JULY 15-18 2026
SIGNATURE EVENTS
JULY 15
DAY 1
OPENING CEREMONIES
As Youth Speaks celebrates 30 years, the 2026 Brave New Voices Opening Ceremonies welcome young artists from around the world into a week of poetry, performance, community, and fearless expression. Join us as we honor legacy and celebrate the power of youth voice.
ALL POWER TO THE POETS SHOWCASE
All Power to the Poets brings this year’s festival theme to life, celebrating the intersections of poetry, art, and activism while honoring the legacy of the Bay Area’s Black Panther Party. Featuring Dr. Xavier Buck, Executive Director of the Huey P. Newton Foundation, alongside powerful youth artivists speaking truth to power.
JULY 16
DAY 2
POWER LAB & YOUTH WORKSHOPS
Artistic writing and performance workshops facilitated by leading spoken word artists, teaching artists, and educators in the Brave New Voices Network.
QUEERIOSITY IN THE PARK
Queeriosity in the Park is an outdoor celebration of queer creativity and expression featuring poetry, performance, music, conversation, and community. Come as you are and celebrate the power of queer youth voices together.
JULY 17
DAY 3
SEMI FINALS
All teams perform for their chance to move on to the next round. The top teams move on to finals stage.
MC OLYMPICS
MC Olympics is an Olympic-style hip-hop competition featuring top young emcees from across the country. Through multiple rounds of verses, freestyles, and original songs, competitors showcase their pen game, stage presence, originality, and lyrical skill.
JULY 18
DAY 4
BRAVE NEW VOICES FINALS
The Brave New Voices Slam Finals brings together the country’s top youth poetry teams for a powerful night of spoken word, storytelling, and unforgettable performance.
SEE HOW IT WAS LAST YEAR
- 2,000 ATTENDEES
- 300 POETS
- 20+ ORGANIZATIONS
- 10MIL+ IMPRESSIONS
2026 marks the 29th Annual Brave New Voices Festival. This year, we return to the Bay Area, where Brave New Voices began in 1997 from a simple but powerful belief: young people have something to say, and they have the right to say it. This year’s theme, All Power to the Poets, draws inspiration from generations of movement builders who used language as a tool for transformation, resistance, and collective imagination.
As we gather across cities, communities, and generations, we honor the voices that came before us while making space for the voices shaping what comes next. Poetry has always been more than expression. It is a way to connect, to challenge, and to imagine the world we deserve together.
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