a happy Valen-wines Day at Lulu’s Wine Garden; there will be tacos and unlimited pours (February 15, $66, U Street Corridor).

Get involved:

• Cupid’s Undie Run takes over Union Stage. Dress in your Valentine’s-themed undergarments and jog or dance for a good cause (February 21, $45+, Wharf).

Part of this article appears in the January 2026 issue of Washingtonian.