The First Friday Concerts are making a return, bringing live music back to Downtown Bloomington this summer.
The concerts are presented by the Gibson Area Hospital and Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts [BCPA].
The first of three First Fridays starts in June, held on the BCPA lawn. The event features cover bands performing popular hits across decades and genres.
The lineup will kick off June 5 with Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters. The cover band formed in 2000 with inspiration from the fictional band from the movie That Thing You Do!. They are known for keeping their energy level and keeping the audience dancing and moving with performances from the 1970s and ‘80s.
Beyond the Blonde follows on July 3, a Chicago-based tribute band showcasing songs by "fierce females" like P!INK, Lady Gaga and Gwen Stefani.
The series concludes on Aug. 7 with How Rude, another tribute band featuring hits from the ‘90s and covering the pop and grunge genres.
The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts was recently a finalist for a grant from the Leavitt foundation to expand the Frist Friday concerts and eliminate the entrance fee. The City of Bloomington's Marketing Manager for Arts & Entertainment, Gina Volk said the city did not receive the grant this year.
The city owns and operates the BCPA and Grossinger Motors Arena.
Volk said the city shifted away from a fourth September concert in 2025 due to lower attendance and timing working better for the event and audience.
"We had great success with the three-concert lineup last year, so we brought it back again this year," she said in an email.
Volk said since construction work on the downtown revitalization project has moved to the 500 block the BCPA doesn't anticipate too many issues. Traffic may be delayed and busier than usual when trying to park and get to the concert.
"There may be some minor inconveniences, but we don't expect any major disruptions to the event," she said. "If anything, it's exciting to see the continued progress happening downtown while people are coming in to enjoy the concerts!"
All First Friday concerts take place at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be bought at the gate. Attendees can enter for free with a receipt from a downtown business of at least $5 that same day. Food trucks and drinks are on site for purchase.
