Tulsa ConcertsLive music and comedy, told by locals

Tulsa roundup

August 17 to 23, 2026

Blue Whale takes over the Arts District

Four days of comedy land in the Arts District starting Thursday, Vince Gill comes home to The Cove the same night, and the Drillers are at ONEOK Field every night through Sunday. The middle of August is usually slow. Not this one.

The one thing

The Blue Whale Comedy Festival runs Thursday, August 20 through Sunday, August 23 across the Tulsa Arts District, and this is its eleventh year. More than 75 comics work six rooms over four days, including two stages inside Cain's Ballroom plus LowDown, Chimera, Saturn Room and Soundpony. The theme leans into the Route 66 centennial, "Get Your Kicks at Blue Whale Comedy Festival 2026". Demetri Martin, Chris Fleming, Melissa Villasenor and Jay Jurden headline the Cain's main stage, with Wolves of Glendale, Ehsan Ahmad and Conor Janda on the bill too. VIP passes are gone. Blue Ballroom passes, which cover all three Cain's headline sets, and single day passes were still around at the time of writing. The whole thing is walkable, so park once and stay put.

Live music and comedy

Comedy owns the weekend, but the best single show of the week is a country one, and it is on Thursday.

See the full concert calendar for everything on sale.

Festivals and free stuff

  • Tunes and Spoons takes over the Claremore Expo Center from Friday, August 21 through Sunday, August 23. It is the second year for it, and it is free to get in. A chili cook off, a car cruise and two nights of country headliners, which is a lot of afternoon for no money.
  • Blue Whale closes with a free brunch show at Fassler Hall on Sunday, August 23. No pass needed, and it is the easiest way to see what the festival is about if you skipped the ticketed rooms.
  • The Next Wave showcase at Cain's names the festival's five Top Comics to Watch, picked from submissions sent in from all over the country. Cheap seats, and you get to say you saw them first.
  • The Tulsa Farmers' Market is at 1 South Lewis on Saturday, August 22 from 7 to 11 am, with the midweek market on Wednesday from 8 to 11 am. Late August means peppers, okra and the last good peaches.

Sports

The Tulsa Drillers are home every night this week at ONEOK Field against the Amarillo Sod Poodles, Tuesday, August 18 through Sunday, August 23. First pitch is 7 pm Tuesday through Saturday and 12:05 pm on Sunday. This is the back half of their only back to back homestand of the season, so if you missed the Travelers series last week you get six more chances. One thing to plan around. Blue Whale is running in the Arts District from Thursday on, and the ballpark sits right there, so downtown parking gets thin by 6 pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Come early, walk more, or take the bus. FC Tulsa is a long way from home this week, away at Orange County SC on Saturday, August 22. They are back at ONEOK Field on Saturday, August 29 at 7:30 pm against Rhode Island FC for Back to School Night.

On the horizon

Next week goes back to music. Evan Felker plays Cain's Ballroom on Wednesday, August 26, which is about as close to a hometown room as the Turnpike Troubadours frontman can get. Friday, August 28 splits three ways, Don McLean at the Mabee Center, Grand Funk Railroad at the Osage Event Center and Jason Boland & The Stragglers at Tumbleweed Dancehall. Then Andy Grammer closes it out at Hard Rock Live on Saturday, August 29, the same night FC Tulsa is back downtown. After that, Rocklahoma runs September 4 through 6 out at Pryor Creek with Godsmack, Slayer and Papa Roach. Full rundown next week.

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