Arts & Entertainment

Things to Do

What to Do in Sarasota and Manatee Counties This Week

From reptile encounters and a paddle race to improv comedy, live music, queer art, cats and clothing swaps, and hands-on pasta making and crafts, here’s what to do in Sarasota and Manatee this week.

08/20/2026 By Kim Doleatto

ArtsBeat

Urbanite Theatre Navigates Changing Arts Scene as It Plans 13th Season

The downtown playhouse will offer four new plays and a female-focused new play festival.

08/17/2026 By Jay Handelman/ArtsBeat.org

Pop a Wheelie

Sarasota Unicycler Is Featured in 'Ripley’s Believe It or Not' Book

Ivan Arestov performs on the "ultra wheel," a seatless unicycle with just pedals—no seat, frame or handle.

08/12/2026 By Jules Telfort

Suncoast Searchlight

Florida’s New Anti-DEI Law Threatens Sarasota Arts Groups’ Funding

Sarasota County arts organizations seeking a share of $2.1 million in public grant funding this year are facing a new requirement to sign an acknowledgment tied to Florida's restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

08/11/2026 By Christian Casale/Suncoast Searchlight and Carrie Seidman/ArtsBeat.org

ArtsBeat

Meet the New Sarasota Ballet Dancers

The company bolsters ranks with new hires.

08/11/2026 By Carrie Seidman/Suncoast Searchlight

Book Talk

What We're Reading This Summer

From new titles by beloved authors to old favorites, there's something for everyone in this list.

07/29/2026 By The Editors

Review

'The Last Romance' Wraps Up FST's Mainstage Summer Season

There's something in the air when two older people meet in FST's 'The Last Romance.'

07/27/2026 By Kay Kipling

Singing with Mick

Sarasota-Born Naarai Jacobs Backs Up Mick Jagger on New Rolling Stones Album

Naarai Jacobs turns up on the Rolling Stones' new album, "Foreign Tongues."

07/24/2026 By Kay Kipling

Art History

'Echoes of Sarasota' Exhibit Connects Us to Our Past

The exhibit explores the history of Sarasota, from its swampy beginnings as a farming community to a city of arts and tourism.

07/23/2026 By Jules Telfort

ArtsBeat

Sarasota Art Museum's 'Something Borrowed, Something New' Features Contemporary Art on Loan From Local Residents

The show was years in the making.

07/21/2026 By Carrie Seidman/ArtsBeat.org

ArtsBeat

Harold Mendez, a Dancer Who Doesn’t Fit the Traditional Ballet Aesthetic, Ends His Career While Still in His Prime

At 5 feet, 5 inches tall, regardless of his outsized talent, Mendez’s lack of stature relegated him to less acclaim and opportunity than he deserved.

07/15/2026 By Carrie Seidman/ArtsBeat.org

Jingle All the Way

Van Wezel Announces Holiday Season Lineup

This year's slate of performances includes a Taylor Swift tribute, a high-flying circus performance and "Hamilton" star Leslie Odom Jr. making his Sarasota debut.

07/14/2026 By Staff

ArtsBeat

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe Builds Connections at International Black Theatre Festival

Nate Jacobs' Sarasota-based company returns to the biennial festival in North Carolina with a new revue celebrating Marvin Gaye.

07/13/2026 By Jay Handelman/ArtsBeat.org

Nature's Score

After 44 Years at Sarasota Opera, Victor DeRenzi Is Heading to the Gardens

The longtime maestro will serve as honorary curator of Selby Gardens’ spring 2027 season, bringing music, performance and horticulture together in a new series of exhibitions and programs.

07/13/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Review

We're Off to See the Wizard in Asolo Rep's Summer Show

In a pared-down but still entertaining adaptation, "The Wizard of Oz" brings the classic movie musical to the stage.

07/13/2026 By Kay Kipling

Miss Manners

‘Ladies of London’ Star Myka Meier Got Her Start Right Here in Sarasota

Meier, who’s been called “the picture of grace” by Vogue and “America’s Queen of Good Manners” by The Times magazine, was once Sarasota High School’s prom queen.

07/06/2026 By Kendall Southworth