Your summer concert lineup | Things to Do

Summer is on its way and if you’re like me, you’re already dreaming of beach days, pop concerts, and outdoor fun. The best part of summer is getting out of the house for the amazing lineups of concerts, movie screenings, festivals, and more. Naturally, Philly is already buzzing with sunglasses and booming speaker energy. What’s your favorite summer activity in the city? Let me know! For music lovers, we’ve got a list of the 26 biggest and best summer concerts coming to Philly.

This weekend, catch Sasha Velour of RuPaul’s Drag Race, see the play Jane Eyre with five Janes, scope out a new series of acoustic soul concerts, and make your outdoor movie plans.

— Rosa Cartagena (@_RosaCartagena, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

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You’ve already seen Taylor. (Or maybe you just Tayl-gated?) But Philly is hosting more major acts this summer and there’s a show for everyone, even if you couldn’t get Beyoncé tickets. The sizzling lineup includes Springsteen, Pink, Erykah Badu, Killer Mike, Drake, and more, so you better snag those tickets soon! 🔑

💅 Sashay away to the Kimmel: RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Sasha Velour performs her “one-queen drag show” at the Kimmel tonight, where she’ll also discuss her new book, The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag. The legendary drag queen will have the audience laughing and lip-syncing along.

🍿 Date night: Catch classic movies like Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, and Indiana Jones under the stars with outdoor screenings across Philly, from parks to cemeteries to rooftops.

🎭 The Janes: In a new version of Jane Eyre from the Philadelphia Artists’ Collective, there are five Jane characters. Why? Because, feminism. 🔑

🎵 Sounds for the soul: Black Diamond Soul is a new series of acoustic soul concerts showcasing Philly musicians and it kicks off on Friday with Black Buttafly.

🦾 Put your hands together: A new play about Black women who are falling apart — literally. We went behind-the-scenes to learn how Theatre Horizon presents an actor losing her arm. 🔑

🎙️ Headphones on: In the podcast Late Night with Ler & Lionel, two Black Philadelphia natives discuss sex and relationships in a refreshing context that — unlike other popular pods — pushes back against sexism and misogynoir.

📅 My calendar picks this week: Check out the Trans Art Market, the HBCU Festival, and the Roxborough Spring Festival.

We all need to touch grass. Especially as Philly’s weather warms and the sun welcomes us to experience wonderful days al fresco, you’re probably thinking about what fun activities you can enjoy outside with your friends, kids, and family. The Inquirer is launching Outdoorsy, a newsletter for folks who want to explore outdoor fun in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and beyond. My colleague Paola Pérez will write about all the ways to get outside in a weekly guide with hikes, water sports, picnics, camping (and glamping, for my high-maintenance readers), and she’ll feature wondrous stories about Pennsylvania’s great outdoors from The Inquirer’s Jason Nark as well. Sign up here!

🎻 In our classical era: Tune into some classical music shows this summer with an LGBTQ+ pride concert, movie score performances (Star Wars, obviously, and others), as well as free neighborhood concerts. See classical music critic Peter Dobrin’s roundup of the shows he’s most excited to attend. 🔑

🏖️ Chilling at the beach: How weed friendly is the Jersey shore, really? We’ve got answers.

💐 Season’s greetings: Everybody loves getting flowers (just make sure cat owners don’t get lilies!) so we rounded up the best flower shops and florists in Philadelphia.

🍳 Weird, but O.K.: I love a good breakfast sandwich but this one has me curious but hesitant. It’s a bacon, egg, and cheese combined with…a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Not kidding!

🌹 Coming soon: The Bachelor for seniors! See abuela and abuelo vie for precious roses in a forthcoming series, The Golden Bachelor.

🍰 Snacks are back: LBI’s beloved Holiday Snack Bar was almost restricted from opening, but now it’s back on track for all your beach snack needs.

What’s the seating capacity at the Linc?

A) 14,831

B) 150,342

C) 67,594

D) 81,375

📮 Write me back to let me know which of the above is correct.

This week, I binged Queen Charlotte and watched Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 so yes I cried a lot because despite appearances — I thought one would be horny fun and the other would be space fun — they’re both actually depressing AF. Have a rec for something more upbeat? Send it my way, I’m desperate to laugh!