Standing Ovation

Nearly 400 shows headline Houston Theater Week's fourth year of BOGO tickets

The Broadway cast of Spamalot.

Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

Get ready to raise the curtain, Houston: The city’s biggest celebration of live performance is back and more spectacular than ever.

Houston Theater Week returns for its fourth year from August 18–24, offering Buy One, Get One FREE tickets to nearly 400 performances across the 2025–2026 season. Whether you're a seasoned theatergoer or just curious about the scene, this is your chance to explore the city’s thriving performing arts for a fraction of the price.

Designed to support the city's creative professionals and open new doors for audiences, this annual initiative, powered by Houston First Corporation, has already generated nearly $4 million in ticket sales in just three years. Now, it's leveling up again.

As Hillary Hart of Theater District Houston puts it, “This campaign keeps artists working, audiences engaged, and the city’s creative heartbeat strong.”

The Houston Mariachi Festival returns August 22-24, 2025 at the Wortham Theater.Photo courtesy of Houston Mariachi Festival

What's new in 2025
More shows. More venues. And more ways to curate your perfect night out. This year debuts Ask V, an AI-powered personal assistant that helps you find the right show based on your interests, plus nearby restaurants, hotels, and hangouts to round out the experience. Think of it as your theater-loving best friend, but smarter.

Also new: an all-star celebrity lecture series. Snag tickets to see cultural icons like Jane Fonda, David Sedaris, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Chef Samin Nosrat live on stage.

From Broadway hits to bold premieres
Participating organizations include Theatre Under the Stars, Alley Theatre, Houston Symphony, ROCO, Stages, Tee Zee Productions, The Ensemble Theatre, Performing Arts Houston, and many more. Venues span downtown stages and neighborhood theaters, so you're never far from the action.

Seattle Opera Porgy and Bess Houston Grand Opera will stage 'Porgy and Bess.' Photo by Philip Newton

And the list of performances is nothing short of epic. You’ll find Tony Award winners, world premieres, holiday classics, cutting-edge concerts, and genre-defying dance, all included in the special offer.

Highlights include:

The Da Vinci Code and Real Women Have Curves at Alley Theatre
Monty Python's Spamalot and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical from Theatre Under the Stars
Giselle and Onegin by Houston Ballet
Porgy and Bess, The Barber of Seville, and Silent Night at Houston Grand Opera
Holiday favorites like Elf In Concert, Rocky Mountain High Experience: A John Denver Christmas, Cirque Dreams Holidaze, and A Christmas Carol
The return of the Houston Mariachi Festival, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra
National tours of Life of Pi, Kimberly Akimbo, The Outsiders, Water for Elephants, and The Great Gatsby

And that’s just scratching the surface. There’s something for every age, taste, and cultural background — whether you’re craving Shakespeare or salsa, Bach or Broadway, mariachi or Mozart.

All the info
View the full list of shows and book your tickets starting August 18 at HoustonTheaterWeek.com. Use promo code HTW25 at checkout to unlock the BOGO deal for tickets purchased through August 24.

So don’t miss your cue. Whether you’re planning a date night, a family outing, or just need a good excuse to try something new, Houston Theater Week is your ticket to the best shows in town — times two.

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MFAH expands

Houston museum acquires historic Masonic lodge property for new greenspace

Holland Lodge No. 1, A.F. & A.M./Facebook

The building at 4911 will be torn down for the new greenspace.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has acquired a prime parcel to expand its campus in the Museum District. On Tuesday, December 23, the museum announced it has purchased a two-acre parcel of land at 4911 Montrose Blvd that will bring its total footprint to 16 acres.

Located just north of the Glassel School of Art, the property will be developed as a greenspace that will serve as a community lawn as well as be utilized for future museum events and parking. MFAH has retained landscape architects Nelson Byrd Woltz — the firm responsible for work at Memorial Park and the recently-opened Ismaili Center — to create the design for the new greenspace.

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston greenspace rendering A rendering offers a bird's-eye preview of the new greenspace.Image by by Cong Nie/Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

At this time, the museum does not have plans to build anything on the property, according to a press release.

To make way for the greenspace, the property’s existing building, Holland Lodge No. 1, will be torn down. Built in 1954 as a home for the oldest Masonic lodge chapter in Texas, the building features a sandstone mural facade. It has been for sale since at least 2005, according to a report in the Houston Chronicle.

Demolition on the site is expected to begin in spring 2026 with the greenspace opening in approximately two years, according to press materials. In addition to the Glassell School, the museum’s campus includes the Audrey Jones Beck Building, the Caroline Wiess Law Building, the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden, and the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building.

“We are delighted to contribute to Houston’s greenspace access with this new initiative, which will expand the museum’s 14-acre campus to a thoroughly walkable 16 acres,” Gary Tinterow, director and Margaret Alkek Williams chair of the MFAH, said in a statement. “While the primary objective for the purchase of this property is to secure land for any potential future expansion of the museum, our priority now is to create a welcoming community lawn. Thoughtfully designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz, one of the leading firms in sustainable landscape practice, the site will serve as public greenspace and provide additional parking for museum visitors.”

museums museum of fine arts houston openings

Standing Ovation

Nearly 400 shows headline Houston Theater Week's fourth year of BOGO tickets

MFAH expands

Houston museum acquires historic Masonic lodge property for new greenspace

New York Times critic awards Houston restaurant 2 stars in glowing review

Family-friendly Houston restaurant picks Missouri City for 6th location

Growing national pizza chain will bring halal pies and pastas to Katy