2026 Essential Theatre Play Festival

August 7-23, 2026 at 7 Stages

For more than 25 years, Essential Theatre has been bringing new work by Georgia playwrights to the stage, and the 2026 Essential Theatre Festival will continue this long tradition. Opening the Festival on August 7 will be Helen of the West by Susan Swavely, winner of the 2026 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award. The Festival will also include staged readings, showcases, and presentations of other Georgia artists’ work. For more information and a full performance schedule visit essentialtheatre.com/2026-festival

Letters from an Artist – Admix Project

July 30-August 2, 2026 at 7 Stages

Contemporary dance show featuring multiple choreographers with the intention to remind the audience to never stop expressing themselves through the written word specifically through letters, that it’s important for all of us to use our voice and to speak our truth.

Katsura Sunshine’s Rakugo

August 5, 2026 at 7 Stages – 7:00 PM

A show of hilarity and culture in equal doses!

Katsura Sunshine completed his grueling traditional apprenticeship in Rakugo comic storytelling under the great Rakugo Master Katsura Bunshi VI in 2011.

His performances have delighted audiences throughout the world as well as all over Japan.

Sunshine has graced the Broadway stage with a different delightful Japanese story each month since 2019, at the famous New World Stages in Manhattan.

Come for an hour of laughter and leave with a piece of Japan in you heart!

“A Master Storyteller!” -The New York Times

“The King of Kimono Comedy!” -Reuters New York

“There is only one Sunshine!” -The New Yorker

Atlanta Micro Short Film Fest

July 11, 2026 at 7 Stages

Atlanta Micro Short Film Festival celebrates the art of short-form storytelling with films six minutes or less. Featuring more than 120 films from around the world, the festival highlights comedy, drama, horror, animation, documentary, and experimental work in a fast-paced day of independent cinema.

Atlanta Experimental Fest

July 10, 2026 at 7 Stages

Atlanta Experimental Fest celebrates independent artists who push the boundaries of film. From abstract animation and personal documentaries to surreal narratives, handmade cinema, and genre-defying work, the festival showcases films that challenge traditional storytelling and explore new ways of seeing the world.

The fifth annual First Voices Festival is a multifaceted celebration of Indigenous cultures based in Atlanta, Georgia. In November 2026, experience a Powwow, special film screening, and more!

Look out for details in the coming months on this page, our newsletter and Instagram.

Learn more about the history of First Voices Festival by clicking here.

TICKETS & MORE INFO COMING SOON

A Meal
by Ximena Garnica & Shige Moriya with the LEIMAY Ensemble & Guests

September 17-19, 2026 at 7 Stages

A multi-sensorial live performance: part ritual, part celebration, part installation, and part shared cooking experience by critically acclaimed multidisciplinary artist duo Ximena Garnica and Shige Moriya. Produced by LEIMAY, A Meal explores our deep connection with food—where it comes from, what we eat, and who we share it with.

This immersive experience takes you through a series of vignettes where you’ll partake in the act of cooking and eating together, witness performances by mythological creatures, and encounter offering songs and evocative sound/video movement installations. The layered work features evocative images and dances, resonating with our post-industrial relationship with food and the Japanese and Colombian roots of the co-creators.

For A Meal, Ximena and Shige bring together new and long-time collaborators to their LEIMAY Ensemble, alongside guest performers, composers, and vocalists. These include Masanori Asahara, Krystal Copper, Akane Little, Synead Cidney Nichols and Drew Sensue-Weinstein. Join us for a memorable journey that celebrates food, culture, and community.