(SANTA BARBARA, CA, September 17, 2025) — The highly anticipated Masq(p)arade! performance progressive returns to downtown Santa Barbara for its fifth year on Friday, October 3, 2025, presenting piano-based performances every fifteen minutes from 5:30pm to 8:00pm.
Kicking off the annual Pianos on State installation, this lively, family-friendly event brings together a roster of accomplished regional performing artists for a series of whimsical and inventive 15-minute shows—each staged at a different painted piano along the city’s main corridor.
Each Masq(p)arade! act is creatively paired with an artist-designed piano, incorporating original performances and playful masked flair. The audience is invited to move from piano to piano between sets, experiencing the full lineup as a roving, interactive celebration of creativity and community. Admission is free, and participants are encouraged to wear theatrical masks as they join in the festive atmosphere.
Masq(p)arade! launched in 2021 as a joyful response to the isolating effects of the pandemic, offering an engaging and safe outdoor event that could bring people together through art. This unique annual entertainment event has since showcased innovative, high-caliber performances from across the performing arts spectrum—from flamenco and opera to street brass and improv—all united by live piano accompaniment.
“In five years, Masq(p)arade! has already become an eagerly anticipated local tradition,” said Casey Caldwell, Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative. “You’d have a hard time finding anything else in Santa Barbara that brings more spontaneity and fun to our downtown.”
This year’s Masq(p)arade! promises a surprise-filled lineup and debuts a new downtown route, culminating in a final performance at the historic Lobero Theatre.
Masq(p)arade! 2025 Lineup:
5:30 – 5:45 PM Nadine Pearson @ The Red Piano (519 State St)
6:00 – 6:15 PM Haiku in C Minor @ World Market (610 State St)
6:30 – 6:45 PM Out of the Box Theatre Company @ Tondi Gelato (401 Paseo Nuevo)
7:00 – 7:15 PM Konrad Kono @ Bank of America (834 State St)
7:30 – 7:45 PM Piano in the Sky @ The Lobero Theatre (33 E. Canon Perdido St)
