For information on renting the Theatre check out: the Foellinger Theatre Production Packet for 2022!
View the Foellinger Theatre Parking lots and/or the Foellinger Basement Floor Plan!
The Theatre has a capacity of 2,751.
Check out photos of various Theatre Amenities:
Additional Information
Contact: Tim Byers, Theatre Manager, 260.427.6018 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
"We are Changing for You" by improving the safety and enhancing the "Curb Appeal" of Foellinger Theatre.
All of this work has been done in an effort to provide an enhanced experience for our theatre guests.
Recent work includes:
The Theatre lower level now features upgraded amenities including seven dressing rooms, two new restrooms with showers, a private lounge, a spacious green room, a production office, storage space, heating and cooling and drainage improvements.
Digital Sign Upgrade to Broadband Transmission
Entry Sidewalk and Landscape Improvements
Parking Lot Repairs and Improvements
Stormwater Structure Updgrades
Other recent improvements include:
The ship ladder, glue-lam beams, drainage, pathway, performer rooms, stage flooring, fencing, and entry gates.
Powerwashing, priming and painting of the Theatre, drainage improvements and Glulam improvements.
Loading Dock Improvements
Ramp Improvements
History
The Foellinger Theatre in Franke Park was constructed in 1949 as a gift to the community from Helene Foellinger in memory of her father, Oscar G. Foellinger, former publisher of the Fort Wayne News Sentinel. The Theatre was to provide a unique type of entertainment space - an informal, open-air community gathering and performing area, molded into a grassy hillside in the park. For many years, the Foellinger Theatre provided a large performance stage in Fort Wayne, while most of the central city movie houses (former Vaudeville theatres) fell victim to the growing acceptance of television.
A fire in the early 1970s provided an opportunity to make major improvements to the theatre and in 1976, the present open-sided dome and a new stage house were added through the generosity of the Foellinger Foundation. The theatre currently seats 2,751 fans. Recently over 50,000 people attended concerts, movies and other functions held yearly at the Theatre. Over sixty years after the curtains first opened, Fort Wayne families are still enjoying the thrill of live performance under a starry summer sky. We think Miss Foellinger would be pleased.
Foellinger Outdoor Theatre is located in Franke Park next to the Children's Zoo on Sherman Boulevard. For out of town visitors, if coming in from I-69, you can access the theatre by exiting at 309 A (930/Coliseum Blvd.) Once you exit, stay in a lane going straight at the intersection of Goshen/Coliseum Blvd. and remain on Goshen Avenue until you reach Sherman Blvd. Turn left on to Sherman and the Theatre will be on your left hand side before you reach the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo.
General Information
For more information, please call the Theatre Manager at (260) 427-6018 or the Parks and Recreation Department at (260) 427-6000.
Look for the Community Band on-stage again in 2023!
Free Concerts
Fort Wayne Area Community Band
Tuesday, June 13, 7:30 p.m.
The band will present their first concert titled "Music For All Ages."
Tuesday, July 11, 7:30 p.m.
The band brings you the "Instrumental Hits" program.
Tuesday, August 8, 7:30 p.m.
Musical Postcards is the theme for this evening's concert.
New Millennium Jazz Orchestra
Wednesday, July 12, 7:30 p.m.
This year NMJO celebrates the release of their CD 'Legacy.'
38th Infantry Division Band
Thursday, July 20, 7:30 p.m.
The Indiana National Guard Band brings multiple ensembles back to Foellinger.
Fort Wayne Children's Choir
Friday, July 28, 7:00 p.m.
The choir will celebrate their Choral week Capstone with us again.
Additional Information
No Passes Out
Effective March 9, 2017 customers of the Foellinger Theatre will no longer be permitted to re-enter the Theatre after leaving the gated area. There will be no passes out issued. For customer convenience a defined area inside of the Theatre gates will be designated for smoking. There will be no smoking permitted in any other Theatre areas.
Parking for Ticketed Customer Only
Effective March 9, 2017 on show nights parking in the Foellinger Theatre parking lot in Franke Park as well as the overflow parking lot adjacent to the Theatre is reserved for customers who are ticketed for the show. Violators may be ticketed or towed.
General Information
Foellinger Theatre is located in Franke Park next to the Children's Zoo on Sherman Blvd.
Take our on-line Theatre survey today and let us know about your experience at Foellinger Theatre.
Outside food and beverage is not permitted. FREE parking is available at all concerts!
For more information, please call the Theatre Manager at 260.427.6018 or the Parks and
Recreation Department at 260.427.6000, or e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Do you have comments or suggestions for future concerts or performances that you would like to see at the Theatre in the future? If so, please complete the Talk to Us 2 form
Foellinger Theatre is looking forward to hosting a very successful 2023 season. Check back throughout the spring for additional annoucements.
American Pop Featuring the Grass Roots, The Buckinghams and The Box Tops
Concert Date: June 10, at 8:00 p.m.
Public On-Sale Date: Friday, April 14 at 10:00a.m.
