CAN'T-MISS WINTER EVENTS IN MEMPHIS

Memphis Grizzlies Basketball

Now through April 2027; FedExForum
A new era of Grizzlies basketball tips off at FedExForum this season, and there's no better place to feel the pulse of Memphis than in the crowd. Get an early look at the city's rising young core; big man Zach Edey, breakout wing Jaylen Wells, forward Cedric Coward, and No. 3 overall 2026 draft pick Cam Boozer as they build toward the next chapter of Grit and Grind. A Grizzlies game is Memphis culture on full display: live music pumping between whistles, a lively downtown crowd on its feet, and that unmistakable hometown energy that makes FedExForum one of the most fun arenas in the league. The season tips off at home on Wednesday, October 21, against the Utah Jazz, with a full slate of matchups all season long. Get your tickets and don't forget that Beale Street is steps away for your pre- and post-game fun.

Memphis Holiday Traditions

Late November through Dec. 31, 2026
Through early 2027, Memphis is at its most magical, with holiday cheer around every corner. The Memphis Zoo has traded Zoo Lights for something brand new: the Memphis Zoo's Lantern Festival returns with more than 60 illuminated lantern displays, walk-through tunnels, running select nights November through February. On Beale Street, the Memphis Holiday Parade and Market (Dec. 12) brings marching bands, festive floats, and over 30 local vendors to Handy Park, while MOSH's Enchanted Forest Festival of Trees fills the museum with a snow-covered village, miniature trains, and holiday laser shows in the planetarium. Memphis Botanic Garden's Holiday Wonders at the Garden lights up with glowing trails, Santa Sundays, and cozy firetables, and new this year, Deck the Diamond makes its return to AutoZone Park (Nov. 21, 2026–Jan. 3, 2027) with an ice skating rink 2.5 times bigger than before, a walk-through light display, cookie decorating, ornament making, and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus. However you like to celebrate, there's a Memphis holiday tradition for it.

See our full guide to Memphis’ holiday traditions for all the seasonal magic happening around town.

ST. JUDE MEMPHIS MARATHON

Dec. 5, 2026; Downtown Memphis 
Lace up for a milestone year as the St. Jude Memphis Marathon turns 25 in 2026! Starting on iconic Beale Street, runners wind through the heart of downtown Memphis, passing landmarks and neighborhoods you won't see quite the same way from a car. Sign up for the 5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, or kids' fun run, or join the thousands of spectators lining the course to cheer them on  all in support of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

MEMPHIS ART MUSEUM GRAND OPENING

Dec. 6, 2026; Downtown Memphis
This winter marks a landmark moment for Memphis culture: the brand-new Memphis Art Museum, the reimagined home of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, opens its doors along the riverfront on Dec. 6, 2026. Designed by acclaimed architects Herzog & de Meuron with local firm archimania, the 123,500-square-foot campus features a sweeping single-story gallery loop, a 50,000-square-foot rooftop sculpture garden, and 50% more gallery space than before all to showcase a collection of more than 10,000 artworks spanning 5,000 years. The inaugural exhibition, Making Beauty: Hooks Brothers Studio, 1907–1984, spotlights over 150 photographs documenting Black life during the Jim Crow era, alongside 19 thematic gallery presentations. Don't miss the debut of Memphis' newest cultural landmark.

NEW YEAR'S EVE ON BEALE

Dec. 31, 2026; Beale Street
Celebrate 2027 on Beale Street with live music, dancing, fireworks, and confetti! Experience Memphis' legendary blues, rockabilly, and soul as tens of thousands of revelers fill the street and spill into bars and restaurants. Dance under the stars and ring in the New Year with an unforgettable party. 21+ only. Ring in 2027 in Memphis!

AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL 

Jan. 2, 2027; Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium
If you love college football like we do, you'll want to snag your tickets early for the 68th annual Liberty Bowl showdown, usually pitting the SEC against the Big 12. This year's game comes with a fresh backdrop: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium just wrapped a major renovation, with a massive new South Videoboard, one of the largest ribbon boards in the country, a 360-degree audio system, new LED lighting, and a brand-new West Side Plaza. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2027, with patriotic pre-game and halftime festivities marking America's 250th anniversary. Stay tuned for matchup details, which will be announced in early December, and make plans to hit the annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl Parade & Pep Rally on Jan. 1.

ELVIS’ 92ND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION 

Jan. 7-10, 2027; Elvis Presley's Graceland
Four days, one King, endless ways to celebrate. Elvis' Birthday Celebration returns to Graceland with birthday cake at the mansion, candid tours through the halls Elvis called home, and live music that keeps the King's spirit dancing all week long. Whether it's your first pilgrimage to Graceland or your fiftieth, expect surprises around every corner. The full lineup details drop later this year, but you can count on a birthday cake-cutting ceremony at the gates, mansion tours, and live music throughout the grounds among the annual traditions. Start planning your trip now, because Elvis fans travel from around the world for this one. Plus, we have 9 other reasons to visit Graceland this winter.

King Day 2027

Jan. 19, 2027; National Civil Rights Museum
The National Civil Rights Museum marks the King holiday by opening its doors for free, with a full day of programming of live music, community discussions, and performances celebrating civil rights history, with festivities extending outdoors into Founders Park. This year's celebration also gives visitors a chance to explore the museum's new Legacy Experience, which opened in spring 2026 with interactive exhibits offering deeper insight into Dr. King's vision for the "Beloved Community." Admission is free from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The day carries into the evening at FedExForum, where the Grizzlies host their annual MLK Day game, part of the NBA's leaguewide tradition of honoring Dr. King's legacy through basketball, community outreach, and civic celebration.

2027 INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE

Jan. 19-23, 2027; Beale Street
Every January, more than 200 blues acts from around the world descend on Beale Street for the International Blues Challenge, hopping between venues on a single wristband before the grand finale at the historic Orpheum Theatre. The 2027 edition runs Jan. 19-23, with quarterfinals and semifinals filling Beale Street's clubs, a youth showcase for musicians 21 and under, and workshops, film screenings, and book signings rounding out the week before the finals crown a champion. As the home of the blues, Memphis hosts live blues every night of the week, from Beale Street to local-secret spots.

CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY IN MEMPHIS

Memphis holds one of the most significant places in the story of Black America. This is the city where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final speech at Mason Temple and where he was killed at the Lorraine Motel, now home to the National Civil Rights Museum. Just outside, the I AM A MAN Plaza honors the 1968 sanitation workers' strike that brought King to Memphis in the first place. From Beale Street's role as a birthplace of the blues and a thriving Black business district, to Clayborn Temple's legacy as a civil rights organizing hub, to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Withers Collection Museum and Gallery preserving the images that captured it all, the city's civil rights history runs deep. That legacy carries forward today in a thriving community of Black-owned restaurants, shops, and galleries across the city. Explore this guide for a full look at where to go and what to know.

WINTER MUSIC & THEATER EVENTS IN MEMPHIS

Get ready because there are a lot of big names coming to Memphis this winter. You’ll find all kinds of performances, from orchestras and ballets to Broadway productions and nationally touring acts, on stage at venues across the city, including Orpheum Theatre, Germantown Performing Arts Center (GPAC), Playhouse on the Square, Hattiloo Theatre and the Soundstage at Graceland. Check our round-up of events below, then browse our guide to Memphis' performing arts scene.