Image: John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota has announced 'Night of Wonder: Season Kickoff Party' as the opening event for its 2026–27 Art of Performance season. Scheduled for October 16, 2026, the evening will take place in the Museum of Art Courtyard and begin at 7 p.m., with tickets priced at $45 or $41.50 for members. The Ringling describes the event as an introduction to a season of exhibitions, live performances, and educational programs.
The kickoff features a live performance by GRAMMY-nominated Cuban vocalist José “Pepito” Gómez and his ensemble, La Royal Orquesta. According to the Ringling’s event page, the program will center on mambo, cha-cha-cha, rumba, and bolero, and is intended as a celebratory outdoor evening under the stars. Limited non-reserved seating will be available for general-admission ticket holders, and food and drinks will be sold on site.
The season launch positions performance as a major part of the Ringling’s public programming for the year ahead. The museum’s announcement places 'Night of Wonder' at the top of an eight-event subscription lineup that moves from contemporary dance to jazz, roots music, multimedia theater, environmental performance and new work developed by a Ringling artist-in-residence. Subscription packages include a full-season option as well as pick-four-or-more bundles, and MicroWIP may be added as a subscription add-on.
The rest of the 2026–27 lineup stretches across the Ringling’s performance spaces and one off-site venue. 'Compagnie Leïla Ka | Bouffées, Ondulations, and Pode Ser' is set for October 28–30, 2026, in the Historic Asolo Theater at $40–$50. The work is billed as a trilogy of contemporary dance pieces by French choreographer Leïla Ka, described by the museum as a visceral exploration of womanhood, identity, and self-possession.
Later in the fall, 'Georgia Heers' is scheduled for November 13, 2026, at the Historic Asolo Theater, with tickets priced at $40–$50. Heers is presented by the Ringling as a jazz vocalist and composer, while 'Valerie June' will follow on December 18, 2026, at Ca’ d’Zan’s Bolger Campiello for $50. The season then continues with 'Agrupación Señor Serrano | Birdie' on February 10–11, 2027, also at the Historic Asolo Theater, where the company’s multimedia performance combines live action, video projection, soundscapes and more than 2,000 miniature figures.
The spring portion includes 'EcoSummit 2027 Collaboration' on February 24, 2027, at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, presented off-site in partnership with the Science and Environment Council. The Ringling says its Currie-Kohlman Curator of Performance, Elizabeth Doud, will select an artist working at the edge of eco-performance, a genre it describes as exploring environmental themes and reconnecting humans with the natural world. That will be followed by 'LaMichael Leonard, Jr. | SKIN NOISE' from March 16–27, 2027, a new dance work by Ringling Artist-in-Residence LaMichael Leonard, and 'The Kif Kif Sisters | Returns Department' from April 16–18, 2027, a family-friendly physical comedy at the Historic Asolo Theater.
The season closes, for now, with 'MicroWIP @ the HAT' on April 30, 2027, at the Historic Asolo Theater. The Ringling describes the event as a first look at new performances being made in the Sarasota-Manatee area, and notes that the HAT’s MicroWIP series is entering its fifth year. For 'Night of Wonder', the museum says tickets are available for the October 16 courtyard event, which opens the season with José “Pepito” Gómez and La Royal Orquesta.