Purchase tickets through Ticketmaster
Step back to the mid-sixties and groove to the sounds of American Rock, Sunshine Pop and Memphis- style Soul. “The Grass Roots” carries on the chart-topping gold record legacy. With roots in Chicago, “The Buckinghams” continue to deliver a powerful replay with original founding members Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna. The sweet, sensuous, slightly gritty sounds of “The Box Tops” are the perfect counterpoint with founding members Bill Cunningham and Gary Talley.
Hotel California: A Salute to the Eagles
Concert Date: July 1, at 8:00 p.m.
Public On-Sale Date: Friday, April 14 at 10:00a.m.
Purchase tickets through Ticketmaster
This Southern California group is the ONLY show to have "Official Authorization" to perform the Eagles catalog of music. For more than three decades, Hotel California A Salute to the Eagles has touched the hearts of fans all over the world by respectfully and accurately reproducing the Grammy award winning sounds of this great American songbook. So join us now...on a trip down a dark desert highway…feel the cool wind in your hair...it’s time to check into the Hotel California.
Herman's Hermits
Concert Date: July 7, 2023
Public On Sale Date: Friday, April 7, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.
Purchase tickets through Ticketmaster
Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone is a multi-talented entertainer, who has been delighting audiences nearly all his life.
At the age of fifteen, Peter achieved international fame as “Herman”, lead singer of the legendary pop band Herman’s Hermits. His classic hits include: “I’m Into Something Good”, “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter”, “I’m Henry VIII, I Am” and “There’s A Kind of Hush” among many more. Ultimately, Herman’s Hermits sold over fifty-two million recordings. In all, fourteen singles and seven albums went gold.
When America, the perennial classic-rock favorite, hits the road in 2023, they’ll celebrate their 53rd Anniversary with their powerful performances. Founding members, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell (along with former band mate, the late Dan Peek) met in high school in London in the late 1960s and quickly harmonized their way to the top of the charts on the strength of their signature song “A Horse With No Name.” America became a global household name and paved the way with an impressive string of hits following the success of their first #1 single. Forty plus years later, these friends are still making music together, touring the world and thrilling audiences with their timeless sound.
All general and in-person sales at the Parks and Recreation Department (705 East State Blvd.) begin Friday, Feb. 24, at 10:00 a.m.
Ticket Link:
Purchase tickets through TicketMaster Starting Friday, February 24, 2023 at 10:00 am.
Welcome Back My Friends: The Return of Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Concert Date: July 13, at 8:00 p.m.
Public On-Sale Date: Friday, April 14 at 10:00a.m.
Purchase tickets through Ticketmaster
Sole surviving member Carl Palmer brings WELCOME BACK MY FRIENDS—THE RETURN OF EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER Tour. The tour will actually reunite ELP LIVE ON STAGE through modern technology.
The Mavericks
Concert Date: July 15, 2023
Public On-Sale Date: April 28, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.
Purchase tickets through Ticketmaster
The Mavericks, the eclectic rock and country group known for crisscrossing musical boundaries with abandon, has gone through three distinct phases since it was founded in Miami in 1989. An initial period of heady success marked by big hits, and critical acclaim in the ‘90s. A long hiatus starting 2003 when the musicians each, went their own way. And finally, a triumphant reunion in 2012 which held long enough for them to recently celebrate the band’s 30th anniversary.
Stayin’ Alive
Concert Date: July 29, at 8:00 p.m.
Public On-Sale Date: Friday, April 14 at 10:00a.m.
Purchase tickets through Ticketmaster
STAYIN’ ALIVE offers to their audiences the songs and sights of a full Bee Gees playlist, singing blockbusters such as “Night Fever”, “Jive Talkin’”, “How Deep is Your Love”, “You Should be Dancing”, “Nights on Broadway” and “Stayin’ Alive”. In addition, they perform softer poetic ballads such as “I Started a Joke”, Massachusetts”, “Fanny be Tender”, “Words” and “To Love Somebody” among other great hits.
Diana Krall
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
House Open 7:00 pm
Curtain Time: 8:00 pm
Purchase tickets through Ticketmaster!
Diana Krall is the only jazz singer to have eight albums debut at the top of the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.
To date, her albums have garnered two GRAMMY® Awards, ten Juno® Awards and have earned nine Gold, three Platinum,and seven multi-Platinum albums.
Her 1999 release of When I Look in Your Eyes spent an unprecedented 52 weeks in the #1 position on Billboard's Jazz chart, won two GRAMMY® Awards,and went Platinum in the U.S. and Canada. Her most recent release, This Dream Of You, has garnered critical acclaim from fans and press alike.
Krall's unique artistry transcends any single musical style and has made her one of the most recognizable artists of our time. As The New York Times recently noted, she possesses “a voice at once cool and sultry, wielded with a rhythmic sophistication".
Train with Better Than Ezra to Play at Foellinger Theatre
General sales begin March 10
Train with Better Than Ezra will perform on August 9, 2023. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Train is a multi-GRAMMY and Billboard Award-winning band from San Francisco that has had 14 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 list since the release of their debut self-titled album. Train's climb to the top began in 1994, as the original five-member band tenaciously built a loyal hometown following, leading up to their debut album, released by Columbia in 1998.
