Grow Omaha
Arts & Culture

The Henry Doorly Zoo is featuring Shark Tunnel of Love, a special event at the Aquarium from February 11 through 14 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. This adults-only Valentine’s experience at the zoo is designed for meaningful connection. Guests ages 21 and up can explore select areas of the zoo while celebrating as a couple or gathering friends for a night out. Select the experience that matches your evening, from General Admission to early-access VIP and private igloo options. There will also be a Kids Night Out: Shark Tunnel of Fun on February 13 and 14 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., where young ones can tour the tunnel before the event begins, with activities, snacks and more. Tickets remain available for February 11 and 12 but are going fast.

The Holland Performing Arts Center will feature Hearts & Harmony Gala by Hero’s Encore on February 14 from 4 to 6 p.m., at Scott Hall, with a VIP hour beginning at 3 p.m. Experience veterans, first responders and transitioning service members share original songs created through a nine-month therapeutic music and storytelling program as they celebrate their graduation. These performances are lived stories told onstage – raw and honest – for an honorary evening. For more information, visit their website.

The Omaha Symphony will present Stravinsky’s Firebird performing at the Holland Performing Arts Center on February 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. Renowned opera conductor Christopher Allen leads an splendid evening of breathtaking virtuosity. John Strauss II’s opening to Die Fledermaus puts guests in a theatrical frame of mind before Francisco Fullana, famed violinist, joins the Omaha Symphony for Barber’s stunning Violin Concerto. Starburst, by leading contemporary American composer Jessie Montgomery, is filled with energy, and a fabulous feature for the Omaha Symphony strings. Finally, Stravinsky’s iconic Firebird takes us back to the ballet, with perfectly crafted music filling one’s imagination in every visual. For tickets and more information, visit here.

Steelhouse Omaha will feature the Vitamin String Quartet performing The Music of Billie Eilish, Bridgestone and Beyond as part of their 2026 tour February 26 at 7 p.m. Vitamin String Quartet (VSQ) is one of the most popular string ensembles in the world. They perform spellbinding renditions of classical, dance, hip-hop and pop musical hits from Billie Eilish, BTS, The Weeknd, Daft Punk and more. VSQ has garnered over 2 billion streams and numerous Billboard chartings since its inception. Doors open at the venue at 6 p.m. with reserved seating only. Prices start at $39.20. For more information or for tickets, visit here.

The Omaha Film Festival (OFF) has unveiled the official lineup for its 2026 festival, bringing 104 films to the big screen at Aksarben Cinema, March 10 through 15, bringing independent film, filmmaker conversations and community celebration to the metro area. This year’s festival includes three special screenings, 12 documentary features and 12 narrative features, 30 short films, 10 animated short films and 37 national and international short films.

This year’s event will also feature OFF Academy, which welcomes dozens of students in grades 7 through 12 for interactive learning experience through working with filmmakers, writers and production professionals.

The Durham Museum has a couple of exhibits starting February 7:

Get Building! Bricks at the Museum, partnered with the Lincoln and Omaha Lego User Group (LOLUG) is a creative interactive experience featuring LEGO builds. This unique exhibit allows participants to create their own masterpiece at a construction area and see LOLUG’s extraordinary original pieces, including Omaha’s Union Station, Nebraska State Capitol, Omaha Streetcar and more. It will be an opportunity for all ages to see local talent while providing visitors the tools to become creators as well.

The Negro Motorist Green Book Exhibition is an immersive look at travel for African Americans in mid-century America, the parallel world of African American businesses, the rise of the Black leisure class in the United States and the important role The Green Book played in facilitating the second wave of the Great Migration. This exhibit will feature historic footage, images and firsthand accounts to convey the apprehension, as well as the resilience, of African American travelers.

Opera Omaha announced its 2026-27 Season, which expands its programming to include more productions and venues:

OPERA OUTDOORS
Saturday, August 29, 2026 | Stinson Park at Aksarben Village

WILL LIVERMAN IN CONCERT
Sunday, September 27, 2026 | Slowdown

LA BOHÈME
Friday, November 13 & Sunday, November 15, 2026 | Orpheum Theater

THE PIGEON KEEPER
Thursday-Saturday, January 28-30, 2027 | The Rose Theater

ARIADNE AUF NAXOS
Friday, March 19 & Sunday, March 21, 2027 | Orpheum Theater

ALESSANDRO
Friday, April 30, 2027 | Holland Performing Arts Center
Season tickets for Opera Omaha’s 26/27 Season are available now at www.TicketOmaha.com.

