Carolina Performing Arts to Launch Inaugural Festival in 2027

A recent performance at Carolina Performing Arts Center. (Photo courtesy of Carolina Performing Arts)

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May 20, 2026 American Theatre Editors Leave a comment

Carolina Performing Arts Announces New Festival

The inaugural All. Together. Now. festival at UNC-Chapel Hill, set for February 2027, will feature performances, community events, and conversations across campus and downtown Chapel Hill.

By American Theatre Editors

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.: Carolina Performing Arts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has announced All. Together. Now. , a new arts festival to unfold Feb. 18-21, 2027. The festival is intended as a large-scale celebration of art, research, and community that will bring people together for four days of performances, conversations, and creative experiences. It marks the launch of a new long-term initiative for Carolina Performing Arts and the first event of its kind at UNC-Chapel Hill, with plans to grow and evolve across the Triangle region in future years.

“With All. Together. Now., we’re creating a concentrated moment that brings together creative, academic, and community-driven work across Carolina’s campus and downtown Chapel Hill,” said Alison Friedman, the executive and artistic director of Carolina Performing Arts, in a statement. “It’s about people gathering in real time, in real life, moving between events, discovering unexpected connections, and strengthening the bonds that come from shared experiences.”

Each year, the festival will be shaped by a curatorial focus—a central idea or question that guides programming, frames exploration, and invites communal discovery. For its inaugural year, that focus is love and hope, reflecting the festival’s belief in art as a force for connection, possibility, and collective discovery.

“Love and hope are more than sentiments—they are commitments to the future,” said Amy Kolling, senior director of artistic and production for Carolina Performing Arts, in a statement. “Artists and universities share a deep investment in asking big questions, nurturing society, and creating knowledge that moves the world forward. The work is often done in service of a future they may never fully see. That spirit of building toward possibility is what makes love and hope such a fitting foundation for the festival’s first year.”

Festival programming will unfold across three distinct types of experiences throughout the weekend. Pass Events, accessible via a festival day pass, will include performances and special events spanning dance, theatre, music, film, and multimedia at venues across campus and downtown Chapel Hill. Open Gatherings will be free drop-in experiences that invite participation and exchange, including open classrooms, ask-an-expert conversations, public artmaking, student showcases, research panels, and jam sessions. These will be developed in collaboration with campus and community partners, including the Morehead Planetarium  and Science Center, the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Research in Black Culture and History, PlayMakers Repertory Company, the Ackland Art Museum, the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, and others. There will also be a separately ticketed special festival event.

Festival passes will be sold by individual day, priced to encourage exploration and make attending multiple events more accessible, with discounted rates available for students and UNC-Chapel Hill faculty, staff, and alumni. The February timing is intended to enliven the late-winter season and create a vibrant cultural moment ahead of spring events.

“Carolina has long been recognized for excellence in academics, athletics, and the arts—each playing an essential role in shaping the life of this University,” said Lee H. Roberts, chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill, in a statement. “All. Together. Now. reflects that tradition, bringing artists, students, faculty, and community members together across campus and downtown, highlighting the arts as a vital part of what makes Carolina such a dynamic place to learn, create, and connect.”

The full festival schedule will be released mid-August. Those interested in attending, partnering, sponsoring, volunteering, or learning more can find an interest form online. Festival passes will go on sale mid-September.

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Carolina Performing Arts Showcase UNC Chapel Hill

_Originally reported by [American Theatre](https://www.americantheatre.org/2026/05/20/carolina-performing-arts-announces-new-festival/)._