Experience Josh Groban live with Grand Rapids Symphony at Acrisure Amphitheater in Grand Rapids on August 30, 2026. Stage, Screen, and Symphony brings together Broadway, film music and orchestral arrangements, so plan your ticket purchase and arrive ready for an open-air concert evening
Josh Groban brings together Broadway, film and symphonic sound in Grand Rapids
Josh Groban is coming to Acrisure Amphitheater with Stage, Screen, and Symphony, a concert concept that connects three areas that have long shaped his career: musical theater, film music and large orchestral arrangements. The performance in Grand Rapids takes place on Sunday, August 30, 2026, and according to the currently published schedule, it begins at 7:30 PM.
This is not a conventional tour stop built only around a selection of the greatest hits. The announcement for Grand Rapids particularly highlights Broadway and material from the album CINEMATIC, and Groban will be joined on stage by the Grand Rapids Symphony. The orchestra itself is key to understanding the character of the evening: songs that already carry a strong melodramatic and cinematic dimension gain a full symphonic framework, while Groban's baritone remains at the center of the arrangements.
- Performer: Josh Groban
- Program: Stage, Screen, and Symphony
- Orchestra: Grand Rapids Symphony
- Date: August 30, 2026
- Start: 7:30 PM according to the currently published schedule
- Venue: Acrisure Amphitheater, 201 Market Ave SW, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Ticket sales for this event are currently underway.
Why the current stage of Groban's career matters for this concert
Over more than two decades, Groban has built an audience at the intersection of pop, classically shaped vocals, theater and orchestral music. Audiences associate his catalog with songs such as "You Raise Me Up", "To Where You Are" and "February Song", but Stage, Screen, and Symphony is not designed merely as a retrospective of old hits.
The most important context for this evening is CINEMATIC, his album released on May 8, 2026. It is a collection of 10 songs dedicated to music from the big screen, produced by Greg Wells. The selection spans several different generations of film music: "As Time Goes By" from Casablanca, "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio, "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's, "Remember Me" from Cocoa, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King, as well as Groban's interpretation of "Skyfall".
The album also includes "Unchained Melody" with Jennifer Hudson, "Brucia La Terra", "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" and "Stand By Me". Such a repertoire naturally suits a symphonic format and large dynamic crescendos.
In current tour announcements, Groban has emphasized that he is drawn to music that tells a story, regardless of whether it comes from Broadway, film or a symphonic arrangement. That describes the program in Grand Rapids well: the evening is conceived less as a sequence of separate hits and more as a meeting of different parts of his musical identity.
What previous performances on the tour reveal about the repertoire
No fixed set list has been announced in advance for the Grand Rapids concert, so individual songs should not be regarded as guaranteed. Nevertheless, documented set lists from Stage, Screen, and Symphony performances in August provide a very clear indication of the program's direction.
At performances in Saratoga Springs and Norfolk, the first part of the evening included numbers connected with theater and film, among them "Pure Imagination", "What I Did for Love", "Old Devil Moon", "Dust and Ashes", "On My Own", "All I Ask of You" and "Evermore". The second part was distinctly cinematic and symphonic, with songs such as "As Time Goes By", "Remember Me", "Cinema Paradiso", "Brucia La Terra", "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "Skyfall".
That structure demonstrates the logic of the tour's name: "Stage" brings Broadway, "Screen" brings film themes, and "Symphony" provides the orchestral framework. In Norfolk, the performance lasted about two hours, while in Saratoga Springs it was somewhat shorter. This is only a guideline, not a promise of an identical running time or sequence in Grand Rapids.
For longtime fans, the move away from a completely predictable "greatest hits" concert is appealing. At the same time, the film material is accessible to audiences who do not know every album in Groban's discography.
Grand Rapids Symphony is not merely accompaniment
Grand Rapids Symphony was founded in 1930 and has operated for decades as the city's professional orchestra. Its contribution is particularly important for this evening because Groban's repertoire often relies on broad string lines, dramatic transitions and crescendos that gain a great deal when the singer is backed by the full sound of an orchestra.
In "Skyfall", the symphonic ensemble can emphasize the weight of the harmony and cinematic tension, while "As Time Goes By" depends more on space, phrasing and nostalgia. The Broadway material brings a different, distinctly dramatic dynamic.
That is precisely why this concert may appeal to audiences who otherwise rarely attend large pop tours. The production does not rely solely on rhythm, choreography or visual effects. The main event is the relationship between voice, song and orchestra. Additional performers or opening acts for Grand Rapids are not listed in the current announcement, so they should not be assumed based on other cities.
Acrisure Amphitheater as a new stage along the Grand River
Acrisure Amphitheater is one of the newest major concert venues in Grand Rapids. It opened in May 2026 and is located along the Grand River, in the central part of the city. Its capacity is more than 12,000 visitors, with approximately 7,000 fixed seats and lawn space for about 5,000 people.
