The Byham Theater is buzzing with talent with a wide range of performing arts, including comedy, dance, music, and theater. The coming weeks showcase performances that are guaranteed to keep audiences entertained.

Baseball returns to Pittsburgh with a home run event! PiratesFest is back at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on Saturday, January 24 from 10:00 AM–6:00 PM. This annual event allows fans to connect with their favorite team and other Pirates fans during the off season. 

For those working at PNC Bank, are you ready to return to the office five days a week beginning May 4th? Instead of a flexible hybrid or remote job, CEO and Chairman Bill Demchak clearly implemented the necessity for in-person teamwork and connection.

Acoustic Tuesdays are back! The first stripped-down performance in this live music series was on January 13 and boasted a great turnout in the intimate Liberty Magic venue. Acoustic Tuesdays showcase the best of up-and-coming Pittsburgh talent, connecting listeners to musicians in a comfortable yet electric setting. 

Food lovers, mark your calendars: Pittsburgh Restaurant Week is happening now through Sunday, January 18, with an early access weekend that already kicked off last Friday. This city‑wide dining celebration puts more than 50 local restaurants in the spotlight with special prix‑fixe menus and creative offerings just for the week.

Pittsburgh CLO is celebrating 80 years of musical theater with the 2026 PNC Summer of Musicals, honoring Carol Hefren Tillotson, a longtime supporter and advocate for the arts in our community. For eight decades, Pittsburgh CLO has created unforgettable live theater experiences for and with Pittsburgh audiences—and 2026 promises to continue that tradition.

After months of planning and securing additional funding, the historic May Building is finally moving forward with a major renovation. Built in 1908, the 12-story property hasn’t seen a meaningful update in over 50 years and has faced increasing deterioration.

Sushi I has a fresh new look—and a bold new concept. After closing for a month to renovate and rebrand, the space has emerged as Okane Sushi Taco Bar & Omakase, offering downtown diners a sleek, high-end bar atmosphere perfect for both drinks and dinner.

Another downtown coffee spot just dropped, and this one gets it.

Ruckus Café recently opened on Liberty Avenue with a clear goal in mind: serving breakfast and lunch that fits the pace of a downtown workday. Designed as a daytime-only café, the Downtown location brings the popular Shaler original’s made-to-order approach to an office-heavy neighborhood where quick, quality options are always in demand.

If you work downtown and love fresh, healthy, and quick lunch options, you’ve got to check out Istanbul Grille tucked away on the lower level of the Steel Tower. It’s one of the best spots for a flavorful midday meal that hits all the right notes without slowing you down.

We’re excited to officially announce the return of the Living Well Initiative in 2026, made possible by our year-long sponsorship from UPMC. This partnership allows DNA to offer a full calendar of wellness-focused programming designed to help people live, move, and connect better in downtown Pittsburgh.

Tonight, Acoustic Tuesdays brings the energy back to Liberty Magic with two fan-favorite Pittsburgh artists, Noah Goisse and Abby Morgan, returning to the stage.

Origin Story Coffee brings a playful, pop culture-inspired café concept to Downtown Pittsburgh. Founded by Christian Watts, the former Asheville favorite officially opened downtown in 2025, blending high-quality coffee with comic book and hero mythology.

Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris will be permanently recognized as the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum is renamed the Franco Harris Sports Museum in 2026. The announcement came on the 53rd anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, one of the NFL’s greatest plays.

Nippon Steel Corp. is continuing to grow its footprint in the Pittsburgh region following its $14.1 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel earlier this year.

Balvanera brings the energy of Buenos Aires to Pittsburgh’s Strip District with a menu rooted in Argentine tradition and shaped by global technique. Opened in NYC in 2014 and arriving in Pittsburgh in 2023, the restaurant is led by acclaimed Argentine chef Fernando Navas and Pittsburgh native Meredith Boyle.

In 2025, The Downtowner wasn’t just a newsletter — it was a weekly pulse check on Downtown Pittsburgh. We published 474 articles this year. That’s nearly 1.3 articles every day, delivered every Tuesday at 9 AM, 52 weeks a year, without missing a beat. Week after week, we brought Downtown news, events, food, arts, and local stories straight to inboxes across the city.

This fall, Downtown Neighbors Alliance kicked off something special. On October 7, we hosted the first of eight Acoustic Tuesdays at Liberty Magic, launching an experiment designed to bring local artists and live music to downtown Pittsburgh on a weekly basis. The result? A huge success. Most nights, the theater was packed to capacity, proving just how much our community loves live, local music.

The 2026 NFL Draft may still be months away, but downtown Pittsburgh just scored an early win.

This week, the Shapiro Administration announced that Phase 1 of major improvements at Point State Park is officially complete and finished ahead of schedule. Yes, ahead. We love to see it.

Over the past two years, two of the Downtown Neighbors Alliance (DNA) two of the DNA's projects have been a crucial factor in revitalizing Downtown Pittsburgh’s retail landscape. In 2023 and 2024 alone, DNA's Retail Recruitment program assisted in opening 30 retail establishments, and our efforts continued into 2025 as 19 more businesses opened.