Jeff Goldblum to headline new Pittsburgh International Airport terminal gala

Who better to celebrate Pittsburgh’s new flying experience than native Pittsburgher — and star of “The Fly” — Jeff Goldblum?

On Oct. 3, the Pittsburgh International Airport will host a gala in honor of its new $1.7 billion terminal. Goldblum will headline the event, performing with both the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, his own band.

“I’m more than thrilled and delighted to be part of this glorious event back in my beloved hometown. What a jazzy dream come true — there’s no place like home!” Goldblum told Blue Sky News, the airport’s newsletter.

That quote references the actor’s most recent starring role, as The Wizard in 2024 musical blockbuster film “Wicked” and its upcoming second part, “Wicked: For Good,” which will be coming to theaters in November. Throughout his 50-year acting career, the 72-year-old actor has starred in films including “Jurassic Park,” “Independence Day” and “The Big Chill.”

Goldblum also is a native of West Homestead. He even made a 2006 mockumentary film, titled “Pittsburgh,” where he returns to the city to star in a regional production of “The Music Man.”

The performer has put out three studio albums with the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra since 2018, including “Still Blooming,” which was released earlier this year. The band plays contemporary arrangements of jazz and American songbook standards. They last visited Pittsburgh in June 2024 for a Benedum Center concert presented by Pittsburgh CLO.

The Oct. 3 gala represents one of numerous events that will lead up to the new terminal’s opening later this fall. Two public trials of the terminal have been announced, the first of which will take place Sept. 20 with more than 2,000 members of the public expected to participate. A Community Open House at the terminal will be held Oct. 11.