For 2026, the Festival is focusing on HOME & BELONGING and what those experiences look and feel like in everyday life. Home can be the place you live, but it can also be a familiar block, a warm interaction with a neighbor, or a moment during a performance that helps you feel grounded.

This theme reflects the many ways people experience belonging, including those who may sometimes feel overlooked or unsure of where they fit in. By celebrating New Haven’s artists, cultures, and small moments of connection, the Festival hopes to create experiences that feel warm, welcoming, and genuinely open to all.

We want the Festival to feel like what New Haven has always been to us. A place that feels like HOME. A place where you BELONG.