The International Black Theatre Festival 2026 Returns to Winston-Salem
The world's largest Black theatre festival returns, July 27–Aug. 1, 2026. Here's what to know before the curtain drops.
Every two years, Winston-Salem becomes the epicenter of Black theatre. The International Black Theatre Festival — the world's largest and long known as "Black Theatre Holy Ground" — returns July 27 through Aug. 1 for its 37th year.
For six days, more than 100 performances fill theaters across the city while celebrities, playwrights, directors, producers, and theatre lovers converge from around the globe. Add concerts, parties, poetry, film screenings, workshops, and family events, and it's easy to see why IBTF has become one of the nation's most celebrated cultural gatherings.
Here's what to know before the purple carpet rolls out.
Special Events You Won't Want to Miss
The productions may be the heart of the festival, but they're only part of the experience. Between galas, concerts, marketplaces, and poetry slams, some of IBTF's most memorable moments happen away from the theater. Here are a few events worth building your week around.
Opening Night Gala
July 27 • Benton Convention Center • Ticketed ($275)
This is the festival's signature kickoff and biggest see-and-be-seen event. The evening begins with African drummers and dancers from the Otésha Creative Arts Ensemble, followed by a royal procession of more than two dozen celebrities down the purple carpet. Dinner, awards presentations, and a featured performance by festival favorite Chester Gregory round out a glittering celebration of Black theatre's past, present, and future.
Old School Block Party
July 31–Aug. 1 • Corpening Plaza • Free
Two nights of classic R&B, jazz, and funk in the heart of downtown. Friday features The Mobb, while Saturday brings funk-soul legends The Bar-Kays and The O.S.P. Band, hosted by comedian Tyrone Davis. Add food trucks and free trolleys, and you've got one of the festival's biggest celebrations.
Holy Ground: The Legacy of IBTF
July 28–Aug. 1 • Hanesbrands Theatre • Free
One of this year's most anticipated premieres, this new documentary traces the festival's remarkable history and the vision of founder Larry Leon Hamlin. Featuring interviews with Black theatre luminaries and archival footage spanning decades, it's both a love letter to IBTF and a tribute to the city that helped make it possible. (Screening times vary by day.)
IBTF Cultural Tours
Times vary • Ticketed
Step beyond the stage and into local history with these curated tours by Triad Cultural Arts. The Heritage Unveiled Tour explores significant African American landmarks, while the Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin Celebrity Tour combines a brew-and-wine brunch with special guest Celeste Beatty, the first Black woman to own a U.S. brewery.
Midnight Poetry Jams
July 30 & 31 • Hamlin Theatre • Ticketed
One of the festival's most beloved traditions. After the curtains close, poets and spoken-word artists take the stage for an electric late-night gathering of rhythm, storytelling, and unfiltered truth. Hosted by Larry "LB the Poet" Barron. (And true to its name, the jam starts at midnight.)
Anatomy of an Opera: Nia Imani Franklin
July 31 • Benton Convention Center • Free
Winston-Salem native, composer, and former Miss America Nia Imani Franklin offers a behind-the-scenes look at her new opera, American Queen, currently in development with Piedmont Opera. A rare glimpse at a major new work — and it's free.
International Vendors Market
July 29–Aug. 1 • Benton Convention Center • Free
A longtime festival favorite, this global marketplace brings together artisans from around the world offering artwork, jewelry, fashion, books, glasswork, and handcrafted goods. Live entertainment throughout the day adds to the atmosphere. (Link coming soon; vendors announced July 1)
More to Add to Your Calendar
► Storytelling Festival: Griots and master storytellers from across the African Diaspora, presented by the NC Association of Black Storytellers ($10)
► National Youth Talent Showcase: Rising young performers compete before a panel of celebrity judges and what’s always an inspiring event.
► Workshops & Seminars: Free morning sessions covering everything from African dance and acting to creativity, leadership, and legacy. Full schedule forthcoming. (Full schedule available July 1)
► IBTF Film Fest: Daily morning screenings at A/perture Cinema and Milton Rhodes Center celebrate independent filmmakers of Color. (Full schedule released July 1)
Shows We're Excited About
With more than 100 productions on the schedule, narrowing the list is nearly impossible. One of the joys of IBTF is discovering something unexpected. Still, a few titles immediately jumped off the page — these are the shows worth building your week around.
