Summer in Central Oregon is a wonderland of fun times, from brewpub patios to backcountry bike trails, floating the river to playing fetch with Fido at one of our many local parks.

And for lovers of live music, summer is the time to catch a concert outside, when the weather is (mostly) warm and the sun stays out longer. Late May is when the region’s outdoor concert calendar heats up, with shows both ticketed and free and festivals scattered across Central Oregon through September (or October if you own a puffy jacket, which you do).

Below is a look ahead at the next few months of live music outside, so indoor venues like Volcanic Theatre Pub, the Domino Room, High Desert Music Hall and The Belfry are not listed here. (Read about them here every other week of the year.) Also missing: The Deschutes County Fair’s shows, as well as concert series that haven’t announced their artists yet, like Clear Summer Nights at the Athletic Club of Bend, Munch & Music in Drake Park and Picnic in the Park In Prineville. And probably other stuff, too, because there’s a lot of it out there — far more than we can cover in this section. But here’s a head start on your summer concert season. See you at the show!

Music on the Green

The family friendly Music on the Green series will return to Sam Johnson Park in Redmond this year. More info: visitredmondoregon.com.

June 28: JuJu Eyeball

July 12: Sweet Motor

July 26: Heller Highwater

Aug. 9: The Tangents

Aug. 23 : Kristi Kensey & the Whiskey Bandits

Sept. 6: Hokulea Ohana Central Oregon

Summer in Sisters

The Sisters Folk Festival will host a summer concert series in Sisters leading up to its big event in the early fall. Tickets go on sale May 24. More info: sistersfolkfestival.org.

July 13: The Brothers Comatose

July 29: Ron Artis II

Aug. 11: TBA

Aug. 19: Rainbow Girls

Century Center in Bend

The Century Center in Bend usually hosts a handful of shows each summer. So far, two are announced for 2023. More info: bendticket.com.

July 29: Heartless Bastards

Aug. 24: Jimmie Allen

Tribute acts in Sisters

Once again, Hardtails Bar & Grill in Sisters is focusing its summer bookings on tribute acts. More info: bendticket.com.

July 8: JuJu Eyeball (The Beatles)

July 15: After Midnight (Eric Clapton)

July 22: Valhalla (Led Zeppelin)

July 29: Randy Hanson (Jimi Hendrix)

Aug. 5: Petty Fever (Tom Petty)

Aug. 19: Gold Dust (Fleetwood Mac)

Aug. 26: In The Pink (Pink Floyd)

Seventh Mountain Resort will host some touring acts on its property near Bend. More info: bendticket.com.

July 26: Jacob Joliff Band

Aug. 3: Arlo McKinley

Music on the Water

For the 10th year in a row, Elk Lake Resort will host concerts throughout the summer as part of its Music on the Water series. More info: elklakeresort.net.

June 17: Darian Renne

June 24: My Band Anna

July 1: Cole and the Thornes

July 8: Aaron Wolf

July 15: Timothy James

July 22: Coyote Willow

July 29: Sierra Marin

Aug. 5: New Reb

Aug. 12: Lane Norberg

Aug. 19: Lisa James & Rain Ezra Duo

Aug. 26: John Shipe & Lilli Worona

Sept. 2: Michael Leslie & Rising Buffalo Tribe

Hayden Homes Amphitheater

For the second year in a row, Bend’s Hayden Homes Amphitheater has scheduled more than 50 concerts between now and mid-September featuring many big-name artists. Some are already sold out, so be sure to check bendconcerts.com for more information.

More on Hayden Homes Amphitheater

Hayden Homes Amphitheater in Bend: What to know before you go

Bend, Hayden Homes Amphitheater have become a concertgoer’s paradise

May 27: Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Joe Bonamassa

May 28: James Taylor

June 1: Quinn XCII

June 3: Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band

June 4: Lord Huron

June 10: Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe

June 16: Chris Stapleton

June 17: Death Cab for Cutie

June 22: Whiskey Myers

June 24: Yonder Mountain String Band, Railroad Earth and Leftover Salmon

June 25: Taj Mahal and Los Lobos

June 27: Indigo Girls and Neko Case

July 1: Jason Isbell

July 7: Slightly Stoopid and Sublime with Rome

July 8: Nickel Creek

July 14: Lyle Lovett

July 16: Jimmy Eat World and Manchester Orchestra

July 18: Stick Figure

July 19: Blues Traveler and Big Head Todd and the Monsters

July 20: Matt Rife

July 29: Trombone Shorty, Ziggy Marley and Mavis Staples

July 30: Boygenius and Carly Rae Jepsen

Aug. 3: Beck and Phoenix

Aug. 4: Cake

Aug. 5: Michael Franti

Aug. 6: Smashing Pumpkins and Stone Temple Pilots

Aug. 9: Father John Misty and The Head and the Heart

Aug. 12: Bon Iver

Aug. 15: Young the Giant and Milky Chance

Aug. 16: My Morning Jacket

Aug. 18: Greensky Bluegrass and The Wood Brothers

Aug. 19: Noah Kahan

Aug. 22: Weezer

Aug. 23: Pink Martini

Aug. 24-25: Dierks Bentley

Aug. 26: Rebelution and Iration

Aug. 27: Sylvan Esso

Aug. 29: Dave Matthews Band

Sept. 2: Lindsey Stirling

Sept. 4: Goo Goo Dolls and O.A.R.

Sept. 7: Rick Springfield

Sept. 8: Kidz Bop

Sept. 9-10: The Lumineers

Sept. 12: Jelly Roll

Sept. 14: Counting Crows

New Central Oregon festivals

A couple of festivals — 4 Peaks and Sisters Rhythm & Brews, most notably — have decided to take 2023 off, but a few new events have joined Central Oregon’s summer festival lineup.

The most intriguing developments on this front are, first, that the folks behind Sisters Folk Festival are launching a new two-day event in June called Big Ponderoo, and second, two multi-day music festivals — the roots-leaning FairWell Festival and jam/dance gathering Cascade Equinox Festival — are starting up this summer at the

Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond.

June 16-18: Steampunk Music Festival at Frontier Days Fairgrounds in La Pine, with Balkan Bump, High Step Society, Defunk, Spunj and more. steampunk.mobiledanceparty.net.

June 24-25: Big Ponderoo, with The War and Treaty, The Travelin’ McCourys, The Lone Bellow and more, Sisters. bigponderoo.com

July 21-23: FairWell Festival, with Turnpike Troubadours, Gary Clark Jr., Zach Bryan, Sheryl Crow, Trampled By Turtles, Willie Nelson and more, Deschutes County Fairgrounds, Redmond. fairwellfestival.com.

Aug. 11-13: Redmond’s 3rd Annual Music & Arts Festival at High Desert Music Hall. highdesertmusichall.com.

Sept. 15-17: Bend Roots Revival, with dozens of local bands, Box Factory area in Bend. bendroots.net.

Sept. 22-24: Cascade Equinox Festival, with Pretty Lights, Goose, Big Wild, Phantogram, Fruition, Deschutes County Fairgrounds, Redmond. cascadeequinox.com.

Sept. 29-Oct. 1: Sisters Folk Festival, with John Craigie, Katie Pruitt, Darlingside, Donna the Buffalo, Alex Cuba and more. sistersfolkfestival.org.