Big Concerts Coming to Virginia in May 2025

Music festival season is in finally upon us, and plenty of musicians will be performing at venues and festivals around Virginia in May. Whether you’re a rock-and-roller or a country lover, catch your favorite artists and discover new ones all over the Commonwealth.

NOTE: This is not a complete list of shows and certain schedules may change. Please check with the individual venues for the most up to date details.

MUSIC FESTIVALS

Friday Cheers – Richmond

Rock out with up-and-coming artists, grab a brew and dinner from a food truck, and enjoy an evening on Brown’s Island. This spring concert series takes place Fridays in May and June; individual tickets are $10 in advance.  

Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival – Yorktown

Blues musicians from Hampton Roads and beyond will enchant audiences at Riverwalk Landing on May 3, 2025. There will also be over 30 craft beers to sample and barbecue for purchase. Tickets are $50.

Bayou Bon Vivant Cajun Music & Food Festival – Norfolk

This three-day celebration of the sounds and flavors of New Orleans will include jazz musicians, an arts market, and Cajun dishes like beignets, gumbo, and jambalaya. The party takes place the weekend of May 16-18 and tickets start at $15 per day.

Dominion Energy Riverrock – Richmond

Take in riverside performances and witness athletic feats at the nation’s premier outdoor sports and music festival. Competitions and events will take place at various James River sites the weekend of May 16-18.

Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival – Martinsville

The lineup of this music and arts festival at Pop’s Farm includes Trampled By Turtles, Lettuce, and Keller Williams. See 45+ bands across six stages, camp on-site, and take advantage of experiences including outdoor activities, arts and crafts, and yoga.

Umoja Festival – Portsmouth

Portsmouth’s celebration of diversity, unity, and African American culture brings live music, arts and crafts, family-friendly fun, and international flavors to Festival Park, May 23-25. This year’s lineup includes jazz, reggae, gospel, and R&B acts.  

Gathering in the Gap Music Festival – Big Stone Gap

Head to the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park for an array of performances across two stages, plus instrument and songwriting competitions. Festival admission is free; tickets to the evening concert are available for purchase.

Veterans Band Aid Music Festival – Virginia Beach

This country-rock music festival features headliner Josh Turner on Friday, May 30 and Blackberry Smoke on Saturday, May 31. Proceeds will benefit nonprofit Coastal Authority Care Foundation.

RICHMOND CONCERTS

At The National

• May 1 – Zack Fox DJ Set
• May 2 – CHAOS & CARNAGE
• May 3 – The Dead South
• May 4 – Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
• May 9 – ZOSO (Led Zeppelin Tribute)
• May 10 – BoyWithUke
• May 11 – Alyssa Edwards
• May 13 – Silverstein
• May 16 – Livingston
• May 17 – Electric Feels
• May 19 – MJ Lenderman & The Wind
• May 20 – Lucius
• May 21 – The Wonder Years and the Little Kruta String Ensemble
• May 24 – Future Islands
• May 25 – Nekrogoblikon
• May 26 – Lil Poppa
• May 27 – Corinne Bailey Rae
• May 29 – The Menzingers

At The Broadberry

•  May 1 – Nolan Taylor
• May 2 – Emo Kids
• May 3 – White Ford Bronco
• May 4 – Amigo the Devil
• May 10 – South Hill Banks
• May 15 – Trousdale
• May 17 – Arm’s Length
• May 18 – Mako Music School
• May 29 – Ralph Stnaley II & The Clinch Mountain Boys
• May 30 – Hudson Westbrook

At the Altria Theater

• May 6 – Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
• May 7 –The Temptations & The Four Tops

At the Dominion Energy Center

• May 17-18 – Richmond Symphony Presents: Symphonie Fantastique!
• May 31 – Richmond Symphony Presents: Play Ball!

