Local “Blade Runner” fans who’ve thought the viewing experience could be improved by being more completely enveloped in Vangelis’ synth-heavy score now have an opportunity to live out that dream.
Later this year, Ridley Scott’s classic sci-fi noir will screen with live music at Capital One Hall in Tysons, following up on the success of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra’s (FSO) sold-out concert in March for “How to Train Your Dragon.”
Tickets will go on sale to the general public tomorrow (Friday) at 10 a.m. for “Blade Runner Live,” which is scheduled to play at Capital One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Road) on Friday Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
“Hailed as ‘the single most immersive and tactile world ever created for the cinema’ (Time Out), Blade Runner remains a landmark in film history — now reimagined in a powerful live experience that blends cinema and music in real time,” the FSO said earlier this week in a press release announcing the event.
While the local professional orchestra is presenting the concert, it won’t be featured on stage. The music will instead be performed by The Avex Ensemble, an 11-piece band featuring synthesizers, an electric strings quartet, a vocal soloist, saxophone, flute, electric and acoustic bass players and percussionists.
The ensemble will accompany the “Final Cut” version of “Blade Runner,” which was released in 2007 and is the closest to Scott’s intended vision as the only iteration where the director had full artistic control.
“Blade Runner Live” joins an events calendar for Capital One Hall that features a mix of local and national acts with singers, dancers, comedy, theater and more. Other upcoming highlights include:
- The Big Jam 2026 (May 9): The Vienna Jammers, a local youth percussion ensemble, returns to the Tysons venue’s main theater for its annual year-end concert and fundraiser, this time with RimbaTubes performer Snubby J.
- Asian Comedy Showcase (May 22): Coinciding with Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the all-Asian lineup of stand-up comedians will be headlined by up-and-coming Queens native Andre Kim.
- The Music Man (May 29-31): Capital One Hall’s “Broadway in Tysons” series closes out its 2025-2026 season with Meredith Willson’s musical about a con artist trying to talk an Iowa town into investing in a boys’ marching band.
- Elmo’s Got the Moves (June 5): Elmo and other Sesame Street characters will get kids and their parents dancing, stretching and playing to fan-favorite songs, according to the event description.
- Neil Forever (June 6): A Neil Diamond tribute band
- The Princess Bride (June 7): A screening of the beloved Rob Reiner movie will be followed by a moderated discussion with actor Cary Elwes. VIP packages include tickets to the theater’s best seats, a meet and greet, and signed copies of Elwes’s book about the making of the film.
- An Evening with John Cusack (July 24): Fans of 1980s romantic comedies will get another treat with a visit by actor John Cusack, accompanied by a screening of the movie that arguably defined his career, “Say Anything.”
- Art Garfunkel (Oct. 30): One half of Simon & Garfunkel is coming to Tysons this fall with band. The description suggests the setlist will include classics like “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “The Sound of Silence.”