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts will host a Residency Meet and Eat on Thursday, February 12 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Old Market. This is an opportunity to meet the Spring 2026 artists-in-residence, learn about their practices and aspirations, while enjoying free pizza and drinks. Admission is free, though ticket reservations are encouraged. For more information, visit here.

The Omaha Symphony will perform music of Elvis Presley with internationally acclaimed tribute artist Pat Dunn at the Holland Center on February 14 at 7:30 p.m., and February 15 at 2 p.m. Crowned “The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist” in 2021, Dunn topped the field of international Elvis tribute artists and went on to earn the Golden Championship Belt. He stars in this production as the King himself, bringing generations back to the 1960s and 70s with the look, movement, presence and vocals of Elvis. Dunn also promises a few love songs to be on the set list since it’s on Valentine’s Day weekend. For more information, visit here.

Omaha Mobile Stage (OMS) from Partners for Livable Omaha has announced its fifth season starting in March after four successful seasons. This production training program has grown into a nationally recognized mobile venue that has delivered nearly 100 free public events, showcased more than 700 performances, reached over 50,000 community members in person and paid more than $250,000 to creative workers across the Omaha metro area. Their several shows include:

OMS Winter Showcase at Reverb Lounge
March 17, 2026

Battle of the Bands at Millwork Commons
May 3 at 6 p.m.

Elmwood Park Youth Talent Show
May 31 at 6 p.m.

Dance Night Youth Talent Show at Gene Leahy Mall
June 7 at 6 p.m.

Papillion Youth Talent Show at SumTur Amphitheater
June 14 at 4 p.m.

Youth Talent Show Finals at Gene Leahy Mall
June 28 at 6 p.m.

Outdoor Wallpaper at Joslyn Castle & Gardens
April 11 at 4 p.m.

Sunsetting Showcase at Joslyn Castle & Gardens
May 21 at 6 p.m.

Omaha Performing Arts will present Blade Runner LIVE at the Orpheum Theater on February 5 at 7 p.m. Experience the 1982 multi-Academy Award-nominated cult classic by Ridley Scott on a large HD screen while Vangelis’ electronic score is performed by The Avex Ensemble for the first time. The film follows the character Rick Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, as he hunts and exterminates rogue synthetic humanoids, called replicants, in a dystopian future Los Angeles.

Vesper Concerts will be hosting a free concert called “Mozart Masterpieces” on Thursday, February 5 at 7 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church of the Cross on 1517 South 114th St. This event will feature thirty musicians from the Omaha Symphony who will perform Mozart’s pieces, including Heather Baxter, Assistant Principal Oboe of the Omaha Symphony, and Thomas Kluge, Principal Viola of the Omaha Symphony and conductor of the chamber orchestra. Vesper Concerts is in its 37th season of free concerts, where they provide the Omaha community unique and memorable music experiences that engage, educate and inspire through a wide range of musical genres. Visit their website for more information.

North Omaha Music & Arts will host the Omaha Broadway Bar at their venue on Friday February 6th at 2510 North 24th Street. Omaha Broadway Bar is a live, interactive piano bar experience built on showtunes, singalongs, and audience requests, featuring a rotating roster of over 75 local singers and musicians. It was founded by Curtis Reynolds in 2024, bringing high-energy Broadway favorites, pop standards and anthems into several bars and events across the Omaha metro. For more information, visit here.

Heartwood Preserve and Nebraska Snow Sculpting will host the 2026 Nebraska Snow Sculpting Championship at Heartwood Park at 301 South 145th Street February 13 – 15. The event is free to compete and attend. Spectator and competition hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on February 13 and 14. Judging will begin at 10 a.m. on February 15 with a public awards ceremony and public viewing of the finished sculptures. Teams up to three will compete using only hand tools to create family-friendly sculptures out of blocks of snow. This sanctioned qualifying event will determine which team represents Nebraska at the 2027 U.S. National Snow Sculpting Competition in Lake Geneva, Wis.

Omaha Community Playhouse has announced auditions for the upcoming play “Mary Poppins” will be held from February 21 – 23, seeking performers of all ages. The classic musical based on the 1964 Disney film is about a magical, no-nonsense nanny as she stays with the Banks to fix their fractured family using wit, charm and wonder. Auditions for adults are from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday and Monday. Auditions for children are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday and Monday. For more information, visit here.