8+ things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend, Jan. 18-21

What’s going on this weekend in Pittsburgh, Jan. 18-21? Find out here. Know of a cool event? Email us.

Thursday, Jan. 18: Alex Michaelides at Carnegie Library Lecture Hall
6 p.m.
A thriller portraying a “reclusive ex–movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder?” Sounds like a good way to spend a cold winter night. This is the provocative premise of “The Fury,” the newest book from acclaimed British Cypriot author and screenwriter Alex Michaelides. The writer takes the Oakland stage to help Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures kick off its 2024 New & Noted series. Mystery Lovers Bookshop will be on hand selling the author’s books and Michaelides will host a signing after the talk. Tickets.

Thursday, Jan. 18: Blank Tape
6-8:30 p.m.
From smart devices hearing our words and targeting us with ads to cameras at stoplights, surveillance and technology pervade our existence. A new exhibition curated by Lena Hansen at Brew House Arts brings artists together to examine “our complicated and conflicted relationship to surveillance.” The group exhibition opens tonight with a free opening reception where visitors will explore works in video, animation, projection, photography, installation and gaming. Information.

Friday, Jan. 19-Sunday, Jan. 21: World of Wheels at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Various times
Start your engines and cruise Downtown for the country’s top showcase of custom cars, hot rods, trucks and motorcycles. Auto aficionados will converge for three days packed with exhibitors, attractions, award ceremonies, a student career day and lots more. Get your speed and stunt fix with the Freestyle Motocross, Pedal Car Challenge and Drag City activities when this show revs up for its 63rd edition. This year’s celebrity showcase features legendary rapper, Public Enemy co-founder and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Flavor Flav. Tickets.

Friday, Jan. 19: “City Limits: Process, Observations & Explorations” at Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media
6-9 p.m.
Spotlighting ceramic artist in residence, Marcè Nixon-Washington, “City Limits: Process, Observations & Explorations” opens tonight with a free reception. As the center’s fourth ceramic artist in residence, Nixon-Washington exhibits work exploring her travels and experiences. When describing her creative practice, Nixon-Washington says, “My work is centered in the archival nature of ceramics in response to the burning of Black history throughout the Jim Crow Era. I hope my work will serve as a primary source and a testimony to my life as a young Black woman living in the 20th century.” The Pittsburgh native discovered her “love for shards and ceramic history” when studying in Jingdezhen, China. Nixon-Washington is a member of the Union Project’s BIPOC Collaborative Studio and Women of Visions. Information.

Friday, Jan. 19: “The Magic of Motown” at the Benedum Center
7:30 p.m.
Sing along, tap along, sway along to some of the most iconic songs ever produced. You’ll have trouble staying seated as 15 powerhouse vocalists backed by a six-piece band deliver the music that continues to transcend generations and geography. This high-octane tribute to “Hitsville, USA” is packed with pitch-perfect harmonies featuring the music of The Temptations, The Jackson Five, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin. Tickets.

Friday, Jan. 19-Sunday, Jan. 21: “Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott” at the New Hazlett Theater
7:30 p.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Be transported to the events that galvanized the civil rights movement via this compelling story of Rosa Parks written by Sue Greenberg. Directed by Linda Haston, the show stars Chelsea Davis as the trailblazing civil rights activist best known for her pivotal role in Alabama’s Montgomery Bus Boycott started in 1955. Part of the Prime Stage Sprouts series, the show runs through Jan. 28 leading up to Black History Month. Bonus: Friday night’s show is a special “pay-what-you-can preview performance.”

Saturday, Jan. 20: “Iphigénie en Tauride” at Pittsburgh CAPA School Theater
8 p.m.
2024 is off to a very synergistic start for Pittsburgh Opera. Tonight, the organization opens the first of four operas at four venues in four months. It’s also the first time that Pittsburgh Opera has performed “Iphigénie en Tauride.” A reimagining of Euripides’ epic Greek drama, the opera in four acts was composed in 1779 by Christoph Willibald Gluck. Audiences only have four nights to experience this “powerful Trojan War-era tale of a sister whose duty requires that she kill a man who turns out to be her brother.” The brand-new production is conducted by Antony Walker, directed by Haley Stamats and features Emily Richter as Iphigénie and Brandon Bell as Oreste. Tickets.

Sunday, Jan. 21: “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” in Concert at Heinz Hall
2:30 p.m.
Where can you battle a dragon, swim with merpeople and discover who put Harry’s name in the Goblet of Fire — all from your seat at Heinz Hall? For the first time, audiences can relive the magic of the 2005 fantasy film while the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performs Patrick Doyle’s soaring score led by conductor Justin Freer. Tickets.

BONUS: What else is there to do?

The next four days are packed with signature citywide events, such as Pittsburgh Restaurant Week (running now through Jan. 21), Cirque du Soleil’s dazzling “Crystal” at PPG Paints Arena (Jan. 18-21), the Winter Heat bash at Carnegie Museum of Art (Jan. 19), the Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (Jan. 19 & 20) and the debut of the Hooks & Phonics Festival at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (Jan. 19-21). Find all the details in our guide to the “10 top things to do in January.”

Find more things to do in Pittsburgh, including live music, family events, festivals, outdoor recreation and shopping.