Carolina Performing Arts Announces All. Together. Now., a First-of-Its-Kind Arts Festival at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The inaugural event, set for February 2027, will feature dozens of performances, free community events, and conversations across campus and downtown Chapel Hill
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Carolina Performing Arts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has announced the launch of All. Together. Now., a new multi-day arts festival taking place February 18–21, 2027.
Designed as a large-scale celebration of art, research, and community, the festival builds on Carolina Performing Arts’ annual programming and will bring people together for four days of performances, conversations, and creative experiences. The inaugural festival 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 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,” says Alison Friedman, the James and Susan Moeser executive and artistic director of Carolina Performing Arts. “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: a theme that reflects 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,” says Amy Kolling, senior director of artistic and production for Carolina Performing Arts. “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 through the purchase of a festival day pass, include full-length performances and special events spanning dance, theater, music, film, and multimedia at venues across campus and downtown Chapel Hill.
- Open Gatherings, free drop-in experiences that invite participation and exchange—from open classrooms and ask-an-expert conversations to public artmaking, student showcases, research panels, and jam sessions—developed in collaboration with campus and community partners, including the Morehead Planetarium & 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.
- Special Presentation, a separately ticketed festival event designed to accommodate anticipated demand.
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 intentional, bringing energy during the late-winter season and creating 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,” says Lee H. Roberts, chancellor of UNC–Chapel Hill. “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 at carolinaperformingarts.org. Festival passes will go on sale mid-September.
For updates, visit carolinaperformingarts.org and follow @carolinaperformingarts on Instagram.
About Carolina Performing Arts
Founded in 2005, Carolina Performing Arts is one of the nation’s leading multi-arts presenters and producers, housed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We collaborate with artists from Carolina’s campus and across the world to spark discovery, foster belonging, and create shared performing arts experiences on stage, in classrooms, and across communities. We invest in the research and development of new creative work, including commissioning 80 productions in our first 20 years. We work to expand access, including offering $11 tickets to every student statewide. Together, we’re building communities where shared arts experiences — and the connections they create — thrive, cultivating a North Carolina that is healthier, more joyful, and better connected.
