Concerts

15 must-see concerts at Boston’s top venues for fall 2026

From Doja Cat to Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, Arturo Sandoval to Lily Allen, here are some of the best music acts coming to Boston this fall.

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Clockwise from left: Doja Cat; Phoebe Bridgers; Arturo Sandoval; Lily Allen; Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band; and Modest Mouse. AP Photo/John Locher; Erin Clark/Globe Staff; Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Christina Bryson; Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe; Vincent Alban For The Boston Globe

By Ed Symkus

10 minutes to read

I always think of The Doors this time of year. Specifically, their fourth album, “Waiting for the Sun” – Side One, Track 4: “Summer’s Almost Gone.” But I don’t sink into a melancholy funk, because I know there’s plenty of music coming to town to keep spirits high. Here are some suggestions of what to check out.

(Sites include Agganis Arena, House of Blues, Leader Bank Pavilion, MGM Music Hall at Fenway, The Orpheum, Passim, The Regattabar, Roadrunner, Scullers, The Shubert, TD Garden, The Wilbur, and Xfinity Center. Check out our suburban Boston fall concert guide. Previews for small venues are coming soon.)

Best rock concerts

John Fogerty and Steve Winwood at Leader Bank Pavilion

Singer-guitarist-songwriter John Fogerty was the frontman for Creedence Clearwater Revival (“Proud Mary,” “Travelin’ Band,” many more). Keyboardist-guitarist-songwriter Steve Winwood sang in The Spencer Davis Group (“Gimme Some Lovin’”), Traffic (“Dear Mr. Fantasy”), and Blind Faith (“Can’t Find My Way Home”), and both have had successful solo careers. Fogerty has been on his Legacy Tour for a year, and is now joined – in a co-headlining spot – by Winwood. They’ll be performing separately but also getting together on a few songs. Tuesday, Sept. 8, 7:30 p.m., Leader Bank Pavilion, 200 Northern Ave., Boston. $100-$428.

Modest Mouse at Roadrunner

Modest Mouse hit the Pacific Northwest music scene in 1992 and, over the decades, the rock trio has been on a road that’s seen many changes in the lineup and many different moving parts to their sound. They’ve always been straight-up indie rockers, but they also eventually brought in elements of pop, emo, folk, and prog-rock. After a couple of albums that garnered positive reviews in the mid-and late-’90s, they found commercial and critical success and gold certification with “The Moon and Antarctica” in 2000. More gold, some platinum, a couple of Grammy nominations, and stadium-filled crowds followed. After five years away from the studio, last March saw the release of the single “Look How Far …”, and their newest album, “An Eraser and a Maze,” came out in June. Wednesday, Oct. 7, 8 p.m., Roadrunner, 89 Guest St., Boston. $68-$258.

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Best pop concerts

Lily Allen at MGM Music Hall

Not long before being signed to the Regal/Parlophone label in 2005, pop singer Lily Allen was ambitiously getting her music heard via the demos she posted on her social media page. When her first official single – “Smile” – came out the following year, it topped the British charts. The ensuing album – “Alright, Still,” was a huge hit, leading her to constant touring and massive success with her 2009 album “It’s not Me, It’s You.” There was some time away from music, then a return to it, and some time off for a shift into acting on TV, the stage, and in film. Finally back in the recording studio, she made last year’s “West End Girl.” It’s still pop, but its core involves a real-life breakup, so it’s rather dark pop. Friday, Sept. 4, 8 p.m., MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston. $121-$383. 

Danny Elfman at MGM Music Hall

While Danny Elfman’s biggest claim to fame is likely his credit as composer of the theme for “The Simpsons,” the California singer and multi-instrumentalist has enjoyed an eclectic musical career. In his teens, he played violin and trombone as a street performer, later on he joined his brother’s acoustic band The Mystic Knights of Oingo Boingo, which Danny later fronted, turned electric, and sang and wrote music for. In time, the name was shortened to Oingo Boingo, and Elfman was also playing keyboards and guitar. His experiments in composing movie music got a boost when director Tim Burton asked him to score his debut film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” Elfman now has just over 100 scores on his resume. His current tour will feature music from his 2021 album “Big Mess,” some Oingo Boingo tunes, and perhaps new sounds from his upcoming – still untitled – release. Saturday, Sept. 12, 8:30 p.m., MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston. $47-$94.

