Guild Hall’s 2025 Season Returns with a Curated Celebration of Art, Performance, and Culture in the Hamptons
May 20th, 2025 – After a two-year restoration, East Hampton’s Guild Hall reopens its doors to the public with a reenergized purpose and a 2025 season that reads like a masterclass in interdisciplinary programming. With nearly a century of legacy behind it, the historic institution now enters its 95th year with renewed creative vigor and a powerful commitment to access, intimacy, and the arts.
From internationally acclaimed dance companies to Broadway legends, contemporary art exhibitions, and thought-provoking forums, Guild Hall’s upcoming slate positions it firmly as the cultural heartbeat of the Hamptons. The institution’s newly upgraded spaces—including its museum, education center, and theater—serve not only as elegant backdrops but as active participants in an immersive artistic exchange that brings audiences closer to the source: the makers themselves.
Reintroducing Guild Hall: A New Chapter Begins
Guild Hall’s 2025 programming launched on May 4 with Functional Relationships: Artist-Made Furniture and Almond Zigmund: Wading Room—two exhibitions exploring the confluence of function, form, and creative intention. On view through July 13, both shows are accompanied by robust public programming, including panels and participatory events, aligning with Guild Hall’s focus on interactive cultural engagement.
Later this summer, two major solo presentations take over the galleries. Mary Heilmann: Water Way marks the artist’s first large-scale institutional show on the East End—where she has long been a fixture of the creative community. Simultaneously, Joel Mesler: Miles of Smiles will reframe universal themes through humor, autobiography, and graphic experimentation. His immersive installation includes an artist-run “Smile Shop” in the Pantzer Lobby Gallery, offering limited-edition merchandise, charm necklaces, wallpaper, and plush collectibles—extending the gallery experience into the tactile and the playful.
A Season of Movement: Dance Takes Center Stage
The 2025 dance program is nothing short of exceptional. Kicking off with An Evening of Music & Dance with Tiler Peck, Guild Hall then welcomes Gibney Company, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company: Story/Time, and a return engagement of New York City Ballet: On & Off Stage. One of the season’s most anticipated moments arrives with the premiere of House Is Open, Going Dark by Music From The Sole, concluding their multi-year artist residency.
Theater, Music, and the Magic of the Stage
Broadway’s brightest bring star power to East Hampton. Highlights include Jason Robert Brown with host Frank DiLella, Ana Gasteyer in conversation with Seth Rudetsky, and special performances by Whitney White, Adam Pascal (with producer Jeffrey Seller), and John Cameron Mitchell. Isaac Mizrahi also returns with his beloved cabaret act.
Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin and Melissa Errico lead The Fitzgeralds, a music-filled reading directed by Stephen Hamilton with an original score by Forrest Gray. The Portraits series curated by G.E. Smith continues, spotlighting the likes of Luis Cato, Paul Shaffer, and Jimmy Vivino. Additional live music offerings range from Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center to a jazz guitar evening with Julian Lage and Jorge Roeder and performances by members of the New York Philharmonic.
Dialogue and Discovery: Talks, Panels, and Culinary Conversations
Florence Fabricant’s Stirring the Pot series returns for its 15th year, bringing culinary luminaries like Andrew Carmellini, Marc Murphy, Christina Tosi, and Pete Wells into conversation. Beyond the kitchen, this year’s speaker series also includes voices like astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson (StarTalk Live!), Met Museum Director Max Hollein, Daryl Roth and Anna Deavere Smith (Academy Icons), and civic leaders Lisa Perry, Bob Rubin, and Alexandra Fairweather.
The Hamptons Institute makes a highly anticipated return, curated by Ellen Chesler and Patricia Duff, featuring nightly conversations with influential thought leaders exploring key cultural and policy issues through diverse lenses and community-driven dialogue.
A Summer That Moves Between High Art and Local Joy
Humor remains a cornerstone of the summer calendar with performances by comedian ALOK, Candace Bushnell, Julio Torres, and the always hilarious Celebrity Autobiography. For younger audiences, KidFEST presents seven Wednesdays of engaging family programming, including Dance Theatre of Harlem, The Little Mermen, 1 2 3 Andrés, and Puppy Pals Live!
Additional highlights include HamptonsFilm’s return with SummerDocs, the Clothesline Art Sale on July 19, and the Summer Gala on August 1 honoring philanthropists Louise and Howard Phanstiel. A newly introduced Tony Awards Screening Party brings Broadway fans together under one roof. Meanwhile, community favorites such as Art Social, Silent Disco Dance Parties, and the Teen Arts Council’s annual fashion show in collaboration with LVIS reflect Guild Hall’s enduring commitment to creativity across generations.
Making Space, Reducing Barriers
For the first time, Guild Hall has introduced a block of $25 tickets for every Guild Hall-presented event—reaffirming its mission to keep the arts accessible while preserving the intimacy and quality that has defined the institution for nearly 100 years.
“With the strongest opening week of ticket sales in our history, Guild Hall’s 95th season is already poised for success.”
Andrea Grover, Executive Director of Guild Hall
That success lies not only in the impressive names on its calendar, but in the care and consideration that defines its programming—from architectural restoration to artistic curation.