Southern Utah University has released a schedule of upcoming homecoming activities for late September and October 2026, highlighted by a multi-day celebration for the new George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Music Center. The series of events follows an earlier announcement on Sept. 15, 2026, regarding the grand opening of the facility.
Eccles Music Center Grand Opening
The centerpiece of the upcoming festivities is the official celebration of the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Music Center. The facility, a 51,250-square-foot space designed to serve as the new home for the university's music program, will host a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, at 4 p.m. as part of the broader SUU Homecoming celebration.
Following the ribbon cutting, the university will host a Grand Opening Concert at 8 p.m. on Sept. 24, featuring performances by music students, alumni, faculty, and members of the Cedar City community. An encore performance is also scheduled for Friday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. While both concerts are free and open to the public, attendees must acquire tickets. Tickets can be picked up at the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), Monday through Saturday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
A New Home for Music
The celebration for the music center will conclude on Saturday, Sept. 26, with an open house held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event will follow the SUU Homecoming Parade and will allow community members to tour the facility and view performances and recitals by SUU music students, faculty, and alumni.
Dr. Adam Lambert, chair of the SUU Music Department, stated that the new home reflects the talent, creativity, and ambition of the university's students, faculty, and alumni. Lambert noted that the timing of the opening is especially fitting as it coincides with Homecoming, a time when the university community gathers to celebrate its history and future.
Student Alumni Association Events
In addition to the music center celebrations, the Student Alumni Association has scheduled several homecoming-related activities. On Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, the association is hosting both a Fuel Up for Homecoming event from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and an Outdoor Movie & Car Show starting at 7:00 p.m., both located at the Library Quad.
Other recent and upcoming activities organized by the Student Alumni Association include a 'Cozy at the BristleCONE Pine Trail' event on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center parking lot. On Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, the group will host 'True T-Bird Night' from 11:00 p.m. at the Founders Monument until 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 26.
October Traditions
The upcoming schedule also includes several events for October. On Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, the university will host 'Jazz at the EMC!' from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Eccles Music Center's Okerlund Concert Hall. This event is listed as free and is a collaboration involving the Music Department, the College of Performing & Visual Arts, and the Student Alumni Association.
Other scheduled October traditions include an Ashcroft Observatory tradition on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and a 'See the Ghost of Virginia' event on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, at 10:30 p.m. at Old Main. The month's festivities will conclude with the Sheep Parade on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Main Street.
About the College of Performing and Visual Arts
The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Music Center is part of the College of Performing and Visual Arts (CPVA) at SUU. The college manages 41 academic programs ranging from art and design to dance, filmmaking, music, and theatre. It serves more than 900 majors and is taught by over 60 full-time faculty and staff.
SUU's CPVA is notable for being the first public university in Utah to be accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST).
Cultural Impact in Southern Utah
The university's music program and the broader CPVA provides over 100 performances, lectures, and exhibitions annually. These offerings are complemented by the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA) and Shakespeare Studies at SUU, and the college maintains an affiliation with the Utah Shakespeare Festival (USF).
