What’s New in Cleveland for 2022

There is an enticing line-up of new experiences, big-ticket events, sports, art and more waiting to be discovered in Cleveland, Ohio this year. Highlights for visitors include all-star sports, music events and the return of a contemporary art triennial that transforms the region.

All-Star Events

2022 NBA All-Star Weekend (February 18-20)

The league’s best and brightest stars will gather in Cleveland for NBA All-Star Weekend 2022. The weekend includes the NBA Crossover fan event, Rising Stars game, All-Star Saturday Night and the 71st All-Star Game. The schedule of events also includes celebrations of the NBA’s 75th anniversary and the first-ever NBA HBCU Classic, a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup between Howard University and Morgan State University.

Cleveland Guardians Home Opener (March 31)

On March 31, the newly christened Cleveland Guardians MLB team will begin a historic season at Progressive Field. The name gives a nod to the iconic Guardians of Traffic statues on the Hope Memorial Bridge that watch over the ballpark and city.

Tall Ships Festival (July 7-10)

Cleveland’s Tall Ships Festival will offer visitors the rare chance to explore several majestic vessels from around the world. This four-day waterfront event returns to the Lake Erie shore with highlights including the Parade of Sail event and educational tours.

Tennis in the Land – WTA 250 (August 21-27)

The top tennis athletes will compete in the second Tennis in the Land, a Women’s Tennis Association 250 event and part of the U.S. Open Series. A temporary stadium court will be constructed in view of the downtown skyline at the riverfront Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica.

Cleveland National Air Show (September 3-5)

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will headline the 2022 Cleveland National Air Show on Labor Day weekend. The show will be the Cleveland debut of the Blue Angels flying a larger jet platform with the F/A-18 Super Hornet and a new logistics support aircraft, the C-130J Super Hercules.

The Fieldhouse at Studio West 117

Nearly 100,000 square feet of real estate on Cleveland’s west side border is being renovated to create Studio West 117, a new LGBTQ community hub. The first phase will be completed in spring with The Fieldhouse. The building will be home to a new LGBTQ youth sports league and feature an indoor/outdoor sports facility, three restaurants and rooftop deck.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Canton’s Pro Football Hall of Fame will score big with additions to the Hall of Fame Village. Phase Two is underway and includes construction of a Hilton Tapestry Hotel, an esports entertainment complex and an indoor football-themed waterpark.

Arts and culture

Cleveland Museum of Art, Black Art in Focus (February 20-June 25)

Drawn from the Museum’s extensive collection, Black Art in Focus is a series of provocative vignettes by well-known and up-and-coming artists that explore the social, political and intellectual connections of Black art, artists and thinkers.

FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art (July)

The second edition of FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art will be comprised of artist commissions, performances and films that embrace art as an agent of transformation and healing. Visitors can embark on a free region-wide art scavenger hunt with projects including a virtual reality arcade, an astronomical observatory and an installation on Lake Erie exploring the social and economic disparities that impact access to clean air and water.

Live Events

Brite Winter Music Festival (February 26)

Brite Winter turns the riverside Flats district into a chill, winter wonderland. The event marries fire, participatory art, food, music and games to help locals and visitors embrace the winter. Attendees can play skeeball, warm up by a bonfire or enjoy the dynamic light installations and ice sculptures.

Welcome to the Farm (Early 2022)

Country music star Chase Rice will bring a bit of his Tennessee farm to the Flats East Bank with his new entertainment venue, Welcome to the Farm. The expansive live music complex and bar features a center stage and large garage doors that open to a waterfront patio.

Wonderstruck (July 9-10)

One of the state’s largest music events, WonderStruck music festival fills a 400-acre site at Lakeland Community College’s campus with multiple stages hosting more than 25 performers.

The Cleveland Orchestra 2021-2022 Season

The Cleveland Orchestra’s 104th season features ten guest artist debuts, acclaimed guest conductors and more than 30 new works performed for the first time, including 16 led by music director Franz Welser-Möst in his 20th season with the Orchestra.

Beyond 2022

Over the next few years, Cleveland will welcome visitors for several notable events including:

2024 NCAA Women’s Final Four

2024 Pan-American Masters Games (PAMG)

2024 Solar Eclipse

Destination Cleveland is Cleveland’s destination marketing and management organization. This private, non-profit organization’s mission is to drive economic impact and stimulate community vitality for Greater Cleveland through leisure and business travel.

www.thisiscleveland.com.