Support WBUR
Boston's Morning Newsletter
Headliners, food, weather: What to know about Boston Calling this weekend
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
It's almost Memorial Day weekend. Make sure to hit the road before noon if you're getting a jump on the unofficial start of summer (eventually, it will begin to sorta feel like summer). If you're sticking around, you may have noticed the hulking stage rising up at Harvard University’s athletics complex for this weekend's three-day Boston Calling music festival. Here's a look at what all that construction is for:
Boston Calling is back — with some big infrastructure changes. As WBUR's Andrea Shea reported for our ARTery newsletter (psst: sign up here), this year's festival features a massive, lazy Susan-style rotating stage. After last year's crushing crowds went viral, organizers decided to merge the two adjacent main stages into one big turntable-like stage, “which allows us to have one band setting up while another band is performing,” said Boston Calling co-founder Brian Appel. At 80-feet long, it's three times larger than last year's main stages. Read Andrea's full story on how the new setup will work. If you're planning to see acts take the new stage in person, here's an overview of this year's lineup and what to know before you go:
- Friday: Luke Combs, Megan Moroney, Sheryl Crow, T-Pain, TLC and Mike.
- Saturday: Fall Out Boy, Avril Lavigne, Cage The Elephant, The Black Crowes, James Bay and All Time Low (who will also play an after-party Friday night).
- Sunday: Dave Matthews Band, Vampire Weekend, Sublime, Public Enemy, Tom Morello and Remi Wolf. (Scroll through all of the set times here.)
- Local spotlight: Boston Calling's Orange Stage for local artists will include a few names WBUR listeners might recognize: Somerville rock band sidebody, the electronic trio Battlemode and lyrical Brockton rapper Latrell James.
- Need festival fuel? You can find sushi, pizza, nachos, pierogi, doughnuts and more. See all the food vendors here, including gluten-free and vegetarian options.
- What about the weather? The show goes on, rain or shine. With a chance of spotty showers over the weekend, you may want to bring a jacket or poncho, and wear shoes that can handle a little mud. There's also an indoor stage (featuring up-and-comers from Berklee) if you need to escape any rain.
- Heads up: A big chunk of Cambridge's Memorial Drive near Harvard will be closed tonight through Sunday to make way for festival-goers.
Across the river: Brace for another legal battle between Harvard and the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security announced yesterday that it had revoked Harvard's ability to enroll international students, an unprecedented move intended to pressure the university to turn over more detailed information about foreign student protest activity and disciplinary records. Harvard called the action "unlawful," hinting at the possibility of another lawsuit.
- What it means for students: Harvard had 6,793 international students this year. If the Trump administration's move stays in effect, the university will no longer be able to enroll foreign students with specific nonimmigrant statuses this fall. And current students on these visas will need to transfer to another school.
- Go deeper: The Associated Press reports that some of Harvard's sports teams would be virtually wiped out by the Trump administration's decision.
Leveling up: Boston's Zoning Commission signed off this week on a plan to allow taller buildings and more development in Roslindale Square. As WBUR's Dan Guzman reports, building heights in the square are currently limited to just 35 feet. But under the newly approved rezoning plan, buildings as tall as 145 feet (or roughly 12 stories) would be allowed by the Roslindale Village commuter rail station, along with seven-story buildings in the center of the square. See the new zoning map here.
- The big picture: The Roslindale plan is the first to be approved since the launch of Mayor Michelle Wu's citywide "Squares + Streets" initiative to address Boston's housing shortage (though a similar plan for Mattapan was approved under a different name in 2023). City Councilor Enrique Pepén, who represents the area and supported the plan, said it's the "perfect neighborhood" to start the program due to its existing vibrancy and community. "We have already seen buildings actually come into the square that fit the mold of Squares + Streets," Pepén told Dan, adding that "it creates a sense of predictability of what's gonna happen."
All aboard: Seasonal weekend commuter rail service to Cape Cod resumes today. The MBTA's CapeFlyer train will run between Boston's South Station and Hyannis — with six stops along the way — on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day (plus some additional holiday trains, like for Memorial Day this Monday).
- The full trip takes about two and a half hours and costs $40 for a roundtrip ticket, though kids under 11 who travel with a paying adult can ride for free.
The bus to Blue Hills: Following concerns about the lack of public transit access to the Blue Hills Reservation, state officials are trying out seasonal Saturday bus service to the 7,000-acre park's Houghton Pond recreation area. Starting June 21 through Oct. 11, the MBTA's 716 bus will make an extra stop at the pond on Saturdays.
P.S.— What kind of renewable fuel will power a ferry to Martha's Vineyard this summer? Take our Boston News Quiz and test your knowledge of the stories we covered this week.
