The 2026 City Cruises Live programme brings music, culinary events, sports conversations and television personalities aboard ships nationwide, extending an entertainment-led tourism offer.
City Cruises is returning with an expanded 2026 programme of live entertainment aboard ships across the United States. City Cruises Live, presented by BPA, will bring musical artists, celebrity chefs, sports figures and television personalities into intimate onboard settings framed by major American skylines. The series matters as it positions dining and sightseeing cruises as venues for ticketed cultural experiences, rather than solely as sightseeing products.
The programme follows its first year in 2025 and is organised around concerts, culinary events, sports-themed cruises featuring local legends, and question-and-answer sessions with television personalities. The format combines a cruise itinerary with a scheduled appearance or performance, creating an experience that extends beyond the vessel’s usual food, views and hospitality offer. City Cruises says the 2026 programme includes both returning participants and new talent.
The concert schedule includes returning performers such as Elan Trotman, Ken Block and Drew Copeland of Sister Hazel, Colt Ford, Randy Houser, Michael Ray, Mac McAnally and Scotty Emerick. New names listed for the year include The Band Perry, Rodney Atkins, Chris Lane, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Greylan James, The Bacon Brothers, Cooper Alan and Joe Nichols. Other events feature Captain Sandy Yawn, Daryn Carp, Hannah Ferrier and additional reality television personalities.
Food and sport provide parallel routes into the format. Chef Adrianne Calvo is scheduled for a five-city culinary tour with menus tailored to each location, while Chicago will host a one-night experience led by James Beard-recognised chef Art Smith. Sports programming includes Chicago White Sox alumni AJ Pierzynski and Ozzie Guillen, alongside current players Davis Martin, Shane Smith, Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth. San Diego will also host an interactive appearance by mentalist David Magee.
Each event includes City Cruises’ food and beverage service, with optional VIP access offering a meet-and-greet photograph, an open bar and seats positioned closest to the performance. The company says further events and schedule updates will follow, while ticket information is available through its City Cruises Live programme. The expansion gives City Cruises a broader platform for combining destination views with personality-driven entertainment, a model that can make the cruise itself part of the occasion.