At Virginia Credit Union Live at Richmond Raceway

• May 8 – The Avett Brothers

CHARLOTTESVILLE CONCERTS

At the Ting Pavilion

• May 2 – Free Union
• May 9 – Afro Asia
• May 16 – Hash
• May 23 – Waasi
• May 25 – Thee Sacred Souls
• May 30 – The Skip Castro Band

At the Jefferson Theater

• May 2 – An Unexpected Party
• May 9 – Pony Bradshaw
• May 11 – Dorothy
• May 16 – Captain Mike & The Shipwrecked
• May 31 – Start Making Sense (Talking Heads Tribute)

At the Paramount Theater

• May 13 – Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
• May 31 – Ashley McBryde

CENTRAL VIRGINIA CONCERTS

At the Beacon Theater in Hopewell

• May 2 – LA Guns
• May 3 – Indecision
• May 9 – Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
• May 10 – Doug Church: The True Voice of Elvis
• May 17 – The Malpass Brothers
• May 18 – The Carole King & James Taylor Story
• May 29 – Pandora’s Box (Aerosmith Tribute)
• May 30 – Mother’s Little Helpers (Rolling Stones Tribute)

HAMPTON ROADS CONCERTS

At the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach

• May 10 – Rüfüs Du Sol
• May 11 – Primus, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle
• May 16 – Tedeschi Trucks Band

At the Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion in Portsmouth

• May 17 – Travis Tritt
• May 24 – Kool & The Gang
• May 30 – King George, Sir Charles Jones, Marcellus The Singer, Cecily Wilborn, Fat Daddy

At the NorVa in Norfolk

• May 1 – Soulja Boy
• May 2 – Zack Fox DJ Set
• May 3 – Matisyahu
• May 6 – Shakey Graves
• May 8 – ZOSO (Led Zeppelin Tribute)
• May 9 – Coco Jones
• May 10 – Larry Fleet
• May 11 – Fontaines D.C.
• May 12 – G-Eazy
• May 16 – Electric Feels
• May 17 – Benny the Butcher
• May 21 – Between the Buried and Me
• May 23 – Of Mice & Men
• May 24 – Smino
• May 25 – Lil Poppa
• May 27 –Young Nudy
• May 30 – Suicidal Tendencies

At the Chartway Arena in Norfolk

• May 3 – NoCap
• May 25 – Beenie Man

SHENANDOAH VALLEY CONCERTS

At the Golden Pony in Harrisonburg

• May 2 –Valley DePalma
• May 3 – Jay Webb
• May 6 – John Moreland
• May 7 – Frank Turner
• May 10 – August Burns Red
• May 11 – Bastardane
• May 17 – Gabriel Meadows
• May 21 – Terror
• May 31 – Drowned Cavern Metal Festival

At the Bright Box Theater in Winchester

• May 9 – Breach the Silence
• May 16 – Mike Frazier
• May 17 – Stone Temple Pilots & Rage Against the Machine Tributes
• May 22 – Melissa Carper
• May 30 – Of Good Nature
• May 31 – The Flying Ivories: Dueling Pianos

At the Lime Kiln Theater in Lexington

• May 16 – Punch Brothers
• May 23 – The Infamous Stringdusters
• May 31 – Josiah and the Bonnevilles

At the Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville

• May 9 – Ken Kolodner
• May 11 – Loudoun Youth Guitars
• May 16 – Bryan McDowell & Friends
• May 30 – Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet

VIRGINIA MOUNTAINS CONCERTS

At the Berglund Center in Roanoke

• May 2 – Melissa Etheridge and Joss Stone
• May 23 – Lanco
• May 24 – Lovelytheband
• May 25 – 1964 The Tribute

At Dr. Pepper Park in Roanoke

• May 9 – Pandora’s Box (Aerosmith Tribute)
• May 16 – Easton Corbin
• May 24 – Hairball

At the Salem Civic Center in Salem

• May 10 – Coheed and Cambria
• May 15 – Roanoke Symphony Orchestra Pops: The Music of Billy Joel

At the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount

• May 8 – Journeyman (Eric Clapton Tribute)
• May 15 – Ace Frehley
• May 16 – Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge
• May 17 – Della Mae
• May 21 –The Wood Brothers
• May 22 – Twitty & Lynn
• May 27 – Steve Earle
• May 30-31 – Morgan Wade

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA CONCERTS

At the Paramount Center for the Arts in Bristol

• May 1 – Priscilla Presley
• May 8 – The Dead South
• May 16 – Ace Frehley
• May 30 – Beatles vs. Stones

