From a 1970s singer-songwriter titan to a Las Vegas staple to visits by two musical movie stars, the summer 2026 casino headliner schedule boasts an interesting and diverse roster of acts.
The local gaming-hall lineup — which as usual is dominated by Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and Ocean Casino Resort — includes, respectively, James Taylor, Blue Man Group and actors Billy Bob Thornton and Keanu Reeves acting out their rock star fantasies.
Other notable dates include those of Adam Lambert, Wu-Tang Clan, Harry Connick Jr. and a John Fogerty/Steve Winwood double-bill.
Ultimately, the summer roster may be most notable for what isn’t on it: Sadly, for the first time perhaps ever (not counting the summers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic), there are no extended-run production shows on the books (the exception being “The Hook” at Caesars Atlantic City, which runs year-round; the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported last Sunday that the three-year-old revue is closing in September).
Below, in chronological order, are some of the more noteworthy engagements of the upcoming season (tickets available at ticketmaster.com except where noted):
Blue Man Group
(June 20-21; Tropicana Atlantic City)
The difficult-to-categorize troupe that offers a one-of-a-kind blend of comedy, music and performance art has only played Atlantic City three times since its 2003 local debut, with the most-recent gig taking place in 2013.
James Taylor & His All-Star Band
(June 27; Hard Rock Hotel Casino Atlantic City)
The guy who helped define the “singer-songwriter” movement of the early-1970s is back on the road with what can be assumed will be a “greatest hits”-laden show highlighting his canon of signatures including “You’ve Got A Friend,” “Fire and Rain,” “Carolina In My Mind” and “Your Smiling Face.”
The Guess Who
(July 11; Hard Rock)
Last year, octogenarian Canadian rock deity Randy Bachman successfully toured with a revived Bachman-Turner Overdrive (a.k.a. BTO). This year, having won back the rights to the Guess Who brand, he and lead singer Burton Cummings are on the road. Expect a jukebox-worth of hits, among them “American Woman,” “These Eyes,” Share the Land” and “Undun.”
Jeff Dunham
(July 12; Ocean Casino Resort)
Every generation has one star ventriloquist, and for years, that bill has been filled by Dunham and his retinue of puppets led by “Walter,” an ever-crusty curmudgeon.
“Weird Al” Yankovic
(July 17; Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa)
As is the case with ventriloquists, superstar song parodists are rare. And for decades, “Weird Al” has had that lane all to himself.
Adam Lambert
(July 17; Ocean)
The “American Idol”-spawned crooner who has found a regular gig being the late Freddie Mercury’s replacement as Queen’s lead singer, is taking some time to concentrate on his own career: A new album, “Adam,” is due July 10, with the Ocean performance just one of four so far announced for the U.S. (and six overall).
The Quincy Jones Experience
(July 18; Resorts Casino-Hotel)
Tribute acts constitute a significant chunk of casino bookings, but they are overwhelmingly dedicated to classic-rock and pop acts. Which is why this program devoted to the many musical accomplishments of composer-producer Jones (including “Soul Bossa Nova,” the jaunty “Austin Powers” theme) is noteworthy.
Harry Connick Jr.
(July 24; Borgata)
Pop crooner Connick’s 1990 AyCee debut at what was then Bally’s Grand Casino-Hotel remains one of the greatest sets we’ve ever seen in a local gambling den. If this show is even one-tenth as entertaining as that one was, it will go down as one of the year’s best.
The Chicks
(July 31; Hard Rock)
The trio formerly known as The Dixie Chicks are doing 16 dates that will celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Taking the Long Way,” the chart-topping 2006 album that served to reinvigorate the unit’s career following the blowback from comments Natalie Maines made during a 2003 performance that were critical of former President George W. Bush and his prosecution of the Iraq war.
Buddy Guy
(July 31; Ocean)
We’re talking national treasure here. The almost-90-year-old guitarist (he hits that milestone next month) and avatar of mid-20th-century Chicago blues is a hero to several generations of guitar players, among them Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn and John Mayer.
Nikki Glaser
(Aug. 1; Hard Rock)
The Cincinnati, Ohio native is arguably the top female comic working today, thanks to various TV specials and her high-profile role as host of the previous two Golden Globe Awards telecasts.
Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters
(Aug. 1; Hard Rock Sound Waves)
He may be best-known as a twice-Oscar-nominated character actor and the winner of a 1996 Academy Award for his script for the 1996 film, “Sling Blade,” but Thornton is also a serious musician who, with the Boxmasters, has released 19(!) albums.
What makes his musical career interesting is the group’s sound, which it describes as “modbilly,” a combination of British Invasion era pop-rock and 1950s rockabilly.
Dogstar
(Aug. 14; Hard Rock Sound Waves)
The other summer attraction boasting a bona fide movie star is this grunge-y alt-rock band whose bass player just happens to be Keanu Reeves (“The Matrix,” “John Wick”).
Stray Cats
(Aug. 15; Ocean)
And speaking of rockabilly, this trio, which singlehandedly revived the proto-rock genre in the early 1980s, is back on the boards despite guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer’s 2025 battle with an unspecified autoimmune disease that seriously impacted his ability to play his instrument. But he has recovered enough to allow the Cats to tour again.
Diana Ross
(Aug. 21; Ocean)
Ross performing in Atlantic City is hardly stop-the-presses news; she’s been gigging there for 60 years either with The Supremes or as a solo act. But that’s the point: She’s been coming to town for six decades and, if recent performances are any indication, she remains an incandescent performer.
Wu-Tang Clan
(Aug. 28; Hard Rock)
Last July’s Wu Tang Clan rave-up at what was then the Wells-Fargo center (now Xfinity Mobile Center) was sold as the legendary hip-hop troupe’s final performance. But that obviously wasn’t the case. Also on the bill is Bone Thugs-N- Harmony.
John Fogerty and Steve Winwood
(Sept. 11; Ocean)
Between them, Fogerty (the guiding light of Creedence Clearwater Revival) and Winwood (Spencer Davis Group, Traffic) account for a sizeable chunk of classic-rock history. Expect an evening of greatest hits from both their 1960s/’70s bands and their decades-long solo careers.
Atlantic City Jazzfest
(Sept. 11 and 12; Hard Rock Sound Waves)
Jazz is hardly a mainstay of casino entertainment, which makes this two-night bash something special. Featured artists include saxophonists Marion Meadows, Kirk Whalum and Jeanette Harris, trumpeter Tom Browne, and pianist Alex Bugnon.
