Cleveland Skyline 19 Jan 2018
Seeking World-Class Arts, Culture and Rock & Roll? Consider Cleveland in 2018

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Destination Cleveland

The energy in Cleveland continues to rise with new developments, events and exhibitions throughout the area. From music and art to the outdoors and sports, visitors can experience the passion, creativity and history of this lakefront Midwest city and see firsthand why it was named one of National Geographic Traveler's world's best places to visit in 2018.

Highlights of Cleveland's new and notable events and developments for 2018 include:

ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS: Cleveland is the city where the term “rock and roll” was coined, so it is only fitting that on April 14, 2018, the city will host Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. This star-studded event will also include a dedication for the 2018 Inductee exhibit and other rock and roll themed events and activities at the Rock Hall and around the city.

Opened in July 2017, the Power of Rock Experience gives visitors a front row seat to performances from their favorite Rock Hall inductees. The three-part exhibit begins with short cuts from induction ceremony presentations, continues to an immersive 12-minute film by Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme featuring legendary Rock Hall Induction performances, and concludes with “Say It Loud” story booths that allow guests to be interviewed by inductees such as Smokey Robinson and Alice Cooper.

FRONT INTERNATIONAL: With pieces from more than 50 local, national and international artists, Cleveland will blend its rich reputation for classic art with modern masterpieces at the FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art. From July 14 to Sept. 30, 2018, this global triennial exhibition will showcase art at multiple venues in the region including the Cleveland Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, Spaces Gallery and Transformer Station. Artistic director Michelle Grabner (School of the Art Institute of Chicago) is developing an intriguing series of cultural exercises exploring the theme of “An American City,” with creative expression from artists working in various mediums and inspired by the collective memory and landscape of Cleveland.

CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART: The internationally recognized “Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors” will be at the Cleveland Museum of Art from July 7 through September 30, 2018. Visitors can experience six of Kusama's “Infinity Mirror Rooms” alongside a selection of her other key works, including a number of paintings from her most recent series, “My Eternal Soul.”

ARTLENS Gallery, opened in summer 2017, allows visitors to take a closer look at the museum's collection through an interactive exhibit. With cutting-edge touchscreen-free interactives, including gesture-sensing projections that respond seamlessly to body movement and facial recognition technology, visitors can create original artwork in the ArtLens Studio, engage with digital interactives in the ArtLens Exhibition and connect with the museum's collection at the ArtLens Wall.

THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA CENTENNIAL: Pitch-perfect programs ranging from the classical repertoire to operas will hit the right note with visitors as the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra celebrates the centennial of its founding and began its second century of performances in fall 2017. The Cleveland Orchestra plays in residence at Severance Hall in the University Circle neighborhood and calls Blossom Music Center in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park its summer home.

CEDAR POINT: Cedar Point, the Roller Coaster Capital of the World, is adding a new record-breaking coaster to the park – Steel Vengeance. Taking over the track of the former Mean Streak coaster, Steel Vengeance will be the world's first steel-on-wood hybrid roller coaster to stand over 200 feet tall.

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME ENSHRINEMENT WEEK: Nowhere else can football fans interact with as many Hall of Famers in one place than at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement in August each year. More than 120 living Hall of Famers reunite for a week of festivities that features a tailgate party, autograph sessions, an epic Hall of Fame Game and Fan Party. The celebrations culminate with the Enshrinement Ceremony where the Class of 2018 will be inducted.

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME (2018-2019): Football fans can look forward to a virtual-reality amusement-park experience, retail and restaurants when the Pro Football Hall of Fame opens Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village in 2019. The state-of-the-art nearly $600 million project coincides with the NFL's 100th season and will also include a renovated Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium and a four-star hotel with 243 rooms and a conference center (opening in 2018).

HAMILTON: The Tony Award-winning smash hit musical comes to Cleveland's Playhouse Square, the U.S.'s largest performing arts center outside of New York City, for a six-week run July 17 through August 26, 2018.

HOTEL RENOVATION: The Ritz-Carlton Cleveland underwent a complete and dramatic remastering of the luxury property, including significant updates to its 206 guestrooms, a reconfiguration of its lobby and the creation of a larger, redesigned fitness area. The renovation includes the addition of TURN Bar + Kitchen, which features dishes and drinks that reflect Cleveland's cultural diversity.

DIRECT TO EUROPE AIR SERVICE: Beginning in May 2018, both Icelandair and WOW air will offer four times weekly service from Reykjavik to Cleveland. Both airlines provide connections from Cleveland to destinations throughout Europe.

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ABOUT DESTINATION CLEVELAND: Destination Cleveland is Cleveland's convention and visitors bureau. This private, non-profit organization's mission is to drive economic impact and stimulate community vitality for Greater Cleveland through leisure and business travel. Cleveland welcomes 18 million visitors annually. For more information, visit thisiscleveland.com.