From an unmasked rock god to a Las Vegas-staple to two movie stars performing music, the summer 2026 casino headliner schedule boasts an interesting and diverse roster of acts.
The local gaming-hall lineup includes the Gene Simmons Band, Blue Man Group and actors Billy Bob Thornton and Keanu Reeves acting out their rock star fantasies. Other notable bookings include Adam Lambert, Wu-Tang Clan, Harry Connick Jr. and a John Fogerty/Steve Winwood double bill.
Below, in chronological order, are some of the noteworthy shows. Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com, except where noted.
The Blue Man Group blends comedy, music and performance art.
Blue Man Group: June 20-21, Tropicana Atlantic City
They may be difficult to categorize, but this troupe offers a one-of-a-kind blend of comedy, music and performance art and has only played Atlantic City three times since 2003, with the last gig in 2013.
James Taylor and His All-Star Band: June 27, Hard Rock Hotel Casino Atlantic City
The guy who helped define the “singer-songwriter” movement of the early 1970s is back on the road with what is likely a greatest hits bill of signature songs, including “You’ve Got A Friend,” “Fire and Rain,” “Carolina In My Mind” and “Your Smiling Face.”
Marcello Hernandez: July 10-12, Parx. Tickets available at eventtickets.com
Considering Hernandez’s three Parx sets are sold out, he may be poised to become the next “Saturday Night Live” breakout star.
The Guess Who: July 11, Hard Rock
Last year, octogenarian rock deity Randy Bachman successfully toured with a revived Bachman-Turner Overdrive, known as BTO. This year – having successfully won back the rights to the Guess Who brand – the Canadian and his lead singer, Burton Cummings, are on the road. Expect a jukebox worth of hits, among them “American Woman,” “These Eyes,” “Share the Land” and “Undun.”
Jeff Dunham: July 12, Ocean Casino Resort
Every generation has a star ventriloquist, and for years, that has been Dunham. He’s joined by his retinue of puppets, led by Walter, an ever-crusty curmudgeon.
“Weird Al” Yankovic: July 17, Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa
As is the case with ventriloquists, superstar song parodists are also rare. “Weird Al” has had that lane all to himself for decades.
Adam Lambert: July 17, Ocean Casino Resort
The “American Idol” crooner – who has a regular gig as the late Freddie Mercury’s replacement for Queen – is concentrating on his own career. A new album, “Adam,” is due July 10, with the Ocean performance just one of four so far announced for the U.S.
The Quincy Jones Experience: July 18, Resorts Casino-Hotel
Tribute acts constitute a significant chunk of casino bookings, but they are overwhelmingly dedicated to classic rock and pop acts. That’s why this program devoted to the many musical accomplishments of composer-producer Jones – including “Soul Bossa Nova,” the jaunty “Austin Powers” theme – is noteworthy.
Gene Simmons Band: July 24, Parx
While Simmons’ post-KISS project has been to abandon the Kabuki-inspired costume and makeup that were his calling cards for a half century, he’s hardly embarked on a new musical journey: According to setlist.fm, 13 of his 15 songs at a recent concert in Spokane, Washington, were KISS tunes.
Harry Connick Jr.: July 24, Borgata
Pop crooner Connick’s 1990 Atlantic City debut at what was then Bally’s Grand remains one of the greatest sets we’ve ever seen in a local casino. If the July 24 show is even one-tenth as entertaining as that one, it will still go down as one of the year’s best.
The Chicks: July 31, Hard Rock
The trio formerly known as the Dixie Chicks is doing 16 dates that will celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Taking the Long Way.” The chart-topping 2006 album reinvigorated the group’s career following blowback from Natalie Maines’ comments three years earlier that were critical of former President George W. Bush and the Iraq War.
Buddy Guy: July 31, Ocean
We’re talking national treasure here: Turning 90 next month, Guy is an avatar of mid-20th-century Chicago blues and remains a hero to several generations of guitar players, among them Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn and John Mayer.
Nikki Glaser: Aug. 1, Hard Rock
The Cincinnati native is arguably the top female comic working today, thanks to various TV specials and her high-profile role as host of two Golden Globe Awards shows.
Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters: Aug. 1, Hard Rock Sound Waves
He may be best-known as a two-time Oscar-nominee and a winner for his “Sling Blade” script in 1996, but Thornton is also a serious musician who has released 19 albums with the Boxmasters. What makes his musical career interesting is the group’s sound; described as “modbilly,” it’s a combination of British invasion-era pop rock and 1950s rockabilly.
Dogstar: Aug. 14, Hard Rock Sound Waves
The other summer attraction boasting a bona fide movie star is this grunge-y alt-rock band, whose bass player happens to be Keanu Reeves, of “The Matrix” and “John Wick” fame.
Stray Cats: Aug. 15, Ocean
This rockabilly trio, which single-handedly revived the proto-rock genre in the early 1980s, is back on the boards despite guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer’s 2025 battle with an unspecified auto-immune disease that seriously impacted his ability to perform. He has recovered enough for the Cats to tour again.
Diana Ross: Aug. 21, Ocean
Ross’ performance in Atlantic City is hardly breaking news; she’s been gigging there for 60 years, either with The Supremes or as a solo act. But that’s the point: Ross has been coming to town for six decades, yet if recent shows are any indication, she remains an incandescent performer.
Wu-Tang Clan will play the Hard Rock on Aug. 28.
Wu-Tang Clan: Aug. 28, Hard Rock
Last July’s Wu Tang Clan rave up at what was then the Wells Fargo center – now Xfinity Mobile Center – was sold as the legendary hip-hop troupe’s final performance. That obviously wasn’t the case. Also on the bill is Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
John Fogerty and Steve Winwood: Sept. 11, Ocean
Fogerty, the guiding light of Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Winwood, of the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic, account for a sizeable chunk of classic-rock history. Expect an evening of greatest hits from their 1960s/’70s’ bands and decades-long solo careers.
Atlantic City Jazzfest: Sept. 11 and 12, Hard Rock Sound Waves
Jazz is hardly a mainstay of casino entertainment, which makes this two-night bash something special. Featured artists include saxophonists Marion Meadows, Kirk Whalum and Jeanette Harris, trumpeter Tom Browne and pianist Alex Bugnon
