Ringling Bros., Bruce Springsteen, ‘The Lion King’ among top spring central Ohio events

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — This spring in central Ohio is packed with highly anticipated festivals and shows, from the reimagined Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey at the Schottenstein Center and Disney’s “The Lion King” at the Ohio Theatre to the Columbus Arts Festival.

Cirque Du Soleil ‘Crystal’

Schottenstein Center on April 4-7

• With seven jaw-dropping traditional circus acts all thrillingly adapted for Cirque du Soleil’s first foray into a brand-new creative territory, the ice. ‘Crystal’ takes audiences on an unforgettable journey into the vivid and whimsical world of imagination.

Matteo Lane | The Al Dente Tour

Palace Theatre at 7 p.m. on April 6

• Lane is a New York-based comedian whose stand-up special can be seen on Netflix’s “The Comedy Lineup.”

‘Clue’

Ohio Theatre on April 9 to 14

• The murder mystery comedy inspired by the Hasbro board game and adapted from the cult favorite film comes to Columbus for eight shows.

Nicki Minaj | Pink Friday 2 World Tour

Schottenstein Center at 8 p.m. on April 12

• The Columbus concert will be the only one in Ohio but she will have other stops in the Midwest in Detroit and Chicago. The hip-hop star is the first woman to have 100 songs featured in the Billboard Hot 100 list, which includes three different No. 1 songs.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band

Nationwide Arena at 7:30 p.m. on April 21

• The concert was originally supposed to take place on March 9, 2023. It was then postponed to Sept. 21 before he canceled the remainder of his tour for the calendar year “out of an abundance of caution,” according to a September press release.

Toto | Dogz of Oz Tour

Schottenstein Center at 7:30 p.m. on April 21

• The total plays of the band’s collected works across all platforms is now approaching five billion. Amongst the most listened to recordings, “Africa” accounts for more than one billion streams on Spotify alone.

WWE Raw

Schottenstein Center at 7:30 p.m. on April 22

• WWE world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins, “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Nia Jax, “Main Event” Jey Uso, Damian Priest, Drew McIntyre and more.

Monster Jam

Schottenstein Center on April 26 to 28

• Witness world-class driver athletes and the most recognizable trucks tear up the dirt and compete in intense competitions of speed and skill.

The Postal Service & Death Cab for Cutie

Schottenstein Center at 7:30 p.m. on April 30

• To celebrate two decades of ‘Give Up’ and ‘Transatlanticism’, The Postal Service & Death Cab for Cutie have joined forces for an unprecedented 20th-anniversary co-headline tour.

COSI Science Festival

COSI on May 1 to 4

• Ohio’s largest science festival will include events in Columbus and the surrounding communities, and will end with the Big Science Celebration at COSI.

‘Tina — The Tina Turner Musical’

Ohio Theatre on May 7 to 12

• The musical is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, this electrifying sensation will send you soaring to the rafters.

‘Hair’

Short North Stage on May 9 to June 9

• “Hair” is the iconic original Broadway rock musical featuring chart-topping hits such as “Aquarius,” “Let the Sunshine In,” and “Good Morning, Starshine.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey

Schottenstein Center on May 10 to 12

• The reimagined Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey invites children of all ages to a spectacle of superhuman feats, pushing the limits of possibility and thrilling families and fans of all generations.

Heart | Royal Flush Tour

Schottenstein Center at 8 p.m. on May 15

• With a career spanning nearly five decades, the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees have earned global recognition selling more than 35 million albums worldwide, with 20 Top 40 singles to their name.

Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival

Historic Crew Stadium from May 16 to 19

• The four-day mega rock festival is set to return with its largest lineup, which includes headliners such as Disturbed, The Original Misfits, Pantera, and Slipknot. Sonic Temple will take place once again at Historic Crew Stadium.

Columbus Chicken and Beer Festival

Dodge Park on June 1

• The Chicken and Beer Festival features local breweries, food trucks, live music, more than 50 artisans and more.

Columbus Arts Festival

Downtown riverfront from June 7 to 9

• The 62nd festival features more than 225 visual artists, three stages of performances and dozens of food vendors.

Columbus Summer Wine Festival

McFerson Commons Park from 1 to 7 p.m. on June 8

• Wine enthusiasts can expect to taste some of the very best established and up-and-coming wine brands.

Melanie Martinez | The Trilogy Tour

Nationwide Arena at 7 p.m. on June 13

• “The Trilogy Tour” will see the evolution of Martinez’s alter ego “Cry Baby” performed live. It will include hits from all three of her albums: “Cry Baby,” “K-12,” and “Portals” which have collectively amassed over 14 Billion streams worldwide.

Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind and Fire | Sing a Song All Night Long Tour

Schottenstein Center at 7:30 p.m. on June 13

• Funk band Earth, Wind & Fire will join the R&B legend in an extension of his “Sing A Song All Night” tour.

Disney’s ‘The Lion King’

Ohio Theatre from June 12 to July 17

• More than 100 million people around the world have seen Disney’s Broadway production of “The Lion King.” Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, “The Lion King” features some of Broadway’s most recognizable music, by Tony Award-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice.

Stonewall Columbus Pride

Goodale Park from June 14 to 15

• Stonewall’s annual Pride Festival and March serve as the organization’s largest annual fundraiser that secures the needed funds to support Stonewall’s community programs and annual operations.

Columbus Air Show

Rickenbacker International Airport from June 14 to 16

• After a nearly 20-year absence, the world-famous United States Air Force Thunderbirds will return to central Ohio for the 2024 Columbus Air Show. The weekend promises to be packed with heart-pounding air performances and family-friendly activities.

Juneteenth Ohio Festival

Genoa Park from June 15 to 16

• Juneteenth honors the end of slavery in the United States when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to inform the state’s residents that slavery had been abolished – 2 1/2 years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

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