Imagine Beginnings
Festival 2021 Opening Ceremony
WATCH VIDEOImagine: A mini version of the whole International Festival of Arts & Ideas, complete with musical performances, talks, and a film!
(Re)Imagine the Green
Green Programming 2021
The New Haven Green is the beating heart of the Festival's in-person offerings, with free performances featuring both the greatest artists in the world today and the best and brightest from the regional community. The stage is built for each Festival on the historic New Haven Town Green, one of the first planned, publicly available green spaces in the country.
All events on the Green will follow COVID protocols with seating in pods, reserved in advance.
COVID-19 Safety Protocols
The Festival is excited to welcome the New Haven community and other local art-lovers back to the New Haven Green for a limited series of free, registration-only in-person events. It is also committed to centering public & staff health, well-being, and safety as it continues to prepare for Festival 2021. To this end, the Festival has developed a comprehensive safety program that complies with federal, state, and local regulations. The Festival continues to work closely with industry professionals with on-stage experience, public health experts, and with guidance from its COVID Compliance Company, Safe Set LA. If at any point federal, state, or local guidelines become stricter than the safety measures outlined in the safety plan, the Festival will adjust to whichever directives are most strict. Reservations are required for all in-person events—and the majority of the Festival’s in-person events will also be live-streamed. The Festival’s goal is to create an environment that is engaging and welcoming, and as safe as possible for everyone involved.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many people can a pod accommodate?
A pod can accommodate up to no more than four people.
Do I need to buy/reserve tickets in advance?
Please. There will be reservations that can be made on the green. But reservations made in advance will help traffic control.
When does the Festival Info Center open?
2 PM daily
How will check-in work?
Guests go through the COVID Compliance procedure at Check-In, and if passed, will receive a color-coded wristband. Guests will then proceed to the GATE to confirm their reservation and receive another color-coded wristband. Guests will be able to complete the Check-In procedure at the Information Center starting at 2pm every day, at this point guests with reservations on the Green will just proceed to the Gates.
At what time can I arrive to be seated at my pod?
House will open 45 minutes - 1 hour before the event begins.
Visit the FAQ page for the answers to more frequently asked questions.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Opening Night
IN-PERSON & LIVE-STREAMED EVENTOur first night of events on the New Haven Green will be silky smooth, improvisational, and freeing, set to the sounds of The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Community Class with Shayla Caldwell of EVIDENCE
In-Person Workshop
IN-PERSON EVENTParticipate in an all-ages, all-skill-level workshop with EVIDENCE dancer & New Haven native Shayla Caldwell.
Art & Hair Show
IN-PERSON & LIVE-STREAMED EVENTWATCH VIDEOThis catwalk event will feature never-before-seen hair styles hosted by neo-soul talent Durand Bernarr while hairstyle innovator Shawn Jon crafts ultramodern hairstyles in real-time.
Dawn Tallman
IN-PERSON & LIVE-STREAMED EVENTWATCH VIDEODawn Tallman, The Queen of Gospel Energy, has been compared to those of many great vocalists, like Chaka Khan, Karen Wheeler and Oleta Adams, yet her style is completely & audibly her own.
Communal Listening Experience
IN-PERSON EVENTJoin Michael Mwenso for a Communal Listening Experience in the Festival Center.
The Equality of Night and Day: First Glimpse by Ronald K. Brown
IN-PERSON EVENTRonald K. Brown and his dance company integrate traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word, resulting in a “flexible, richly expressive and irresistibly kinetic” (The New York Times) performance style.
Perform On Make Music Day
IN-PERSON EVENTRecord tracks and/or participate in a live jam-session on our main stage with music producer Roy Studmire.
Movimiento Cultural
IN-PERSON & LIVE-STREAMED EVENTWATCH VIDEOThis New Haven community-based organization entertains and educates on Puerto Rico’s rich African-based folklore, music, and dance, focusing on the Bomba, an ecstatic expression of Puerto Rican tradition and culture.
Paa Kow
IN-PERSON & LIVE-STREAMED EVENTWATCH VIDEOInternationally acclaimed Ghanian drummer and composer Paa Kow performs on a custom, hand-carved, traditionally inspired Ghanian drum set that is the only one of its kind.
