Celebrating Our 60th Anniversary in 2026
For sixty years, Saratoga Performing Arts Center has been a vibrant home where art, nature, and community converge. Nestled within a 2,400-acre park — surrounded by hiking trails, geysers, and mineral springs — SPAC has welcomed generations of artists and audiences to experience the magic of performance in harmony with the natural world.
From the timeless artistry of our resident companies — New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center — to the electrifying Saratoga Jazz Festival and concerts by Live Nation, SPAC has long been a destination for lovers of art, culture, and beauty.
In recent years, SPAC has blossomed into a year-round cultural home, expanding beyond the summer season with signature programming in dance, jazz, classical, and world music at the intimate Spa Little Theater, just steps from the iconic amphitheater. Guided by a vision that embraces an ever-widening definition of the arts — from performing to literary, culinary, visual, and healing — SPAC continues to evolve as a place of shared, transformative experiences where creativity and nature intertwine to educate, connect, and inspire us all.
Diamond Anniversary Sweepstakes
To commemorate SPAC’s 60th “Diamond” Anniversary and the return of New York City Ballet’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream—the ballet that opened SPAC in 1966—we’re hosting a special sweepstakes.
Enter the SPAC Diamond Anniversary Sweepstakes today for your chance to win a diamond necklace and a VIP SPAC experience!
Tell us your SPAC Story!
In celebration of our 60th anniversary, we’d love to hear your SPAC stories… memories and moments you’ve experienced over the past ten years at SPAC. We’re looking for your stories for a chance to be featured in SPAC videos and content to be used throughout 2026 to commemorate 60 years of art, nature, and community.
There’s no right answer — we’re looking for personal stories, emotions, and moments. Speak from the heart. 60 stories will be selected throughout the year to win SPAC prizes like free tickets, merchandise and more!
Four Seasons Anniversary Campaign
Since 1966, SPAC has been your summer home for arts, nature, and community.
We are proud to now serve the Capital Region and beyond all year long with inspiring and accessible programs for people of all ages and interests. At SPAC, there’s something for everyone. To celebrate our 60th anniversary, we are launching the Four Seasons Campaign, with the goal of raising $17.5 million. These funds will help sustain and expand vital resources to ensure that SPAC’s new and signature programming thrives for generations to come.
Your contribution to the Four Seasons Campaign will help keep a strong and vibrant arts culture alive in the Capital Region.
Spa Little Theater Renovations
In honor of SPAC’s 60th anniversary, Spa Little Theater is undergoing a $12 million renovation, its first major renovation since it was built in 1935. View the gallery to explore the renderings or see the latest renovation updates and photos by clicking below!
60th Anniversary Season Art
Our official 60th anniversary season artwork marks this milestone moment in SPAC’s history and sets the tone for a year of reflection, celebration, and forward momentum.
Designer Shawn Carney (The New York Times Style Magazine, Wall Street Journal): “The final design is intentionally tactile and handcrafted. My hope is that the artwork reflects the craft, labor, and human touch behind sixty seasons of live performance. It also highlights the subtle and poetic side of the venue and the experiences within its gates. The design feels classic and timeless, nods to SPAC’s history, but leaves open space for more of its future to be recorded.”
SPAC’s 2026 Theme
Seasons
To commemorate 60 years of SPAC and its recent blossoming into a vibrant, year-round destination, the theme of Seasons is inspired by how nature and humans alike move through cycles of growth, transformation, reflection, and renewal. Each season brings its own mood and meaning, shaping both the world around us and the landscapes within us.
60th Anniversary Programming & Events
BalletX: The Four Seasons Reimagined
Thursday, June 11 @ 7:30PM
BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet company, will present The Four Seasons Reimagined in a special one-night, pavilion-only performance. This exciting new work arrives in Saratoga just days after its world premiere and was co-commissioned by SPAC.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
New York City Ballet
Wednesday, July 8 @ 7:30PM
Thursday, July 9 @ 7:30PM
Friday, July 10 @ 7:30PM
Saturday, July 11 @ 2PM
Relive the magic of SPAC’s opening night in 1966 with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the very first piece performed for audiences on the SPAC stage. Plus, join us at Anniversary Night on Thursday, July 9 for a birthday party celebration before the performance and help us toast to 60 years!
Innovators & Icons
New York City Ballet
Friday, July 10 @ 2PM
Saturday, July 11 @ 7:30PM
Celebrate 60 years of SPAC and New York City Ballet’s historic partnership with works by innovative and iconic choreographers both past and present, featuring George Balanchine’s iconic Serenade, which was first performed at SPAC during our inaugural season in 1966.
Tchaikovsky Spectacular
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Wednesday, August 5 @ 7:30PM
Kick off The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 60th season at SPAC with our annual opening night tradition, Tchaikovsky Spectacular, featuring the 1812 Overture with live cannon fire and a brilliant fireworks display! It’s also Family Night, with pre-show lawn games, activities & crafts, face painting, free Stewart’s ice cream, and more.
American Dreams with Brian Stokes Mitchell
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Friday, August 7 @ 7:30PM
Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell returns to SPAC to lead a program anchored by a tribute to Marian Anderson’s landmark performance of Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait at SPAC 50 years ago.
Beethoven’s Ninth with Yannick
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Saturday, August 15 @ 7:30PM
Philadelphia Orchestra Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin returns to SPAC to anchor the 60th anniversary season with the return of the piece that opened the Orchestra’s first season at SPAC in 1966, Beethoven’s iconic Ninth Symphony.
David Kim Leads The Four Seasons
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Wednesday, August 19 @ 7:30PM
Concertmaster and violinist David Kim takes center stage as both leader and soloist in a performance celebrating SPAC’s 60th anniversary theme, Seasons. Anchoring the program is a paired performance of two iconic works: Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.
2026 Commemorative Calendar
Keep up with your favorite venue all year long with our 2026 commemorative calendar! Plan your year ahead at SPAC with our special edition anniversary calendar, celebrating six decades of art, nature, and community.
Each month features a gorgeous, perforated 8×10” SPAC photo — perfect for saving, framing, and loving all year long. Plus, enjoy fun historic tidbits that honor six decades of unforgettable moments at SPAC throughout each month.