That combination is important to the experience of Groban's concert. Audiences in the fixed seating sections get a more traditional feeling of a large open-air concert hall, while the lawn creates a more relaxed summer format. The covered section does not extend over the entire audience area; the roof ends at row H on the 200 level, and even the seats beneath it do not come with a complete guarantee of protection from the weather.
For this kind of repertoire, the size of the venue brings both an advantage and a challenge. Songs such as "Moon River" or "Remember Me" require a sense of intimacy, while symphonic arrangements can give them breadth without turning them into typical stadium pop.
It is worth securing tickets in good time.
Getting to downtown Grand Rapids
The location at 201 Market Ave SW is in the downtown area, so it is often practical to park farther from the entrance and cover the final part of the journey on foot or by public transportation. For the amphitheater's first season, the city introduced a special traffic plan for event nights.
DASH, the city's downtown shuttle, connects parking locations with the amphitheater area and is free. A short walking route leads from Rapid Central Station to the amphitheater. Drivers should expect traffic changes around the venue.
Market Ave is closed between Cherry St and Bartlett St on event days, and the Market exit from US-131 South is also closed. These changes begin approximately two hours before the doors open. Because of this, navigation that does not account for the event traffic pattern may direct drivers to a closed access point. Downtown parking facilities, a short walk and the city shuttle are often a simpler combination than trying to drive directly to the entrance.
A passenger drop-off zone has been designated along Cesar E. Chavez / Grandville Ave under US-131, between Oakes and Cherry St. Visitors who need an accessible route should check the current ADA parking locations before departure.
Entrances, bags and what to check before leaving
Acrisure Amphitheater has two main entrances. Riverside Entrance is located on the southwest side by the river, while Wintrust Gate is on the northeast side near Market Ave. For most events, Riverside Entrance begins admitting the audience 10 to 15 minutes before Wintrust Gate. Visitors with permitted lawn chairs must use Riverside Entrance.
Door opening times vary from event to event. The venue's general rule is that doors most often open about 90 minutes before the time shown on the ticket, but the organizer explicitly warns that this may change. For this concert, it is therefore wise to check the latest information on the day of the performance instead of planning arrival solely according to the general rule.
Bag rules are strict. Larger bags, backpacks and purses are not permitted, with exceptions for medical and parental needs. Small clutch bags up to 4.5 x 6.5 x 2 inches are allowed. Security screening with a metal detector is carried out at the entrance, and re-entry is not permitted after leaving.
- Save your digital ticket to your mobile wallet before arriving to reduce the possibility of connection problems.
- Check the chair policy if you have a lawn seat, because permissions may vary depending on the event.
- Bring clothing suitable for an outdoor venue and weather conditions; a small personal poncho is permitted.
- Do not plan to bring outside food or drinks, except for one factory-sealed bottle of water up to 20 oz per person.
- Arrive early enough because of road closures, security screening and possible lines at the entrance.
An outdoor concert also means watching the weather
Acrisure Amphitheater holds events in rain or dry weather, with safety interruptions when conditions become dangerous. For visitors, this means that ordinary rain by itself does not mean cancellation. On the other hand, lightning, strong wind gusts or severe weather may lead to a temporary suspension of the program.
An umbrella is not a good plan because it is on the list of prohibited items, while ponchos are allowed. Even the section of seats beneath the roof is not described as being completely protected from weather conditions. Since the concert takes place in late August and outdoors, it is more practical to think of it as an evening at an open-air stage than as a visit to an indoor arena.
Who will find this evening especially interesting
Groban's most loyal fans will get a concert that shows why his voice works so well outside the standard pop format. Instead of allowing the older catalog to completely overshadow the new material, the current concept gives substantial space to songs that entered his repertoire only this year.
Audiences who love Broadway can expect a strong theatrical element based on previous tour performances. Film music enthusiasts will recognize themes from Casablanca, The Lion King, Skyfall, Cocoa and other titles that Groban covered on CINEMATIC. For audiences who find a symphonic concert more appealing than a traditional pop production, the Grand Rapids Symphony adds additional weight.
What also makes Grand Rapids special is the timing of the event itself. Acrisure Amphitheater is still in its first season, so Groban's evening combines a new tour with a new concert venue. The emphasis is different from many summer programs on the same stage: orchestra, film melody and Broadway in a large open-air setting along the river.
Sources:
- Acrisure Amphitheater - announcement of the Stage, Screen, and Symphony concert, confirmation of the performance with Grand Rapids Symphony, information about capacity, seating layout, entrances, bag policies, weather conditions and arrival.
- Josh Groban - current album CINEMATIC, release date, track list and biographical context of the performer.
- Setlist.fm - documented set lists and times of previous Stage, Screen, and Symphony performances in August 2026, used only as a guideline for the type of repertoire and duration, not as confirmation of the set list for Grand Rapids.
- City of Grand Rapids - access plan for Acrisure Amphitheater, DASH, The Rapid, traffic changes, walking routes and information for arriving on event nights.
- Grand Rapids Community Media Center - currently published starting time for the concert in Grand Rapids.