The Dandelion Chandelier Luxury Entertainment Calendar highlights notable new events in theater, film, popular music and television in August 2018. It’s a quick read, after which you’ll be pop-culturally literate all month! For the rest of the Luxury Calendar, click here. And for a list of fantastic new books being published this month, click here.
August may not be known for new arrivals in the way that the months of September and October are in the entertainment industry, but this often overlooked summer month actually has plenty of debuts.
We’re excited for the arrival of films like rom-com Crazy Rich Asians and Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, as well as television shows like Jack Ryan on Amazon and the return of Jessica Biel’s The Sinner.
Other cool goings-on include Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties debuting on stage, Outside Lands in California, Drake on tour and the Disgraceland podcast – because especially in the summertime, who doesn’t like a little bit of true crime with a dash of celebrity on top?
Film
The 71st annual Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland is one of the longest running and highly beloved for its ability to provide fare that appeals to both cinephiles and wider audiences alike – Aug 1 – 11
The Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland
In Disney’s Christopher Robin, Winnie-the-Pooh and friends reunite with old pal Christopher Robin – now an adult and played by Ewan McGregor – Aug 3
Debuting on Netflix is Like Father, the story of a workaholic young executive (Kristen Bell) who has been left at the altar and ends up on her Caribbean honeymoon cruise with her estranged and equally workaholic father (Kelsey Grammer) – Aug 3
The 16th annual Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival takes place in Oak Bluffs – Aug 6 – 11
Perfect for the 10 and under set is the independent animation feature, Animal Crackers, with voices by Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Danny DeVito, Ian McKellen and Sylvester Stallone – Aug 10
From visionary filmmaker Spike Lee comes the incredible true story of an American hero of Ron Stallworth, the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the members of a white supremacist organization. BlacKkKlansman stars John David Washington, Topher Grace and Adam Driver – Aug 10
Crazy Rich Asians is based on Kevin Kwan’s novel of the same name – Aug 15
The oldest film festival in the world, The Venice Film Festival, returns for its 75th year – Aug 29 – Sept 8
Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder reunite in Destination Wedding – Aug 31
Television
The critically acclaimed Jessica Biel drama, The Sinner, boasts a “new story” – Aug 1
The acclaimed drama, Better Call Saul adds Stefan Kapicic (Deadpool 2) to the cast and will also feature Giancarlo Esposito’s Gus Fring more prominently for its 4th season – Aug 6
Lodge 49 follows a group of people working through their frustrations and longing for something more in Long Beach, California – Aug 6
Lodge 49 on AMC
Rev Run stars alongside his real life wife, Justine Simmons, in a semi-autobiographical family sitcom that was originally developed for ABC but picked up by Netflix called All About the Washingtons – Aug 10
The Teen Choice Awards air on Fox – Aug 12
Ballers returns to HBO, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Yay! Did we mention that Dwayne “The Rock” Johhnson is in it? – Aug 12
Ballers on HBO
If you love a Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu, head to Glimmerglass Festival for a wide ranging chat with author Margaret Atwood – Aug 17
2018 MTV Video Music Awards takes place at Radio City Music Hall. Rapper (and new mom) Cardi B leads the VMAs with 10 nominations, while the Carters, aka Beyoncé and Jay-Z, followed with eight nominations and Childish Gambino and Drake tied with seven – Aug 20
In the first TV series based on Tom Clancy’s books, The Office’s John Krasinski plays a modern day version of the titular CIA analyst – previously portrayed on screen by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine – as he embarks on his first field assignment that finds him attempting to thwart a terrorist attack. Jack Ryan will stream on Amazon – Aug 31
Theater
Little Shop of Horrors heads to the Regents Open Air Theater – Aug 3 – Sept 15
At the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival you can find performances of Macbeth, The Comedy of Errors, Pericles and Twelfth Night – through Aug 25
The Williamstown Theater Festival presents Dangerous House, the story of an aspiring footballer from Cape Town who moved to London for a fresh start but is pulled back home by an ex-lover – Aug 8 – 19
Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties at the MCC Theater tells the story of 5 women all named Betty and how their different lives inspired one of them to stage a play about it – Previews Aug 16, Open Sept 12
Collective Rage: A Tale of 5 Betties at MCC, New York
A folk rock fable for the runner-up in all of us, 1969: The Second Man at the NYTW explores competition and collective achievement through the story of one small man who became one giant myth – Aug 24
Popular Music
Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Chicago, headliners include Arctic Monkeys, Bruno Mars, The Weeknd and Jack White – Aug 2 – 6
The Monte-Carlo Sporting Summer Festival continues, with performances by Santana (Aug 5) and Rita Ora (Aug 7)
Returning to Budapest is the always popular Sziget Festival. Kygo, Kendrick Lamar and Mumford & Sons are among those performing – Aug 8 – 15
The Sziget Festival, Budapest
Shakira’s EL Dorado World Tour stops at MSG – Aug 10
At the Outside Lands music festival, Northern California’s version of Coachella, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco transforms into a celebration of music, food, wine, beer, art and comedy. Headliners include The Weeknd, Florence and the Machine and Janet Jackson – Aug 10 – 12
Summer Sonic, Japan’s leading music festival, takes place in Tokyo and Osaka. This year’s line-up includes Beck, Chance the Rapper and Shawn Mendes – Aug 18 – 19
Beach House makes a stop on their tour at The Chicago Theatre with Papercuts – Aug 18
Legendary pop icon Britney Spears will bring her record breaking Las Vegas show, “Britney: Piece of Me”, to Europe; stopping at The O2 for 3 nights – Aug 24 – 26
The Afropunk Festival at Brooklyn’s Commodore Perry Park is an annual arts festival that celebrates and unifies the cultural cornerstones of AFROPUNK through music, film, skate and art – Aug 25 – 26
The Afropunk Festival, Brooklyn
The Staples Center hosts Sam Smith with Beth Ditto – Aug 28 – 29
Platinum selling artist Drake is bringing the Aubrey and The Three Migos Tour to The Barclays Center in Brooklyn – Aug 30 – Sept 1
Turning the parkland of Randall’s Island Park into an electronic dance utopia is Electric Zoo – Aug 31 – Sept 2
New Podcasts
Disgraceland is a true crime podcast about musicians getting away with murder and behaving very badly. Thirty minute episodes that trace the most insane criminal stories surrounding our most interesting and infamous pop stars
What does the Second Amendment actually say and is the meaning altered by a single semicolon? How dangerous is playing college football? Should you support a sport that causes CTE? Bestselling author and podcaster Malcolm Gladwell explores those controversial questions in the newest season of Revisionist History
Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast Revisionist History
Spike Mendelsohn and Monica Mills serve up episodes on important topics like food as medicine and urban agriculture in Plate of the Union. Guests include chefs such as Jose Andres, members of Congress and food activists
If you love geeking out over song lyrics than Dissect is the podcast for you. Season 3 is currently analyzing Frank Ocean’s discography. Each episode picks apart a single song, dissecting it word by word
See other August 2018 Events:
— Travel
— The Arts
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