Are Oklahoma shows going on or canceling as a major winter storm nears?

A vast winter storm is expected to hit Oklahoma, bringing uncertain amounts of snow, ice, and sleet.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning and an Extreme Cold Warning for the state.
Some major events, like Hortonfest and the “Beauty and the Beast” tour, are proceeding as planned.
Many other concerts and events have been postponed or canceled due to the severe weather forecast.

(This story has been updated to add new information and photos.)

Ahead of a vast winter storm expected to cross a large swath of the country this weekend, Oklahomans are bracing to get either a few inches or a few feet of snow, along with a light dusting, a full coating or something in between of ice and sleet.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning and an extreme cold warning for the Sooner State starting the night of Friday, Jan. 23, through the morning of Monday, Jan. 26.

With the exact timing and severity of the ice and snowstorm still undetermined, many Oklahoma event organizers have spent the past several days wrestling with the question of whether to cancel, postpone or go on with the show.

“Hortonfest is still on. We’ve got people flying in to play, so we’re going to go ahead with it if we can,” Brian Horton, founder and president of the Tulsa-based Horton Records, told The Oklahoman Tuesday.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of his nonprofit record label, Hortonfest is a three-day music festival originally set for Jan. 23-25 at three different Tulsa venues. The initial lineup included Seattle-based blues-rocker Ian Moore and Oklahoma musicians Seth Lee Jones, Pilgrim and Tulsa Revue. The latter boasts an all-star lineup of Tulsa musicians, including John Fullbright, Paul Benjaman, Jesse Aycock, Jacob Tovar and special guests.

As of Thursday, Jan. 22, all Hortonfest shows were still on, although at least one act — the Chicago-based Steepwater Band — had to drop out due to the forecast. By Friday, Jan. 23, Horton had to postpone Hortonfest Night 2, originally set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24 at Cain’s Ballroom, due to the wintry weather forecast.

An all-ages ticketed event, Hortonfest Night 2 is expected to be rescheduled, and festivalgoers are encouraged to hold on their tickets and follow https://www.instagram.com/hortonrecords and https://www.facebook.com/HortonRecords for updates.

Hortonfest is still set to kick off with a special all-ages edition of the Friday Hang, which is normally a 21-and-older event, at 7 p.m. Jan. 23 at Tulsa VFW Post 577. Seth Lee Jones, Greg Koch & Koch Marshall Trio and Dustin Pittsley & Jesse Aycock’s Higher Education are booked to play, and Night 1 will include a Slice Off, where concertgoers can sample free pizza from local pie shops and vote for their favorite. Free gumbo while it lasts also is on the menu.

Also scheduled to go ahead as planned is Hortonfest’s closing event, the free Sunday Brunch Matinee at noon Jan. 25 at Tulsa’s Fassler Hall. For concertgoers 21 and older, the lineup includes Greyhounds, Pilgrim and Brad Absher.

Music fans are encouraged to follow Horton Records on social media for further festival updates.

National tour of the Disney musical ‘Beauty and the Beast’ still making magic in OKC

In Oklahoma City, the national tour of Disney’s beloved musical “Beauty and the Beast” was still making fairytale magic Thursday, Jan. 22 at Civic Center Music Hall, with performances still slated through Sunday, Feb. 25.

Based on the landmark 1991 animated movie, the Mouse House’s first North American production of “Beauty and the Beast” in more than 25 years is playing the Civic Center as part of the 10th anniversary season for OKC Broadway, Oklahoma City’s local presenter of nationally touring Broadway shows.

If any performances are affected by road closures, emergency declarations or other weather-related issues, an OKC Broadway spokeswoman said ticketholders will be notified immediately and directly about next steps.

On Friday, OKC Broadway issued a statement on social media that theatergoers who “feel that you need to miss your scheduled performance due to this weather event and your travel circumstances, please contact your point of purchase as the next step after your original scheduled performance date, but no later than Wednesday, February 4, 2026.”

Patrons also are encouraged to monitor the social media accounts for OKC Broadway and the Civic Center for updates.

The national tour of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is traveling next week to Tulsa, with performances Jan. 27-Feb. 1 at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center as part of the 2025-2026 season for Celebrity Attractions, Tulsa’s presenter of nationally touring Broadway shows.

Oklahoma City Repertory Theater also forged ahead Thursday, Jan. 22, with its opening-night performance of Katie Bender‘s unusual one-woman show “Instructions for a Séance” at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center’s Te Ata Theater.

A playwright, performer and theater maker with Texas ties, Bender is opening her 2026 tour in OKC, where she was originally scheduled to stage her uniquely immersive 70-minute theatrical experience for four performances through Saturday, Jan. 24 as part of OKC Rep’s innovative 2025-2026 season.

But the severe forecast forced OKC Rep to chance it’s plans: First, the time for Bender’s Friday, Jan. 23 performance was shifted up to 7 p.m., and Executive Artistic Director Emily Comisar later announced that both performances set for Saturday, Jan. 24 were canceled due to the impending storm.

With her one-woman performances, directed by Lily Wolff, Bender hosts a DIY séance, inviting the audience to join her in conjuring up the spirit of famed escape artist Harry Houdini while learning how to escape their own lives. “Instructions for a Séance” is billed as part magic show, part playful look at Houdini’s legacy and part poignant exploration of motherhood, artistic ambition and the urge to escape.

Ticketholders who are planning to attend events this weekend are urged to call ahead and check social media to ensure their event is still on, to use their best judgment when venturing out, and to travel safely. Oklahomans can get the latest on road conditions at https://oklahoma.gov/odot/travel/traffic/road-conditions-resource.html.

What Oklahoma concerts and events have been canceled and postponed due to the winter storm?

Due to the winter storm, many Oklahoma venue operators, promoters and organizers have postponed or canceled events scheduled for this weekend, plus many museums and other attractions are closing:

Americana musician Eric Hagen’s Thursday, Jan. 22 performance at the Blue Door in OKC has been canceled. For information, go to https://www.facebook.com/BlueDoorOKC.
The Oklahoma City Zoo will stay closed Jan. 23-Jan. 28 due to the freezing temperatures and expected snowfall. Weather permitting, the zoo will reopen on Thursday, Jan. 29, for normal operating hours. For information, go to https://www.facebook.com/okczoo.
All Metropolitan Library System locations are closing at 1 p.m. Jan. 23 due to the anticipated winter weather. Patrons are encouraged to check out the digital resources and online catalog available at metrolibrary.org.