Whether you caught a house party gig after Better Than Ezra formed in 1988 at Louisiana State University, heard “Good” on the radio once it hit #1 during 1995, became a fan following Taylor Swift’s famous cover of “Breathless” in 2010, or saw them headlining sheds in 2018, you most likely never forgot that initial introduction to the New Orleans quartet founded by Kevin Griffin [lead vocals, guitar, piano] and Tom Drummond [bass, backing vocals].
General and in-person sales at the Parks and Recreation Department (705 East State Blvd.) begin Friday, March 10, at 10:00 a.m. Purchase tickets for Purchase tickets through TicketMaster starting March 10.
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo
Tuesday, August 22, at 7:30 p.m.
Public On-Sale Date: Friday, April 21 from 10:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. EST
Purchase tickets through Ticketmaster
REO Speedwagon
Concert Date: September 5, 2023
Public On Sale Date: Friday, March 24, 2023 at 10:00 am
Purchase tickets through TicketMaster
An Evening with CAKE
Concert Date: Sept. 11, 2023
Public On-Sale Date: April 28, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.
Purchase tickets through Ticketmaster
The Sacramento, CA based band that continues to maintain a wealth of originality. If Hank Williams Sr. and Sly Stone were having a party together, and they played AC/DC records backwards… that would be this band. CAKE's adherence to their original guiding principles has only grown stronger. Originally formed as a somewhat antagonistic answer to grunge, CAKE’s democratic processes, defiant self-reliance, and lucid yet ever-inventive music has made them a nation-state unto themselves, with no evident peers in sound or perspective. In addition to writing, arranging, producing, and performing their own music, they have taught themselves to engineer their recording projects in their own solar-powered studio, which regularly generates more power than is needed to run it, causing the building’s electrical meter to run in reverse. CAKE’s most recent album, Showroom of Compassion, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and was touted as “deadpan brilliance” by the New Yorker. While seamlessly blending many genres and influences, CAKE truly issues forth a sound and vision unlike any other band. The band is currently at work on their ninth album due for release during 2023.
Ticket Sale Date & Purchasing Information
Ticket sale dates for the 2023 Summer Concert Series are posted as each concert is announced. Pre-sale information will be posted on our Theatre Facebook page!
Ticketmaster.com (Click on the heart to favorite Foellinger Theatre and stay up to date with new events)
In person at the Parks & Recreation Dept. (705 E. State Blvd.)
At the Foellinger Theatre Box Office (3411 Sherman Blvd.) from 6-10 pm on concert days.
Tickets purchased in person will include no additional fees.
By phone through Ticketmaster. Please call 1-800-982-2787.
Accessible seats are available for purchase on-line.
Questions about purchasing tickets on-line? Call TicketMaster customer service: 1-800-653-8000
Check out the Theatre Seating Chart
Refunds
Customers will receive full refunds for any concerts cancelled. If a concert is rescheduled, customers can either keep their tickets for the new date or collect a full refund
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
Check us out on facebook!!
Like the Foellinger Theatre facebook page TODAY and be up on all the announcements for the season as they occur!!
General Information
Events are held rain or shine as our open air theatre is covered. Be sure to bring your bug spray as well as extra layers of clothing and/or blankets depending on the weather. Outside food and beverage is not permitted. FREE parking is available at all concerts!
Concession Information
We offer soft drinks as well as beer, hard cider, limited mixed drinks, and wine slushies. If you are hungry we also offer snack food including popcorn, hot dogs, pretzels with cheese, nachos and carmel corn!
Cash and credit card are accepted.
Outside food and beverage is not permitted at Foellinger Theatre.
No Passes Out
Effective March 9, 2017 customers of the Foellinger Theatre will no longer be permitted to re-enter the Theatre after leaving the gated area. There will be no passes out issued. For customer convenience a defined area inside of the Theatre gates will be designated for smoking. There will be no smoking permitted in any other Theatre areas.
Effective March 9, 2017 on show nights parking in the Foellinger Theatre parking lot in Franke Park as well as the overflow parking lot adjacent to the Theatre is reserved for customers who are ticketed for the show. Violators may be ticketed or towed.
Following the directive of the City of Fort Wayne, masks are recommended, but not required.
Alcohol is only allowed to be consumed within the Theatre facility (not in the parking lot). Portable grills are not allowed in designated parking lot areas. Tickets purchased on-line will be mailed to you the next business day. Tickets may also be purchased over the telephone by calling 260.427.6000 or 260.427.6715 after 6 pm day of show.
Please note: Wheelchair accessible tickets and companion tickets are not available for purchase online. Please call 260-427-6000 in advance or 260-427-6715 (after 6 pm day of show) to purchase. A map of the parking lot including designated ADA spots is now available.
Do you still have questions? Contact: Tim Byers, Theatre Manager, 260.427.6018 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Take our on-line Theatre survey today and let us know about your experience at Foellinger Theatre.
NOW AVAILABLE! Search for parks, trails, activities and more.
Take our on-line survey now!
