Article Contributed by jbleicher.com
Published on 2026-07-28
Dark Star Orchestra has announced its Fall 2026 Tour, a run that will take the band through the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic before concluding with a special four-night return to Florida in December.
Highlights include a Rex Foundation benefit at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., celebrating the 45th anniversary of Reckoning, along with multiple-night stands in Montclair, Huntington, and Fort Lauderdale.
The fan club presale begins Wednesday, July 29, at 10 a.m. local time, followed by the general on-sale Friday, July 31, at 10 a.m. local time.
The newly announced dates arrive during a busy summer for Dark Star Orchestra, following appearances at major venues across the country, including New York City’s Rooftop at Pier 17, and ahead of the band’s two-night return to the Greek Theatre in Berkeley on July 31 and August 1.
Presented as The Music Never Stops: A Rex Foundation Benefit & Tribute to Bob Weir, the Greek Theatre weekend will coincide with Jerry Garcia’s birthday and the beginning of the Days Between. The event will bring together Dark Star Orchestra, Melvin Seals & JGB featuring Jazz Mafia Horns, Peter Rowan, and Sam Grisman Project.
As that momentum carries into the fall, Dark Star Orchestra will continue its nearly three-decade mission of celebrating the Grateful Dead live concert experience for longtime Dead Heads and new generations of fans.
A centerpiece of the fall tour will take place Saturday, November 21, at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., where Dark Star Orchestra will present a Rex Foundation benefit celebrating the 45th anniversary of Reckoning, the beloved 1981 live Grateful Dead album drawn from the band’s intimate 1980 acoustic and electric performances.
For Dead Heads, Reckoning holds a special place in the band’s history. Capturing the Grateful Dead during a rare period when the group opened with an acoustic set before moving into two electric sets, the album revealed a different side of the Dead’s musical language: warm, roots-driven, and closely connected to the folk, blues, country, and bluegrass traditions that shaped the band from the beginning.
At The Anthem, Dark Star Orchestra will honor that period by recreating a complete three-set show from the Reckoning era, featuring one acoustic set followed by two electric sets.
In keeping with DSO tradition, the specific concert being recreated will not be announced in advance, allowing fans to experience the evening as it unfolds.
The Anthem performance will benefit the Rex Foundation, the nonprofit organization founded in 1983 by members of the Grateful Dead. For more than four decades, Rex has carried forward the Grateful Dead community’s philanthropic spirit by supporting small nonprofit organizations doing meaningful work that is often overlooked by traditional funding sources.
The Fall 2026 Tour will also include a special four-night Florida run, marking Dark Star Orchestra’s long-awaited return to the state. The band will perform December 2 at the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, December 3 and 4 at War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, and December 5 at The BayCare Sound in Clearwater.
Dark Star Orchestra has spent nearly 30 years carrying forward the Grateful Dead live concert experience, performing more than 3,400 shows for a growing community of longtime Dead Heads and new generations of fans.
Known for recreating historic Grateful Dead concerts with care, precision, and improvisational spirit, the band has become one of the most respected touring institutions in the jam-band world.
Each DSO performance honors the sound, structure, and spontaneity of the Grateful Dead’s live shows while allowing the music to breathe in the moment. The Fall 2026 Tour continues that mission across theaters, ballrooms, amphitheaters, and destination events throughout the country.
For more information and tickets, visit darkstarorchestra.net.
Dark Star Orchestra Newly Announced Fall 2026 Tour Dates
November 12 – Providence, RI – Providence Performing Arts Center
November 13 – Albany, NY – Palace Theatre
November 14 – Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre
November 19 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater
November 20 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater
November 21 – Washington, D.C. – The Anthem *
November 22 – Erie, PA – Warner Theatre
November 24 – Binghamton, NY – Forum Theater
November 25 – Jim Thorpe, PA – Penn’s Peak
November 27 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount
November 28 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount
December 2 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre
December 3 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – War Memorial Auditorium
December 4 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – War Memorial Auditorium
December 5 – Clearwater, FL – The BayCare Sound
* Special Rex Foundation benefit celebrating 45 years of Reckoning
Previously Announced 2026 Dates
July 28 – San Diego, CA – Humphreys Concerts by the Bay
July 30 – Sacramento, CA – California State Fair
July 31 – Berkeley, CA – The Greek Theatre
August 1 – Berkeley, CA – The Greek Theatre
August 4 – Jacksonville, OR – Britt Pavilion
August 6 – Eugene, OR – The Cuthbert Amphitheater
August 7 – Woodinville, WA – Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
August 8 – Forest Grove, OR – McMenamins Grand Lodge
September 10 – Charlottesville, VA – Ting Pavilion
September 11 – Harrisburg, PA – Riverfront Park
September 12 – Atlantic City, NJ – Ovation Hall
September 15 – Utica, NY – Saranac Brewery
September 17 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall
September 18 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
September 19 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
September 20 – Burlington, VT – Grand Point North Festival
September 26 – Williamsburg, VA – William & Mary University’s Martha Wren Briggs Amphitheatre
Previously Announced 2027 Destination Event
January 12–16 – Montego Bay, Jamaica – Jam in the Sand XIII — Sold out
