The International Black Theatre Festival rolls out the purple carpet July 27 - Aug. 1, 2026
The world's most MARVTASTIC festival returns to Winston-Salem in 2026 with a new name and new look. Known for decades as the National Black Theatre Festival, the recently rebranded International Black Theatre Festival (IBTF) is set for July 27 - Aug. 1, 2026.
Held every two years in the summer months, the six-day festival will transform Winston-Salem into a mega-performing arts center with more than 100 performances on multiple stages. Theatre workshops, films, seminars, poetry slams, and a star-studded celebrity gala complement the performances, helping create one of America's biggest and best theatre festivals- also known as "Black Theatre Holy Ground"
Aside from dozens of theatrical performances, the festival features a star-studded array of complementary events. This includes Youth Talent Showcase, International Colloquium, TeenTastic celebration, Midnight Poetry Jam, IBTF Film Fest, and the International Vendor's Market — which features vendors and crafts from every corner of the globe and live entertainment to add a little flair to your shopping experience.
Looking Back
History of the International Black Theatre Festival
Founded by the late Larry Leon Hamlin, the International Black Theatre Festival is a biennial event uniting Black theatre companies from around the world and ensuring the presence of this phenomenal genre. With the support of Dr. Maya Angelou, who served as the festival's first chairperson, the National Black Theatre Festival began with a bang in 1989. According to The New York Times, "The inaugural National Black Theatre Festival was one of the most historic and culturally significant events in the history of black theatre and American theatre in general." Hamlin himself described the inaugural event as only he could — "MARVTASTIC" — a term that continues to define the festival today.
In the years that followed, Winston-Salem's identity would be reshaped by the festival, as the city became known as "Black Theatre Holy Ground." For six days every other year, Winston-Salem became the center of the theatre universe, drawing more than 65,000 purple-clad theatre-lovers to town (a nod to Hamlin's favorite color).
In addition to generating international acclaim, the festival has contributed more than $200 million to the local economy while bringing world-class theatre acts to town — just as Hamlin intended. And while Hamlin was instrumental in growing the festival, it was his trailblazing wife, Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin, who kept it going strong after his death in 2007, serving as the event's executive producer until her own death in 2022.
The Hamlins' shared legacy now lives on in a festival that is equal parts welcoming, joyful, captivating, and fun. Their likeness also inspired the newly released logo for IBTF, as their profiles — melded together as one — are visible within the purple shield emblem. The logo is also used by the festival's host organization, the North Carolina Black Repertory Company (aka, NC Black Rep), a groundbreaking performing arts organization Hamlin founded a decade before the National Black Theatre Festival.
As the state's first professional Black theater company, NC Black Rep is committed to introducing diverse audiences to Black classics, the development and production of new works, improving artistic quality, and sustaining Black theatre internationally.
In addition to hosting the International Black Theatre Festival, NC Black Rep presents several productions annually featuring members of its ensemble or through collaborations with other theatre companies from around the country. The annual MLK Jr. Birthday Celebration and the holiday presentation of "Nativity According to the Gospels" (inspired by Langston Hughes' "Black Nativity") have become two of the company's staples. For more on the organization's 2023-24 performances or to purchase tickets to upcoming shows, go to NCBlackRep.org