At the Lincoln Theatre in Marion

• May 3 – David Frizzell
• May 9 – Chad Prather
• May 10 – Yesterday (Beatles Tribute)
• May 25 – Letters From Home Uniting The Nation
• May 30 – Spank the 80s Tribute Band
• May 31 – T.G. Sheppard

At the Rex Theater in Galax

• May 2 – Arkansauce
• May 9 – Carson Peters & Iron Mountain
• May 10 – Colby T. Helms & The Virginia Creepers
• May 16 – Mason Via
• May 22 – The Last Revel

At the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons

• May 3 – Leftover Biscuits
• May 10 – Ralph II
• May 17 – Crooked Road Ramblers
• May 24 – Twin Creeks Stringband
• May 31 – Nothin’ Fancy Bluegrass Band

NORTHERN VIRGINIA CONCERTS

At Wolf Trap National Park for Performing Arts in Vienna

• May 23 – John Holiday
• May 30-31 – The Avett Brothers

At Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow

• May 21 – Breaking Benjamin & Staind
• May 24 – Pierce the Veil
• May 31 – Halsey

At EagleBank Arena in Fairfax

• May 8 – Barak
• May 18 – Primus, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle
• May 25 – Sunidhi Chauhan

At Jammin Java in Vienna

• May 1 – California Guitar Trio, Kaki King
• May 2 – David Cook
• May 4 – Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road
• May 5 – Savannah Conley
• May 6 – Jon Muq
• May 7 – Kris Delmhorst
• May 8 – Jenny Own Youngs, Robert Ellis
• May 9 – Canaan Cox
• May 11 – Matt Andersen
• May 13 – Peppino D’Agostino
• May 14 – Scott Miller
• May 15 – Sirens of Spring
• May 16 – Ward Davis
• May 17 – Triple Threat
• May 18 – DC Rockers Tribute Show
• May 22 – The Moon City Masters
• May 23 – Bobby Thompson Band
• May 24 – Mr. Jon & Friends
• May 24 – Parthenon Huxley & His Ridiculous Band
• May 25 – ARC Acoustic Rock Classics
• May 29 – Aidan Leclaire Band
• May 30 – Screaming Infidelities

At The Birchmere in Alexandria

• May 1 – Kandace Springs
• May 2 – Michael W. Smith
• May 3 – Lady Blackbird
• May 4 – Ms. Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton
• May 7 – Madeleine Peyroux
• May 8 – Martin & Eliza Carthy
• May 10 – BoDeans
• May 11 – Junie Henderson, Paul Bumbry, A.T.O.M. (Frankie Beverly Tribute)
• May 12 – Living Colour
• May 13 – Sara Evans
• May 15 – Stella Cole
• May 16 – Keiko Matsui
• May 18 – Norman Brown
• May 20 – Five For Fighting
• May 23 – The Manhattans
• May 24 – Chrisette Michele
• May 25 – Corinne Bailey Rae
• May 31 – Walter Beasley

At the State Theatre in Falls Church

• May 3 – Misil Stereo Tributo A Soda Stereo + Gustavo Cerati
• May 9 – Johanna San Miguel
• May 13 – Fabiana Cantilo
• May 15 – Miguel Mateos
• May 17 –The Legwarmers
• May 30 – Jeremy’s Ten (Pearl Jam Tribute)

At the Tally Ho Theatre in Leesburg

• May 1 – LA Guns
• May 2 – Disciple of the Garden
• May 3 – Gold Dust Woman (Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac Tribute)
• May 4 – Bulletboys
• May 7 – The Wailers
• May 9 – Nashville Nights (90s Country Tribute)
• May 10 – ZOSO (Led Zeppelin Tribute)
• May 11 – Kanin Wren (Taylor Swift Tribute)
• May 16 – Schism (Tool Tribute)
• May 17 – Philadelphia Freedom and Hudson River Line
• May 23 – Be Kind & Rewind
• May 24 – Vulgar Display of Pantera (Ozzmosis Ozzy Tribute)
• May 25 – Smile Empty Soul & Tantric
• May 26 – David Nail
• May 30 – Carbon Leaf
• May 31 – Van Halen Nation

Are we missing any big concerts? Let us know in the comments below. For more big names coming to Virginia this month, go to virginia.org/music.