Uptown Columbus spring concert series returns with free Friday shows across Broadway and Highside Market

Eight-week run planned for April and May, with an additional benefit night on Broadway

Uptown Columbus is bringing back its annual Spring Concert Series with free, public performances scheduled on Friday nights throughout April and May. The series is set to rotate between two locations in the Uptown district: Broadway for April dates and Highside Market for most of May.

The format follows the organization’s long-running model of closing a full block of Broadway for pedestrian use during concert nights. Organizers have promoted the series as all-ages and free to attend, encouraging visitors to bring lawn chairs and blankets while using nearby businesses for food and beverage purchases.

April schedule: Broadway block parties with themed and featured performances

April concerts are scheduled on Broadway in Uptown Columbus, organized by block and billed as a mix of themed nights and specific performers:

• Friday, April 3: Maneuver Center of Excellence Military Night (1000 block)
• Friday, April 10: Boot Scootin’ Boogie Nights (1200 block)
• Friday, April 17: Barbarosa Jones (1100 block)
• Friday, April 24: Deeper Shades of Soul (1000 block)

Event materials for the broader Friday Night Concert Series also list standard rules for outdoor concerts, including prohibitions on coolers, tents, outside alcoholic beverages, and glass containers. Concert hours for Broadway dates are listed as 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

May schedule: performances shift to Highside Market, with one Friday not included

For May, the Spring Concert Series is planned to move to Highside Market, a venue within the Uptown district, with four dates currently listed:

• Friday, May 1: Frankie Mincey Band
• Friday, May 8: Big Saxy
• Friday, May 15: Luke Brown & the Jubilee
• Friday, May 29: Relative Sound

The published schedule does not list a standard-series concert for Friday, May 22, because that night is reserved for a separate benefit event on Broadway.

Benefit concert planned May 22 for Miracle Riders

A special concert benefiting Miracle Riders is scheduled for Friday, May 22, on Broadway. The event is set to feature a performance by Jonboy Storey. Organizers have presented the benefit as part of the broader spring season of downtown programming, while distinguishing it from the regular Friday series lineup.

Sponsorship and logistics

The 2026 spring series lists corporate sponsorship support from Aflac and St. Francis Hospital. Organizers have framed the concerts as a recurring public event intended to create regular downtown foot traffic on Friday evenings, with nearby restaurants and shops positioned to serve attendees.

Organizers have described the Friday series as both a community gathering and a recurring downtown economic activity tied to small-business traffic.

Parking guidance for the Friday concert nights has been promoted around nearby decks, including RiverCenter Deck at 919 Broadway and the CB&T Deck at the corner of 11th Street and Front Avenue.

With April dates concentrated on Broadway and May dates largely based at Highside Market, the spring schedule is structured to keep the series running weekly while alternating the setting and crowd flow across Uptown venues.