Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC announces 2026-2027 Season celebrating queer joy
Washington, DC – September 8, 2026 – The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC (GMCW) announces its 2026–2027 season titled UNAPOLOGETICALLY JOYFUL!, and this season, we are turning up the volume on queer joy. Our 2026-2027 Season is a vibrant celebration of who we are, how far we’ve come, and the music that carried us along the way. From electrifying pop and soulful classics, to unexpected favorites and songs that demand to be sung at full volume, each concert celebrates the bold, beautiful spectrum of the queer experience.
Joy is more than a feeling. It’s an act of pride. A declaration of freedom. And this season, we’re celebrating without apology.
“Here at GMCW we manifest joy through our shared stories, our powerful singing, our awesome harmonies, our fabulous costumes, and our spectacular choreography,” says GMCW Artistic Director Thea Kano. “We bring you lights and laughter, and we bring you baubles and bubbles (that’s a reference to the opening number of this year’s holiday show — don’t miss it!). We lean on each other, and we elevate and celebrate each other. We don’t dwell on all the challenges around us; we instead harness that energy for change, and we do so unapologetically joyfully.”
2026-2027 Season includes:
Heated Revelry
October 24, 2026
2:00pm (ASL), 5:00pm and 8:00pm
Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church Street NW
The Holiday Show
December 5, 2026 at 3:00pm (ASL) & 8:00pm
December 12, 2026 at 3:00pm (ASL) & 8:00pm
December 13, 2026 at 5:00pm (ASL)
Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U Street NW
Heart & Soul
February 13, 2027 at 3:00pm (ASL) & 8:00pm
Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE
Queer Joy: From Elton to Eilish
March 13, 2027 at 3:00pm (ASL) & 8:00pm
Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE
Youth Invasion
April 25, 2027 at 4:00pm (ASL)
St. Thomas’ Parish, 1517 18th Street NW
Retro Joy: Now That’s What We Call Music
June 5, 2027 at 3:00pm (ASL) & 8:00pm
Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U Street NW
Tickets and Information:
Subscriptions for the 2026-2027 Season are now on sale at GMCW.org. Tickets for Heated Revelry are also now available. Single tickets for all other shows will go on sale on October 7, 2026.
For more information on the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC’s 2026-2027 Season, please visit www.gmcw.org or contact the GMCW box office at (202) 293-1548 or email tickets@gmcw.org.
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About the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC
Now starting its 46th season, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC sings to inspire equality and inclusion with musical performances and education promoting justice and dignity for all. Led my Artistic Director Thea Kano, GMCW has more than 300 singing members, three select ensembles, a dance company, a youth chorus, over 500 donors, and an annual audience of more than 10,000 people.
The Chorus and its ensembles keep a very busy schedule with more than 100 outreach performances each season and almost 5,000 volunteer outreach hours. Past outreach performances have included the HRC National Dinner, National Institutes of Health, Whitman Walker Health, DC Flag Football, and Washington National Cathedral. In June 2019, GMCW performed live on NBC-TV’s The Today Show as part of their coverage of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. In May 2016, GMCW ensemble Potomac Fever traveled to Ukraine for a historic LGBT music and outreach tour. In July 2015, members of GMCW embarked on a first-ever tour by a gay chorus to Cuba. Starting in June of 2017, each year over 100 members of GMCW have traveled to different states spreading music and a message of equality for all. States visited include NC, SC, AL, GA, TN, WV, OH, PA, and NY. In August 2019, members of GMCW gave a special concert and participated in Reykjavik Pride in Reykjavik, Iceland.
GMCW has performed for President and First Lady Obama, President and First Lady Biden, at the historic Carnegie Library in honor of gay rights activist Dr. Frank Kameny, twice at the Kennedy Center Honors, and as part of the inaugural celebrations for President Obama and President Clinton. Since 2001, the Chorus has maintained a robust youth outreach program, GenOUT, that offers school-time programs, as well as free tickets to high school students, parents, and teachers. In 2015, GMCW launched the GenOUT Chorus, the first LGBTQ youth chorus in the District area. Since its debut in spring 2015, more than 150 students from over 75 area schools have participated in GenOUT.