Charli XCX at TD Garden

It took a decade of well-received solo album releases, singles, and collaborations with other music-makers before Charli XCX reached superstar status. That came with the appearance of her 2024 album “Brat,” which was nominated for England’s Mercury Prize and won the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album. There’s lots more dance-pop-rock on her new album “Music, Fashion, Film,” but a glance at her career reveals that XCX – who’s been writing songs since she was 14 – has always enjoyed jumping back and forth between mainstream pop and trying out new ideas in that genre. The pop sounds on the new record are aided and abetted by undeniable dips into straight-up rock and just a touch of new wave. Thursday, September 24, 8 p.m., TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston. $205-$531.

Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band at MGM Music Hall

There aren’t a lot of chances to see a Beatle in concert these days. But Ringo, who started up his All Starr Band events in 1989, is still at it. And he’s even got a new album – “Long Long Road” – out! This tour’s lineup consists of guitarist Steve Lukather (Toto), vocalist-guitarist Colin Hay (Men at Work), reedman-percussionist Warren Ham (Toto, Kansas), singer-guitarist Hamish Stuart (the Average White Band), drummer Gregg Bissonette (the David Lee Roth Band), vocalist-keyboards Buck Johnson (Aerosmith), and let’s not forget Ringo – singing lead and likely drumming on a few tunes. Wednesday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m., MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston. $66-$2,266.

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Best R&B/rap concerts

The Wooten Brothers at House of Blues

Having already played soul and jazz and funk and R&B for more than five decades, the Wooten Brothers – who morphed from a quintet to a quartet with the passing of their saxophonist brother Rudy in 2010 – are back out on the road. There’s been plenty of other work for them as single performers in other bands over the years, but they haven’t recorded (except for the single “Sweat”) or toured together without Rudy. Now, there’s also a new album on the way – which will include both new and old material (with Rudy on it). For now, we’ve got Regi and Roy and Joseph and Victor onstage with exciting instrumentation and tight vocals. Sunday, Sept. 20, 8 p.m., House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston. $21-$119.

Eli Paperboy Reed at the Regattabar

Brookline native Eli Paperboy Reed is something of a throwback. His music sounds like (and makes you feel like you’re listening to) songs from 50 or 60 years ago: funky soul built on a foundation of blues. But they also sound absolutely contemporary. If you dig deep enough into his catalog, you’ll also find some direct nods to both gospel and country music.  But Reed – who composes most of his album tracks under his real name: Eli Husock – and plays guitar, piano, and harmonica, remains a soul man, through and through. In recent years, some critics have labeled his genre – in a positive way – modern soul. Whatever you want to call it, Reed keeps things funky and his powerful voice – easily reaching the high registers – is yet another soulful instrument in the mix. Friday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m., Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Cambridge. $36-$48.

Doja Cat at TD Garden

One of the many things that Doja Cat has going in her favor is her refusal to keep her music heading in just one direction. She’s been known as a pop singer from the start – her self-recorded EP “Purrr!” was released in 2014 – but she’s also always been a rapper, frequently forging a mixture of rap and pop – often in the same song. And it wasn’t a big stretch for her to add an R&B sensibility to the concoction she’d already created. Still, the blend keeps changing. The proof of that is in her two most recent albums. “Scarlet” (2023) leaned sharply toward hip-hop, while “Vie” (2025) had more pop power, and dance tracks galore. Monday, Nov. 23, 7:30 p.m., TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston. $97-$387.

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Best folk/singer-songwriter concerts

Paula Cole at The Wilbur

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Paula Cole. – Ebru Yildiz, file photo.

When Rockport native Paula Cole was considering a career in music, she wrapped herself in singing jazz standards at Berklee. Then a couple of things happened. She started writing very personal songs, and she headed to California. That’s when it all started clicking. In 1998, her pop ballad “I Don’t Want to Wait” was chosen as the theme song to the TV show “Dawson’s Creek,” and she won that year’s Grammy for Best New Artist. Later albums would have her delving into rock as well as jazz, the latter of which was explored on her 2017 release “Ballads,” featuring a program of standards from the American songbook. Cole’s upcoming two-volume release “Sonic Memoirs: Demos 1989-1998” goes back to her roots with old, self-produced recordings, some of them newly mixed. Her upcoming show is a 30th-year celebration of her album “This Fire.” Friday, Sept. 18, 8 p.m., The Wilbur, 270 Tremont St., Boston. $50-$172.

