4 Best Performing Arts Venues in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Every season showcases live music, comedy, and cabaret shows with powerhouse performers, including Thorgy Thor from RuPaul's Drag Race, Lagoon Bloo singing Britney Live, and more. 

Sunday evenings by the bay (late June through Labor Day, weather permitting) are filled with the sounds of the town-band concerts, held in the gazebo on the grounds of Drummer Boy Park. Bring your beach chairs, blankets, and a picnic for a lovely outing. The park is about ½ mile west of the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, on the western side of Brewster.

In 1950, actress Gertrude Lawrence and her husband, producer-manager Richard Aldrich, opened the Cape Cod Melody Tent to showcase Broadway musicals and concerts. Today, it's the region's top venue for pop concerts and comedy shows. Performers who have played here in the round include the Bonnie Raitt, Elle King, Gavin DeGraw, and the Beach Boys. Comedians including Nikki Glaser and Seth Myers are also recent headliners.

Chatham's summer town-band concerts—a tradition that began in the 1940s—begin at 8 pm on Friday from late June--August and draw thousands of onlookers. As many as 500 fox-trot on the roped-off dance floor, and there are special dances for children and sing-alongs for all.