Photo: Walz Consulting
(Omaha, NE) -- The City of Omaha’s annual Memorial Park Concert and fireworks show is this Friday, June 27th. The event, with News Radio KFAB as the media sponsor, starts at 6:30pm with Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs taking the stage at 6:45pm, Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band taking over at 8:30pm, and a firework display capping off the night close to 10:00pm. The event is free and family-friendly.
The night kicks-off with the national anthem, performed by rising Central High School Senior, Isabella Worden. Local talent will also be featured throughout the day – videos of Eastern Nebraska bands will play on the giant screens framing the stage. Over 20 bands will be showcased with several of the bands receiving in studio recording time at KPAO Public Television earlier this year. Following the concert, a fireworks display will light up the sky as the grand finale of the event.
“This is Omaha’s night, Omaha’s party, and I’m proud to say, hosted at one Omaha’s crown jewels, Memorial Park,” said Mayor John Ewing. “I’ll be excited to see ‘One Omaha,’ a crowd that draws from all over the city and beyond. We are united around our desire to celebrate with each other while enjoying the music and fireworks.”
Preparations at Memorial Park begin early this week, kicking off with the City of Omaha Parks Crew mowing, installing temporary fencing, and prepping the park for the production and stage set-up. The park officially opens at 5:00am on Friday for the public to start claiming spots. Tarps, tents, canopies, umbrellas, anything staked to the ground, drones, and glass bottles are not allowed. All items entering the park are subject to inspection.
Street restrictions and one-way enforcements will begin Friday morning. Parking and transportation options include:
• Free event parking is available on the UNO campus starting at 4pm.
• Limited paid parking is available at Brownell Talbot.
• Free shuttle rides are available from Dundee to Memorial Park between 1pm and 7pm, courtesy of Historic Dundee. Riders can hop on the trolley at six different locations throughout the Dundee neighborhood – for more information, visit the Historic Dundee website.
• Concertgoers can also park at Westroads Mall and hop on the ORBT bus line, which passes by Memorial Park – the fare is $1.25 each way and kids ride for free. For more information on riding the ORBT and other Metro bus lines nearby, visit the Metro Transit Omaha website.
As always, concertgoers are welcome to bring their own snacks and beverages, though there will be food vendors selling a variety of meal, snack, and drink items. The Metropolitan Utilities District’sHydration Station will be located near the Info Booth on the west side of the park to refill water bottles.
Throughout his career Ringo Starr has received nine GRAMMY® Awards and has twice been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- first as a Beatle and then as solo artist. Ringo has released 21 solo studio records including Look Up released early this year. In 2018, Ringo was knighted and in 2025 is celebrating 36 years of touring with his All Starr Bands. The current roster of the All Starr Band features Steve Lukather, Colin Hay, Warren Ham, Hamish Stuart, and Gregg Bissonette, as well as Buck Johnson on keyboards.
Mike Campbell was a member, architect, and co-captain of the Heartbreakers, a band he co-founded with Tom Petty. The Heartbreakers’ lead guitarist, Campbell co-wrote many of the Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers hits and co-produced many of their albums. In 2020, Campbell released Wreckless Abandon, the first album by The Dirty Knobs, and their most recent album Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits was released in 2024. The Dirty Knobs features fellow Heartbreaker Steve Ferrone on drums, Chris Holt on guitar and Lance Morrison on bass.
The event is sponsored by the City of Omaha, Omaha Parks Foundation, and Douglas County, with media sponsor News Radio 1110 KFAB, and support from Security National Bank. For more information, visit www.memorialparkconcert.com and follow the concert on Facebook and Instagram.
Photo courtesy Walz Consulting