The first casino within city limits, a midtown Trader Joe's, our first Bass Pro Shops, new restaurants, luxury apartment openings — they're all on tap for 2026.
Here are some of the things we're most looking forward to in Tucson as we bid 2025 adieu and say hello to 2026.
Entertainment
New Casino del Sol
The Pasqua Yaqui Nation hopes to open the highly anticipated Casino del Sol Vahi Taa'am in late 2026.
The signature copper dome has been placed, and the casino is expected to be ready for players by the end of next year, maybe for the holiday season.
The casino on Grant Road casino, near Interstate 10, will feature a 154,000-square-foot casino floor with several restaurants, a centerpiece bar and a four-level parking garage that can accommodate more than 1,000 vehicles.
A project of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, work for the first casino within Tucson city limits began in 2019 with an intergovernmental agreement between tribal officials and the city.
The casino is the first phase of the project that will eventually include a hotel and conference center.
It will be the fifth casino in the Tucson area.
The copper dome has gone up as construction continues on Casino Del Sol Vahi Taa'am on West Grant Road near Interstate 10.
A grand opening date for the Grant Road casino is expected to be announced in the fall.
Teatro Carmen's rebirth
Jorge Enriquez of MW Morrissey Construction dry walls within the ticket booth at Teatro Carmen, 380 S. Meyer Ave. The ticket booth is part of the restoration of the 1915 theater.
Herb Stratford is hoping that by next summer, he'll be hosting events in the 6,000-square-foot patio of the 1915 gem Teatro Carmen.
It's the third phase of the historic Barrio Viejo theatre's $9 million renovation that Stratford began in 2021.
They are at the halfway mark on the project, with bids going out earlier this month on the outdoor patio that will take up the corner of South Meyer and West Simpson Street, where a Chinese market operated for decades before closing in 1966.
A conceptual drawing of the patio at Carmen Teatro on the corner of South Meyer Avenue and West Simpson Street, which is expected to open in summer of 2026.
The patio is the gateway from the theater's present and its past, and when it opens, it will be the first opportunity we'll have to truly imagine life returning to the Carmen.
Stratford, who spearheaded the $14 million Fox Tucson Theatre renovation in the early 2000s, already has restored the brick facade outside and removed the plaster covering the interior brick walls, exposing worn bricks that date back a century. The building also has new plumbing and electrical wiring and a new roof and restored proscenium of the Sonoran Mission-style theater that Carmen Soto de Vasquez opened in 1915.
Teatro Carmen at 380 S. Meyer Ave. has been vacant since 1985.
Speaking of old buildings springing to artistic life, we're crazy about La Rosa, the super cool 450-seat (700 standing) concert hall that opened in the former Benedictine Monastery chapel at 800 N. Country Club Road in October.
We're not the only ones. Audiences and artists alike have gushed about the ambience and vibe. The acoustics are surreal and the lighting design takes you to an almost ethereal place that recalls its holy roots.
It has a big 2026 planned. Some of the upcoming events include the hugely popular Phoenix indie band Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers on Jan. 3; the Colorado jam band Leftover Salmon on Jan. 15; and gospel and soul greats the Blind Boys of Alabama on Feb. 10. Visit larosa.org for tickets and more shows.
The return of Gem & Jam, other must-see concerts
Names started dropping in October of artists — several of them on our must-see list — heading our way in the new year.
We're getting the 1970s pop-rock band Styx (Jan. 7), Mexican brother-sister bilingual pop duo Jesse and Joy (Jan. 31), and comedians Gary Owen (Feb. 1) and Ali Wong (March 14) at Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, where former Beatle Ringo Starr is set to perform June 3. (Tickets at ticketmaster.com.)
Thousands attend the three-day Gem & Jam Festival at Pima County Fairgrounds every year. This was from the 2024 event; last year's festival went on hiatus.
Country singer Easton Corbin is headlining the Tucson Rodeo concert Feb. 28 at Desert Diamond Casino, while pop country super group Lady A is headlining the Cologuard Classic concert at Rillito Park March 20.
We're also excited to see the return of the three-day EDM-heavy Gem & Jam Festival to Pima County Fairgrounds Feb. 6-8. The festival, which attracts tens of thousands, many of whom camp out throughout the weekend, went on hiatus last year.
This will be the 17th event since Toby White launched it as a complement to the annual Tucson Gem & Mineral Show.
Gem & Jam is now partnered with indie promoter Relentless Beats, which put together a pretty terrific lineup: CloZee, TroyBoi, Tycho, G Jones B2B Eprom and dozens of other DJs, singers and groups on four stages throughout the weekend. Get tickets at gemandjam.com.
Peter Pan and Marty McFly
Tucson's theater stages are wasting no time cranking up in the new year.
Broadway in Tucson kicks off with the long-awaited return of "The Wiz" Jan. 6-11 at Centennial Hall in the show's first tour in 40 years.
"Back to the Future: The Musical" (from left David Josefsberg and Lucas Hallauer) is coming to Centennial Hall April 14-19.
One of its most exciting shows will come in the spring with "Back to the Future: The Musical," Marty McFly's time-travel adventures in a DeLorean. Yes, there will be a DeLorean on stage. You can find showtimes and tickets for both at broadwayintucson.com.
Tucson's Rogue Theatre is kicking off the new year with a little light-hearted fun with its production of "Peter and the Starcatcher" Jan. 9-Feb. 1 at its theatre on East University Boulevard.
"I'm really looking forward to it," said Director Cynthia Meier. "It's just good fun. It's also inspiring in a lot of ways."
The play, which will feature a cast of 12 and two musicians, is a prequel to "Peter Pan," recounting the story of how a nameless orphan becomes Peter Pan. Based on the 2004 novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, the play, adapted by Rick Elice, won five Tony Awards in 2012.
