The recent Oscar-nominated film A Complete Unknown drew renewed attention to Bob Dylan’s historic performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, where he caused a stir by performing with an electric band for the first time at the event.
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Now, a new exhibit focusing on the period of Dylan’s career when he “went electric” is set to open this summer at the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The exhibition, titled “Going Electric: Bob Dylan ’65,” will open to the public on July 24. It’s scheduled to close in the spring of 2026.
The exhibit will explore the events of the landmark year by offering an immersive, multimedia look at Dylan’s career at the time, including his Newport performance and the cultural upheaval that followed.
The exhibition will feature rare memorabilia and film footage from the Bob Dylan Archive and loaned from private collectors.
“Dylan’s Newport moment is widely regarded as one of the most pivotal moments in the history of 20th-century popular music, but there’s much more to the story,” Mark Davidson, the exhibition’s curator, said in a statement. “Drawing upon our considerable archival collections, this exhibit cuts through the myths to present a dynamic, kaleidoscopic portrait of an artist in a way that only the Bob Dylan Center can.”
A private pre-opening reception offering Bob Dylan Center members a first look at the exhibition will take place July 23. In addition, a public concert presented by the Bob Dylan Center in celebration of the exhibit’s launch will be held at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa on July 26. More details about the show, including ticketing information, will be announced soon.
About the Memorabilia That Will Be Displayed
Among the many artifacts that will be featured in the exhibit are previously unseen manuscripts of songs from Dylan’s 1965 albums Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited.
A recently discovered series of typewritten drafts of Bob’s classic song “Mr. Tambourine Man,” with handwritten notes, also will be on display.
Another item that will be showcased will be the 1963 Fender Stratocaster guitarist Mike Bloomfield played during Dylan’s set at the Newport festival.
Also on display will be a red jumpsuit worn by Sally Grossman in the cover photo of the Bringing It All Back Home album.
The exhibit will feature photos and ephemera from Dylan’s all-acoustic 1965 tour dates as well. The shows include the U.K. tour where he was accompanied by Joan Baez, as captured in the 1967 D. A. Pennebaker documentary Don’t Look Back.
Other Highlights of the “Going Electric” Exhibition
The exhibit will culminate with an immersive multimedia experience centered on Dylan’s July 25, 1965, performance at Newport. The presentation, which will be held at the Bob Dylan Center’s Darby Family Screening Room, will transport visitors to the festival on that historic day.
The interactive attraction will feature never-before-seen interview footage with various people who attended the event. They include Baez, Al Kooper, Maria Muldaur, and Pete Seeger.
Reflecting Dylan’s embracing of electric music after launching his influential folk career, the exhibit also will explore Bob’s 1950s rock ‘n’ roll roots. This will include a look at the influence of artists like Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, and Little Richard on Dylan’s original music.
The exhibition also will examine how Dylan’s move toward electric music inspired then-contemporary artists like The Beatles and The Byrds, as well as many musicians that followed in their wake.
Dylan’s Upcoming 2025 Tour Plans
As he was last year, Dylan will be part of the 2025 edition of Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour. The trek features more than 35 dates, and Bob is on the bill for all of them.
It kicks off May 13 in Phoenix, Arizona, and is scheduled through a September 19 performance in East Troy, Wisconsin.
Among the various other acts on the bill for select dates on the tour are Billy Strings, Wilco, Sheryl Crow, The Avett Brothers, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Lucinda Williams, and Waxahatchee.
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