Entertainment News

The Struts, whose style recalls bands such as The Rolling Stones and Queen and who has had the hits “Could Have Been Me” and “Kiss This,” will perform at 7 p.m. June 28 at Archer Music Hall, it was announced Monday.

Jesse Royal, a Jamaican who blends traditional roots reggae with modern influences and socially conscious lyrics, will perform at the July 11 festival on the SteelStacks campus. Royal will be among more than a dozen acts across three stages scheduled for the festival, set for noon-1:30 a.m.

Brian Regan, who has starred in several Comedy Central specials and refrains from profanity and off-color humor, will play State Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25, the venue announced. And Lewis Black, known for his cantankerous comedic style and also as an author, playwright, social critic and actor, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9.

Jessica Simpson, known for her 1999 platinum single "I Wanna Love You Forever," as well as for starring in the MTV reality show "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica" with her husband, singer Nick Lachey, will perform at 8 p.m. June 11.

ArtsQuest announced Thursday it will transform its campus at SteelStacks into "the Lehigh Valley’s premier soccer destination" June 11-July 19.

The Major Arena Soccer League announced Thursday that league owners have approved a team for Allentown.

Zach Top, who in just two years has had four gold or platinum songs and is best known for his 2024 double-platinum hit "I Never Lie," will perform at 7 p.m. Aug. 21, the venue announced.

The May 22 show will kick off five monthly concerts in the second year of free, family-friendly series "with an expanded and diverse lineup designed to bring the community together through live music, culture and shared experiences in the heart of Allentown," presenter ArtsQuest said in a release.

Blues, Brews & Barbecue Festival will return, reimagined as Red, White & Blues for 2026, from noon-8 p.m. June 13 in downtown Allentown.

The festival, returning to the college campus for an eighth year, will be held 4-10 p.m. Friday, May 22, and noon-10 p.m. Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24.

Brooks and Dunn, the country music Hall of Fame duo that had a dozen gold and platinum albums and more than 40 Top 10 Country chart hits before retiring in 2010, will reform for another tour, it was announced Monday.

Days away from its grand opening celebration, Bethlehem's Twisted Tees has something else to celebrate — a planned expansion that will bring mini golf and more.

Orgy, known best for its 1998 hit cover of the New Order song “Blue Monday,” will perform at 5:30 p.m. May 17 at MainGate Night Club as part of a tour to mark the anniversary of its album “Candyass,” which included “Blue Monday.”

IronPigs Charities/Phillies Winter Caravan was held at ArtsQuest on Thursday night. This year’s total of $71,500 increases the overall total to more than $1.3 million since 2007. Combined with the IronPigs’ Baseball contributions, $2.4 million in cash has been raised since its inception.

Listen to the Dissonance: Songs & Conversations About Mental Health will be at 2 p.m. Feb. 4 (doors and vendors open at 1:30) in the Charles Brown Icehouse, 56 River St., Bethlehem. Offered by Your Next Favorite Band podcast, the show will offer interviews and solo performances by five regional performers, then a songwriter roundtable with all the participating artists.

Season 32 winners Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy will appear at the "Dancing with the Stars Live!" tour at the Wind Creek Event Center.

ArtsQuest’s Concerts on the Grange, which kicked off last year as a two-day music festival featuring tribute acts to Upper Macungie Township’s Grange Park, this year will expand to four nights of music throughout spring and summer.

Allentown Art Museum hosted a reception for its new immersive and interactive exhibition ‘Restoring Petals,’ which reflects on the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic and honors those who died.

The series, at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema in the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, "promises to immerse audiences in the magic of 1999, a year celebrated for its groundbreaking and iconic films," an ArtsQuest release said.

The ice skating rink at SteekStacks, put on by ArtsQuest, will cap off its second winter in operation Monday. The nonprofit took a loss on ice skating there for a second year, according to the organizers.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Dave & Buster's Lehigh Valley location doled out 200 passes for free games for a year Friday, drawing hundreds of people to the hybrid arcade/bar/restaurant.