Los Pleneros de la 21
IN-PERSON & LIVE-STREAMED EVENTGrammy-nominated Los Pleneros de la 21, a premier East Harlem-based ensemble, brings the sounds and sights of traditional Puerto Rican music and dance to the New Haven Green.
New Haven Symphony Orchestra
Performing Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons"
IN-PERSON EVENTNew Haven Symphony Orchestra’s Concertmaster will perform a violin solo rendition of Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" accompanied by four New Haven poets.
Thabisa Rich
IN-PERSON & LIVE-STREAMED EVENTWATCH NOWNew Haven performer Thabisa blends elements of African jazz, Afropop, soul, and funk in a style that is unmistakably her own.
Creating “Magical Musical Moments” with Grace Kelly
Workshop
IN-PERSON EVENTMusicians are invited to join Grace Kelly for a workshop in the Festival Center.
Madeline Sayet and Jacob Padron in Conversation
IN-PERSON & LIVE-STREAMED EVENTWATCH NOWMadeline Sayet will discuss her work with Long Wharf Theatre's artistic director Jacob Padrón, Co-founder of the Artists' Anti-Racism Coalition and Founder and Artistic Director of The Sol Project.
Long Wharf Showcase
In partnership with Long Wharf Theater
IN-PERSON & LIVE-STREAMED EVENTWATCH NOWA sneak peek at the Theatre's upcoming season with performances from the Tony Award-winning musical Passing Strange.
Grace Kelly
IN-PERSON & LIVE-STREAMED EVENTWATCH NOWBefore the age of 16, Korean American singer, saxophonist, and composer Grace Kelly performed at Barack Obama’s inauguration and was a soloist with the Boston Pops.
Taking Humor Seriously with Jennifer Munro
Workshop
IN-PERSON EVENTIn this workshop, this master comic will outline some simple but effective techniques to infuse your stories with humor, making them more memorable and successful at communicating your message.
Chillie Willie Groove Band
IN-PERSON & LIVE-STREAMED EVENTWATCH NOW“Shake Your Body Baby” isn’t just a Chillie Willie song title, it’s a lifestyle. Chillie Willie fuses funk, rhythm and blues, soul, smooth jazz, and salsa influences into a dynamite dance floor invitation.
Romeo and Juliet
Elm Shakespeare Company and Ice The Beef Youth
IN-PERSON & LIVE-STREAMED EVENTWATCH NOWYouth group stars of the Elm Shakespeare Company tackle Shakespeare’s classic tragedy with the help of Ice the Beef, a Connecticut nonprofit committed to gun violence prevention.
Bassel & The Supernaturals
IN-PERSON & LIVE-STREAMED EVENTWATCH NOWBassel Almadani brings a Syrian heart and a Chicago soul to The Supernaturals' singular, funk-inspired compositions and “captivating” (Paste) performances.
The Legend Drag Show
IN-PERSON & LIVE-STREAMED EVENTWATCH VIDEODrag royalty are descending on New Haven, ready to WORK this town into a fun-filled and informative tizzy. In this legendary mainstage event, drag performers and educators will display drag performance styles across the decades.
Open Mic Night
HAPPY HOUR BROADCASTBroadcasting 7/22 at 5PM on our Virtual Stage! Come out to Open Mic Night at the Festival Center for an evening of listening and being heard.
Darrel Walls
HAPPY HOUR BROADCASTBroadcasting 7/29 at 5PM on our Virtual Stage! Multi-Grammy-nominated Gospel songwriter and vocalist Darrel Walls brings a strong sense of rhythm and melody to the songwriting process in equal measure.
Mwenso and the Shakes
HAPPY HOUR BROADCASTBroadcasting 8/12 at 5PM on our Virtual Stage! The “wild” (PRI) troupe of multi-talents Mwenso and the Shakes throws “intense, prowling, ebullient” live gigs (New York Times) that are as much party as they are performance. EnJoy this performance from the New Haven Green.
POSTPONED: Durand Bernarr
UPDATE: The June 19 Durand Bernarr concert was discontinued due to weather conditions. While he will no longer be performing at the Festival this June, we are working with his team to reschedule his concert in New Haven later this year. We will keep you posted as those plans progress!