A Fiddler's Tale
Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad performs Wynton Marsalis' genre-blending jazz-orchestral work alongside the Gateways Chamber Players — the same evening she receives the festival's Sidney Poitier Lifetime Achievement Award. A one-night-only performance that feels destined to be one of the festival's defining moments.
Berta, Berta
A transcendent love story from Angelica Chéri, recipient of this year's August Wilson Playwright Award and a playwright headed to Broadway this fall. A chance to catch a major rising voice before the rest of the country does.
August Wilson’s Fences
August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece anchors a festival rich with Wilson's work, alongside productions of Jitney and Joe Turner's Come and Gone. Performed by the festival’s presenting sponsor, N.C. Black Repertory Co.—it’s a classic everyone will be talking about.
HITCity: Temptations Edition
Sixty years of Temptations hits powered by five of Broadway's leading men. The festival's big musical spectacle — the kind of crowd-pleasing event that will have audiences singing along long after it ends. It’s produced by original Temptations member Otis Williams, who’s scheduled to attend.
Running for My Life
A searing one-woman drama from Nairobi centered on Olympian Agnes Tirop and the global femicide crisis. Intimate, urgent, and unlike anything else on the schedule, it’s a small show that hits hard.
Searching for Willie Lynch
Dorien Wilson, beloved by many as Professor Oglevee from The Parkers, stars in Layon Gray's time-spanning drama, where three families inhabit the same Louisiana home across generations while confronting the legacy of the infamous Willie Lynch letter.
Also Worth a Look
► Chester Gregory: Being Black on Broadway — A powerful solo musical event from the longtime festival favorite.
► Purlie Victorious — Ossie Davis' sharp-witted satire, fresh off its Broadway revival.
►Sizwe Banzi Is Dead — The landmark anti-apartheid drama presented by Tony Award-honored Crossroads Theatre Company.
►The Bluest Eye — Houston's Ensemble Theatre presents Lydia Diamond's adaptation of Toni Morrison's celebrated novel.
►The Legend of Buster Neal — An original drama written and directed by IBTF executive producer Jackie Alexander and performed by NC Black Rep.
►Terry Steele Sings Luther Vandross — A tribute from the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter who co-wrote Vandross' hit "Here and Now."
Who's Coming this Year?
The productions may draw the crowds, but the people behind them are part of what makes IBTF special. Every two years, some of the biggest names in theatre, television, music, and the arts gather in Winston-Salem to perform, host, teach, and celebrate.
Angela Robinson (Co-Chair): Best known as Veronica Harrington on Tyler Perry's The Haves and the Have Nots, Robinson is helping lead the festival and will be front and center at marquee events throughout the week, beginning with the Opening Night Gala.
Peter Parros (Co-Chair): Robinson's fellow co-chair and co-star from The Haves and the Have Nots, Parros is sharing host duties and appears at many of the festival's signature events.
Phylicia Rashad: The festival's marquee headliner is a Tony Award-winning actress and beloved Cosby Show star. She’s performing in the IBTF production, A Fiddler's Tale, and scheduled to receive the festival's Sidney Poitier Lifetime Achievement Award.
Otis Williams: Founder and last surviving original member of The Temptations, Williams will be on hand to receive the festival's Living Legend Award while also serving as executive producer of HITCity: Temptations Edition.
Dorien Wilson: Known to television audiences from The Parkers and Steve Harvey Show, Wilson stars in one of the festival’s signature shows this year, Searching for Willie Lynch.
Michael Colyar: The veteran comedian and actor headlines the festival's Late-Night Comedy showcase. Locals may also know him through his connection to Winston-Salem soul-food favorite Simply Sonya's, where he regularly hosts comedy nights. (Simply Sonya’s is owned by his wife, Sonya Colyar.
Nia Imani Franklin: The Winston-Salem native and former Miss America 2019 is now an acclaimed composer and actress. She’ll offer audiences a first look inside her developing opera, American Queen, during a free event, Diary of an Opera.
Chester Gregory: The Broadway veteran (Motown the Musical, Hairspray) returns with one-man opus Being Black on Broadway—which he’ll perform during the Opening Night Gala.
