McAllen, McAllen Performing Arts Center, Matteo Bocelli, Arts for All, Broadway, Fall for the Arts
Staff Report
McAllen TX - The City of McAllen and the McAllen Performing & Cultural Arts Foundation unveiled new arts initiatives and announced the upcoming season’s entertainment lineup at the second annual Fall for the Arts event.
The event featured the launch of Arts for All, an initiative aimed at connecting students across the Rio Grande Valley with live performing arts experiences. The program aims to reach approximately 900 to 1,000 students each year through five to six Broadway productions, giving students the chance to attend performances, connect with touring artists and learn about careers in the arts.
Community members, businesses and organizations can support the initiative by sponsoring a student’s Broadway season for $250, with funds providing students access to performances and educational experiences at the McAllen Performing Arts Center.
Officials said Broadway subscriptions have increased 15 percent, and several single-night engagements have sold out. Beginning with “Beetlejuice,” McAllen will expand select productions from one-night to two-night engagements, with a long-term goal of attracting extended Broadway runs to the Rio Grande Valley.
The event also included the announcement that “Winter Nights with Matteo Bocelli” will come to the McAllen Performing Arts Center on Dec. 19. Bocelli, an Italian singer and songwriter and the son of tenor Andrea Bocelli, has built a career blending classical influences with contemporary music.
In conjunction with the concert, the McAllen Performing & Cultural Arts Foundation will host a pre-show wine dinner and meet-and-greet fundraiser, with proceeds supporting the foundation’s arts access and education initiatives, including Arts for All.
The 2026-2027 entertainment lineup includes Broadway productions such as “The Music Man,” “Mystic Pizza,” “Waitress,” “Beetlejuice” and “Legally Blonde,” along with performances by Edith Márquez, Juanes, Alicia Villarreal, José Madero, Jim Gaffigan and Gary Owen, among others. The season will also include community events such as Noche de Vino, the South Pole Illuminated Festival, the Deborah Case Winter Recital and holiday performances.
City Manager Isaac J. Tawil said the arts strengthen quality of life and help connect generations and communities, and that Arts for All is meant to ensure more young people have the opportunity to experience the arts.
Tickets and the full entertainment lineup are available through the McAllen Performing Arts Center Box Office or Ticketmaster.
Source - City of McAllen / McAllen Performing & Cultural Arts Foundation