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The opening for Whitefish Bay’s new live entertainment hall The Argo<\/a>, built inside the former Fox Bay Theater, is officially here.<\/p>\n The Argo team has posted a slate of over 40 mostly musical acts, starting on Dec. 5 and running through Aug. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n The venue’s first public event on Dec. 5 will feature local artists\u00a0Chris Haise Band<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Zach Pietrini<\/a>, as well as Nashville-based alt-pop trio\u00a0VEAUX<\/a>. This event also serves as a fundraiser, with profits given back to local Milwaukee music programs, according to a Nov. 5 news release announcing the opening.<\/p>\n On Dec. 6,\u00a0Goran and Morganof the Milwaukee bandThe Gufs<\/a>\u00a0will return toheadline The Argo\u2019s Grand Opening party.<\/p>\n Beyond opening weekend, highlights from the winter and spring calendar include: regional Grateful Dead tribute artists\u00a0Another One<\/a>, American Idol contestant\u00a0Steve Beghun’s<\/a> New Year’s Eve performance, Midwest indie folk trio\u00a0Violet Wilder<\/a>, singer songwriter\u00a0Gabriel Harris<\/a>, Minnesota rockers\u00a0Remo Drive<\/a>, stalwart bluegrass outfit\u00a0NewFound Road<\/a>, seminal punk rockers\u00a0The Casualties<\/a>, bluegrass artist\u00a0Dan Tyminski<\/a>, and\u00a0The Pork Tornadoes<\/a>.<\/p>\n The venue will also hold a regular rotating residency in swing jazz with The Flood, The Sazerac 5, The Micro Brew Swing Band, and Old Sam & The Teardrops. The full calendar is listed on The Argo’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Argo’s management team of\u00a0Andrew Coate, Adam Powers and Josh Bryant\u00a0moved quickly to complete the venue\u2019s renovation in less than five months.<\/p>\n The Argo has also pledged to donate $1 from every ticket sold to support music industry well-being, prioritizing programs in mental health, sustainability and longevity.\u00a0<\/p>\n “We\u2019ve lived every angle of this industry \u2014 we\u2019ve seen the best of it. We\u2019ve felt the burnout,\u201d Coate said in the release. \u201cThe Argo is our way of tipping the scales back toward the good \u2014 for our peers, for our city, and for the next generation coming up behind us.”<\/p>\n The venue includes a full-service bar and kitchen, and a flexible ballroom and event space for weddings, festivals, private celebrations, community events and more. Its capacity is 700 people.<\/p>\n The bar and kitchen at The Argo were curated by Dan Jacobs, a five-time James Beard semi-finalist and Top Chef contestant. He is also the chef and co-owner of Milwaukee restaurants EsterEv and DanDan.<\/p>\n Jacobs plans an eclectic menu at The Argo that expands on his other innovative concepts, according to the Nov. 5 release.<\/p>\n The bar and kitchen will be open to the public even when not attending a show and will also open on Dec. 5 with a limited temporary menu.<\/p>\n The national entertainment group\u00a0Knitting Factory Entertainment handles talent-buying duties, according to the release. Other venue partners include\u00a0Eventbrite as a ticketing partner, developer\u00a0New Land Enterprises and design-and-build firm\u00a0Three Sixty.<\/p>\n “After months perfecting this venue and the customer experience, we\u2019re finally ready to show our faces to Milwaukee and the world,” Coate said. “We\u2019re looking to become a must-stop for local artists, prominent artists touring through the region and for fans of almost every kind of music.\u201d<\/p>\n Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@gannett.com. Follow her on X at\u00a0<\/em>@levensc13<\/a><\/p>\n