Honorees: The festival will also recognize an impressive group of theatre leaders, including New York Theatre Workshop artistic director Patricia McGregor and acclaimed Broadway music director Linda Twine, and others.
And Keep your eyes open On Black Theatre Holy Ground, some of the best moments aren't always on the schedule. One of IBTF's longstanding traditions is the unexpected celebrity sighting — a surprise panel appearance, impromptu workshop visit, or a last-minute performance.
Plan Your Festival Experience
Ready to start building your week? Check out our Know Before You Go Guide FAQ below or ticket information, hotel deals, venue locations, shuttle details, parking tips, and everything else you'll need to make the most of this year’s festival. We’ll see you on the purple carpet.
For showtimes, venues, event details, and tickets, visit the official IBTF website
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Frequently Asked Questions
The International Black Theatre Festival (IBTF) is a six-day celebration of Black theatre, arts, and culture from around the world — and the largest event of its kind. Held primarily in downtown Winston-Salem, the festival features stage productions, readings, workshops, films, panel discussions, cultural experiences, and special events showcasing artists and global stories.
Plenty! In addition to more than 100 stage productions, the festival features the Opening Night Gala, International Vendors Market, daily workshops and seminars, panel discussions, film screenings, staged readings, cultural tours, late-night poetry events, comedy showcases, concerts, and community celebrations throughout downtown Winston-Salem.
Tickets are available through the festival website at ncblackrep.org or through the IBTF Box Office at 336-723-2266. (The box office is at at 419 N. Spruce St. in downtown.)
As for costs: Mainstage productions typically range from $45–$60, while collegiate productions are generally $30. Tickets are delivered electronically and may be printed at home or scanned directly from a mobile device. NOTE: Many popular shows sell out, so buying early is encouraged.
The festival's host hotels are the Winston-Salem Marriott and Embassy Suites, both located downtown and within easy reach of many festival venues. Additional hotel options and special festival rates are available through the IBTF Housing Portal.
Staying downtown places visitors close to the Benton Convention Center, Marriott, and Embassy Suites, which serve as major festival hubs for performances, workshops, readings, and special events. Some productions take place at venues across the city, including local college campuses, so additional travel may be required.
For assistance, contact Visit Winston-Salem: 336-728-4213, [email protected]
Yes, complimentary shuttle service is available between select festival hotels and venues. Because some productions are staged throughout the city, visitors should review venue locations in advance and allow extra travel time between performances.
NC Black Rep and the International Black Theatre Festival are committed to accessibility and inclusion, and many venues offer accessible seating and services.
Visitors with specific accessibility needs are encouraged to contact the festival in advance at [email protected].
Absolutely. One of the festival's defining strengths is the amount of free programming available to both visitors and local residents.
Highlights include the International Vendors Market (July 29–Aug. 1) at The Benton Convention Center, and the Old School Block Party (July 31–Aug. 1) at Corpening Plaza featuring live music, food trucks, and more.
Select workshops, discussions, screenings, and community events throughout the week. Free offerings vary by day, so check the official schedule for the latest information.
Long before it became an international destination, the festival began as the grand vision of one man: Larry Leon Hamlin. Hamlin founded the National Black Theatre Festival in 1989 to create a gathering place where Black theatre artists, companies, and audiences could celebrate their work on a national stage.
A North Carolina native and Brown University graduate, he had already established the NC Black Repertory Company a decade earlier — the state's first professional Black theatre company. With support from friend and fellow Winston-Salem resident Dr. Maya Angelou, who served as the festival's first chairperson, the inaugural event drew more than 10,000 attendees. The New York Times later described it as "one of the most historic and culturally significant events in the history of Black theater and American theater in general."
Hamlin became known for his larger-than-life personality, his love of the color purple, and his signature expression: "Marvtastic" — a word he used to describe anything joyful or unforgettable. Following Hamlin's death in 2007, his wife Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin continued guiding the festival forward until her passing in 2022.
Together, the Hamlins helped build what is now widely regarded as the world's premier celebration of Black theatre. In 2024, the festival officially became the International Black Theatre Festival, reflecting its growing global reach and influence.
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