Spoleto Festival USA Announces 2026 Season with Premieres and Historic Context

The Spoleto Festival USA, now in its 49th year, will run from May 22 to June 7, 2026, in Charleston, South Carolina. Approximately 120 events across 17 days will feature world premieres, U.S. debuts, and returning favorites. Highlights include a world premiere play by Tony winner Dennis O'Hare titled 'George and George,' a U.S. premiere production by Scottish Ballet based on Mary, Queen of Scots, and a U.S. premiere of Henry Purcell's 1698 opera 'Dido and Aeneas' presented by Circa and Opera Queensland with trapeze artists. The festival's general director and CEO, Mena Mark Hanna, emphasizes Charleston's complex history as a port for the transatlantic slave trade and a cultural meeting point, which provides fertile ground for artistic expression. The 2026 lineup also features performances by the Indigo Girls, Grammy-winning percussionist Pedrito Martinez, documentary filmmaker Ken Burns exploring the American Revolution, and actor Patrick Page examining Shakespeare's villains. The festival was founded in 1977 by Italian-American composer Giancarlo Menotti as a U.S. counterpart to his Festival of the Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy. Spoleto Festival USA is noted for commissioning new works, such as the 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning opera 'Omar' by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Ables. The 2026 season anticipates 50,000 ticket holders across historical venues in Charleston.