A performance trip gives students the chance to take everything they have worked on throughout the school year and share it with audiences beyond their local community. For school bands, choirs, orchestras, marching bands, and dance groups, traveling together can also create valuable opportunities to experience new cities, explore the arts, and build stronger connections as a group.
If you’re planning a performance trip for 2027, choosing the right destination is an important first step. The ideal location should offer meaningful performance opportunities while also providing activities and attractions that make the entire trip worthwhile for students.
From New York City and Nashville to Chicago, Boston, and Washington, D.C., there are many destinations that can provide the foundation for an unforgettable performance tour.
New York City: A Natural Choice for Performing Arts Groups
New York City is home to some of the country’s most recognizable theaters, performance venues, cultural institutions, and entertainment attractions. For student performers, visiting the city can provide an opportunity to experience the arts from a completely different perspective.
A New York performance tour can include a scheduled performance along with Broadway shows, museums, sightseeing, and other group activities. Students can experience professional performances while also having the opportunity to perform themselves.
The city can be particularly appealing for groups looking to combine a performance experience with exposure to theater, music, dance, and other forms of the performing arts.
Nashville: A Destination Built Around Music
For school music programs, Nashville offers an opportunity to put music at the center of the entire trip.
The city has a strong connection to American music and provides students with opportunities to explore music history, entertainment, and the professional music industry.
A performance tour in Nashville can combine group performances with music-related attractions and other activities. For students who spend much of their school year rehearsing and performing, experiencing a city so closely connected to music can make the trip especially memorable.
Chicago: A Diverse Experience for Student Performers
Chicago gives school groups the chance to experience a major American city while incorporating performance, sightseeing, education, and cultural activities into the itinerary.
Students can explore the city’s architecture, museums, cultural attractions, and neighborhoods between performances.
For bands, orchestras, choirs, and dance groups, Chicago can provide a well-rounded destination where the performance is an important part of the trip without being the only activity.
Boston: Combine Performance With History and Culture
Boston provides another option for schools looking to combine performance opportunities with educational and cultural experiences.
Students can explore the city’s historic sites, museums, architecture, and neighborhoods while participating in a performance-focused itinerary.
This combination can be especially valuable for schools that want their trip to connect with classroom learning as well as their performing arts program.
Washington, D.C.: Perform and Explore the Nation’s Capital
Washington, D.C. can offer school groups a unique combination of performance and educational opportunities.
In addition to arranging a performance experience, schools can build an itinerary around the city’s monuments, museums, historic landmarks, and cultural attractions.
Students can spend part of the trip showcasing their talents and another part learning about American history and government.
For schools that want their performance trip to have an educational component, Washington, D.C. can provide plenty of possibilities.
Choosing the Right Destination for Your Group
There is no single destination that works for every performance group. Directors should consider what they want students to gain from the trip before choosing a city.
A choir may be interested in a destination with strong vocal performance opportunities. A marching band may have different transportation and performance requirements. A dance group may need specific venue considerations.
The size of the group, budget, travel distance, performance goals, and desired activities should all factor into the planning process.
It’s also important to consider what students will do when they’re not performing. A strong performance tour should give students opportunities to experience the destination rather than simply traveling there for a single event.
Build a Customized Performance Tour
Planning a group performance trip involves much more than choosing a city and booking a venue.
Transportation, hotels, meals, sightseeing, performance arrangements, schedules, and group logistics all need to work together.
Peak Group Travel works with school groups to create customized performance tours based on the needs and goals of each ensemble. Whether you’re organizing a band, choir, orchestra, marching band, or dance group, the itinerary can be built around the experiences that matter most to your students and program.
Having an experienced travel partner can also give directors more time to focus on their students, rehearsals, and the performance itself.
Start Planning Your 2027 Performance Trip
The earlier you begin planning, the more time you have to determine your destination, develop an itinerary, communicate with families, and prepare your students.
Whether your group is interested in New York City, Nashville, Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., or another destination, a well-planned performance tour can turn months of rehearsals into an experience students will remember long after the final curtain call.
Ready to Take Your Group on the Road?
Give your students the opportunity to perform, explore, and experience a new destination together. Contact Peak Group Travel today to start planning your 2027 performance trip and create a customized itinerary for your school group.