The play has two big musical numbers, but Meier said it's not a musical. It's more a play with music.
"One of the song's refrains is 'swim on' and it has that feeling of let's keep going, let's continue with life. Let's move forward." she said. "There's kind of an inspiring message that is really nice and at the same time it is a little nostalgic for those of us who grew up with Mary Martin and Peter Pan on the television."
For tickets and showtimes, visit theroguetheatre.org.
Slick City
At Slick City Action Park, guests will be able to get their thills by flying off giant slides with special mats.
A huge waterless slide park will open by the end of the year on the city’s east side.
Construction is ongoing to transform the 36,454-square-foot former Joanne’s Fabrics building at 7255 E. Broadway.
The entertainment venue will have slides that are ridden with special mats, air courts and soft play areas for little kids.
Find Slick City on social media for opening day announcements.
Shopping
Trader Joe's on the Sunshine Mile
A Trader Joe’s location, the fifth in the Tucson area, will open on Broadway and Plumer Avenue.
Construction workers are busy at the upcoming Trader Joe's on East Broadway and South Plumer Avenue.
Construction began earlier this year on the parcel where a Dollar Store and tabernacle once were.
Tucson developers reconfigured the site for an extended parking lot.
No grand opening date has yet been set.
Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is known for its massive “Outdoor World” stores, which combine a large selection of goods with features such as target ranges, fish tanks, restaurants and video arcades to create an “immersive” retail experience.
Hunting, fishing and outdoor retailer Bass Pro Shops is close to opening and is recruiting workers for its location at The Bridges, near Park Avenue and Interstate 10.
More than 150 full- and part-time jobs are available in all the store’s departments.
A hiring event will be held Jan. 7 and Jan. 8 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Tucson Airport, 7051 S. Tucson Blvd.
An announcement of a grand opening date is expected soon.
Bass Pro Shops are known as "immersive" retail experiences, with massive aquariums, wildlife dioramas and other attractions.
The eats in ’26
Shake Shack
Tucsonans seem to be ecstatic for Shake Shack’s long-awaited debut. The Arizona Daily Star’s Instagram post about Shake Shack got almost 3,000 likes.
This popular New York-based fast food burger joint is looking to open three locations in 2026: 3105 N. Campbell Ave., 5545 E. Broadway and 633 W. Ina Road.
Expect to see all kinds of hamburgers, sandwiches and creamy milkshakes on the menu.
All-you-can-eat sushi
Tucson influencers are flooding Instagram and TikTok with videos of Kintaro, setting the stage for this new all-you-can-eat sushi, sashimi and hibachi spot to have a big 2026 after opening at the end of October at 5975 E. Speedway.
Ben Chen, an owner and chef at Kintaro, prepares sushi rolls at 5975 E. Speedway.
“I would say probably about 50% of our customers that walk in here and say, 'I saw you on Tik Tok',” said Thao Huynh, one of Kintaro’s owners.
Though wait times can be long, that doesn’t seem to deter customers. “We have people from Phoenix driving down here just to eat,” Huynh said. “They wait for an hour and a half just to get a seat, then they eat for another hour and a half and then they drive back home."
NEX
The closure of Ermanos and Portal left a hole on North Fourth Avenue. Luckily, a new modern eatery is moving in soon.
NEX Restaurant and Bar will be the newest addition to the Fourth Avenue food scene. It will also include Afterlife, a cyberpunk-inspired speakeasy.
Though no menu is available quite yet, NEX describes its vibe on Instagram as elevated dining with bold cocktails.
Chocolate Factory
Armando Bezies' Tucson Chocolate Factory has already won many fans. Now it's in the process of opening its first storefront, at 2926 E. Broadway.
With each chocolate, Bezies weaves in various Sonoran flavors like prickly pear or lemon agave. Expect to see everything from beautifully painted bonbons to its very popular Dubai chocolate bars.
Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers
The chain, known for its diverse burger offerings and fried pickles, will open in the former Sears space near Park Place.
Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers' second Tucson location at Park Place will have a 2,600-square-foot patio that will be carved out of the former Sears store.
It will be the second local shop for Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers, which opened its first location on Oracle Road.
The new east-side spot will occupy about 6,000 square feet and have a 2,600-square-foot patio.
Developers Evergreen Devco Inc. bought the former Sears property in 2022 and says the restaurant should be open in the fall.
Block A
The University of Arizona-inspired sports bar will open in the former Hi-Fi Kitchen & Cocktail space at 345 E. Congress St.
Rendering of the interior of Block A Sports Bar and Grill.
It is a project of Union Hospitality Group, headed by UA alum Grant Krueger.
Block A will feature LED walls for sports viewing or backdrops for entertainers.
Food will be prepared in a scratch-made kitchen that will be open until midnight.
The Block A team hopes to be open in time for March Madness.
Living
Astrie Uptown
The luxury apartment complex built in the upcoming mixed-use development Uptown will begin leasing soon.
Located near Ina Road and La Cholla Boulevard, where Foothills Mall formerly stood, the apartment building was one of the first projects to go up in the redevelopment.
Uptown’s first development is an apartment complex with 157 units at Ina Road and La Cholla Boulevard.
The complex has more than 150 units, ranging in size from studios to three-bedroom models. Amenities include a lounge, rooftop deck, a sports clubhouse and library. Rents are listed as between $1,800 and $4,400 a month.
Visit uptownastrie.com for more information.
Aside from residential, Uptown will feature hotels, shopping, entertainment and various restaurants.
A peek at La Rosa, Tucson's newest live music venue.
Video by Jamie Donnelly, This is Tucson
