Duke Arts Announces Two Free Outdoor Concerts

Each is a collaboration with local partners, with both a part of the We the People initiative

A group of people sitting on the lawn on Duke's East campus attending an outdoor concert.
Arts on East campus concert

Duke Arts will present two free outdoor concert series in 2026, Arts on East and Duke Arts at American Tobacco, as part of the Duke and Durham We the People initiative. Both series are developed in collaboration with local partners and draw on the region’s musical traditions.

Arts on East will take place on Duke’s East Campus on Wednesdays from May 27 through June 24. The series was previously known as Music in the Gardens and has been renamed to reflect its current location.

Each concert will be hosted by local artist and performer Stormie Daie and organized in partnership with a different Durham-based curator. The 2026 lineup features Meltdown Rodeo, Lua Project, Brandon Woody’s UPENDO, Rebecca Porter and ZOOCRÜ.

Duke Arts will also return to the American Tobacco Campus in September for a second outdoor concert series. The 2026 season will be curated by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and Duke practitioner-in-residence Tift Merritt and will focus on the influence of women singer-songwriters, highlighting intergenerational connections and artistic legacy.

“This series is a thank you letter to the lineage of women singing their stories,” says Merritt.

The full schedule for the American Tobacco series is expected to be announced later in the summer.

Go to Duke Arts for more information.