Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links. Upstate Concerts may earn a commission on ticket purchases at no additional cost to you.
Josh Groban is coming to SPAC on August 14, 2026, and he is not coming alone. The Philadelphia Orchestra will be on stage behind him for a full orchestral collaboration — not a touring band, not a string section supplement, but one of the most storied ensembles in American classical music providing the entire sonic foundation for the evening. This is a fundamentally different kind of show, and SPAC is exactly where it belongs.
Groban has always existed in a space between classical and popular music that few artists occupy with any credibility. A classically trained vocalist with over 25 million records sold, he built that number not on radio singles but on the strength of a voice that fills concert halls the way most pop artists fill headphones — with warmth, control, and a resonance that recording technology has never quite been able to fully capture. Hearing that voice paired with a full symphony orchestra, live, outdoors, in one of the finest amphitheaters in the northeast — that is the draw here.
About the Performance
Groban’s catalog was designed for this. “You Raise Me Up” has become one of the most performed songs in modern music, but it is the deeper cuts and the classical repertoire where the orchestral pairing will truly shine. Noel, his 2007 Christmas album, was the best-selling album in the United States that year — a classical crossover record outselling every pop and hip-hop release in the country. His Tony-nominated turn in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 proved the theatrical range. With The Philadelphia Orchestra behind him, expect a program that draws from the full breadth of his work, reimagined with the depth and nuance that only a world-class orchestra can provide.
Venue Info
SPAC has a long and distinguished history as a home for orchestral music. The amphitheater in Saratoga Spa State Park has hosted The Philadelphia Orchestra’s summer residency for decades, and the pavilion acoustics were refined with exactly this kind of performance in mind. For a show like this, the pavilion seats are the priority — the orchestral detail rewards proximity. The lawn remains a beautiful option on a warm August evening, though the subtleties of a full symphony carry differently at distance.
Saratoga Springs in August is the Capital Region at its best. The track is running, Broadway is buzzing, and the park itself is one of the most beautiful settings for live music anywhere in the state. Arrive early, walk the grounds, and let the evening unfold.
Tickets & Pricing
Tickets are on sale now through SPAC. Show time is 7:30 PM. A world-class voice backed by a world-class orchestra in one of the northeast’s finest outdoor venues — evenings like this do not come along every summer.