The Milk Carton Kids at The Wilbur

It’s been 15 years since The Milk Carton Kids made a splash with their album “Prologue” and its much-played track “I Still Want a Little More.” The two-part harmonies and eclectic guitar work of Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan grabbed the attention of acoustic music fans and paved the way for a string of popular, laid-back albums, including the 2024 holiday-themed “Christmas in a Minor Key.” Former Group of the Year winners at the Americana Music Awards, the duo has, at times, added a band to their mix, yet regularly returns to their comforting minimalist sound. Their most recent outing, this year’s “Lost Cause Lover Fool,” added a string ensemble to their voices and guitars. Saturday, Sept. 26, 8 p.m., The Wilbur, 270 Tremont St., Boston. $42-$130. 

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Best country concerts

The Jayhawks at the Shubert

The lineup has changed in the years that The Jayhawks have been singing and playing their own brand of alternative country music – only bass player-vocalist Marc Perlman is an original member. But the bandmates currently joining Perlman – Gary Louris (vocals, guitar), Karen Grotberg (keyboards, vocals), Tim O’Reagan (drums, vocals) – continue to record and perform the kind of music that’s drawn fans for more than four decades. The country at the center of their sound is mixed with tastes of folk and rock, and their harmonies are flawless. They’re on tour playing tunes from their new album “Sanctuary Park.” Saturday, Oct. 24, 8 p.m., Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont St., Boston. $76-$243.

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Best jazz concerts

Arturo Sandoval at Scullers

In the early days of American jazz, Louis Armstrong was the man known for hitting his trumpet’s high notes. Later on, that honor went to Maynard Ferguson. Then the title went to Jon Faddis. There wouldn’t be too many complaints if the crown today was handed to the fiery player Arturo Sandoval. At age 76, the 10-time Grammy-winning horn man is still hitting those high notes … with gusto. A pioneer of Afro-Cuban fusion music, Sandoval has been playing since he was 12, was a founding member of both Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna and later Irakere, and he’s been leading his own bands since 1981. On top of his musical history, Sandoval has a fascinating personal story that includes defecting from Cuba to become an American citizen with the help of his mentor Dizzy Gillespie (another high-noter trumpeter). Some of that tale was told in the 2001 HBO film “For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story,” (he was played by Andy Garcia). His newest recording is this year’s “Sangú.” Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 10-12, 7 & 9 p.m., Scullers, 400 Soldiers Field Rd., Boston. $54-$199.

John Pizzarelli at the Regattabar

Anyone who has seen John Pizzarelli perform live or listened to his records knows that he has a passion for old-school jazz, for classic standards that match up just right with his fleet fingers on the guitar frets and his laid-back vocals. But there are so many other layers of music that he’s been exploring since deciding to follow in his guitarist father – Bucky Pizzarelli’s – footsteps. He started lessons at age 6, formed a rock band when he was 13, and shifted to jazz before he hit 20. A decade later, he began his solo recording career. After a string of jazz releases, he turned to creating musical tributes to various heroes, with records featuring the works of The Beatles, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Pat Metheney and, on one sprawling disc, Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, and Steely Dan. He continues that idea with his newest release, this year’s “Dear Mr. Bennett.” Sunday, Oct. 4, 4 & 6 p.m., Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Cambridge. $42-$53.

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Best miscellaneous concert

40 Fingers at The Wilbur

If listening to these guys doesn’t get you to pick up your guitar for a practice session, nothing will. The Italian quartet of string virtuosos has been expertly using their fingers and thumbs since 2017. They sometimes use guitar picks, but their technique of choice is fingerpicking, so they do, indeed, use 40 digits between them. A group like this might be expected to play classical music, and there is some Beethoven in their repertoire, but a recent setlist also included “Sultans of Swing,” “The Sound of Silence,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and “Hey Jude.” A little bit of everything for everyone. Sunday, September 27, 8 p.m., The Wilbur, 270 Tremont St., Boston. $49-$109.

Ed Symkus

Ed Symkus is an arts and entertainment writer and critic who covers music, film, television, and Boston-area concerts.

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