Fire Island Dance Festival Will Host Three World Premieres And A Festival First
The Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit returns to Fire Island Pines with choreography by Jōvan Dansberry.
Fire Island Dance Festival will return this summer to its awe-inspiring waterfront stage, featuring three world premieres from celebrated artists and the festival debut of one of the world's preeminent ballet choreographers. The festival is July 18–19, 2026, in Fire Island Pines, NY, where diverse and dynamic performances unfold on a sweeping stage overlooking the Great South Bay. Beginning Saturday, May 23, tickets will be available for purchase in person in the Fire Island Pines harbor on Saturdays from 10 am–1 pm and 4–7 pm, and Sundays from 10 am–1 pm.
Bringing together a vibrant mix of established and emerging talent, this annual weekend is produced by and benefits Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Fire Island Dance Festival features three identical performances: an opening performance at 5 pm on Saturday, July 18, a Leadership Supporter sunset performance on Saturday at 7 pm, and a closing performance at 5 pm on Sunday, July 19.
The initial performers set for this year's festival include:
- Broadway dancer Chris Jarosz (Wicked) opening the festival with a high-voltage world premiere, brought to life by a powerhouse lineup of Broadway dancers.
- Miami City Ballet presenting an excerpt from Roses from the South: Three Waltzes for Toby, a stirring work by Alexei Ratmansky, one of the world's preeminent ballet choreographers. The performance marks Ratmansky's Fire Island Dance Festival debut.
- Broadway favorite Ricky Ubeda (Illinoise), who also won So You Think You Can Dance, sharing a world premiere shaped by his signature, zeitgeist-savvy sensibility and electric style.
- Jake Vincent, previously of Paul Taylor Dance Company, bringing a world premiere pulsing with bold energy, where sweeping movement and quiet intimacy converge.
Additional artists will be announced soon. Performers are subject to change.
Kick off Memorial Day weekend with special pop-up performances Saturday, May 23, celebrating the start of in-person ticket sales. As the ferry arrives at 5:15 pm, 6:15 pm and 7:15 pm, the Pines harbor dock will transform into a stage featuring original world-class dance choreographed by Pines resident and Broadway powerhouse Jōvan Dansberry (Bob Fosse's Dancin'). Set to music of George Michael, the free, 10-minute performances will provide a taste of the dance festival creativity to come.
Leadership Supporters can begin their festival weekend at the Leadership Event on Friday, July 17, at Whyte Hall. This exclusive evening will feature celebrated tap dancer Luke Hickey, named to Dance Magazine's “25 to Watch,” with a performance set to live music that sets the tone for a weekend of dance and community. Leadership Supporters also enjoy access to highly coveted tickets to the sunset performance on Saturday or priority seating at either 5 pm performance, as well as recognition on printed materials in the harbor and throughout the Pines. Leadership tickets start at $395. Individual tickets for the 5 pm performances start at $85.
Slip away to Fire Island Dance Festival on an effortless, all-inclusive day trip, featuring round-trip transportation from New York City, a champagne luncheon in the Pines and tickets to the 5 pm performance on Sunday, July 19. A Sunday VIP option is also available, including the champagne luncheon and tickets to the Sunday performance. The day trip package is $450; the Sunday VIP option is $325.
Since its debut in 1995, Fire Island Dance Festival has raised more than $10 million to help provide lifesaving medication, nutritious meals, counseling and emergency financial assistance to those in need in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. Fire Island Dance Festival is generously supported by corporate sponsors The New York Times and United, the official airline of Broadway Cares.
Dancers Responding to AIDS relies on the extraordinary compassion and efforts of the performing arts community to fund a safety net of social services for those in need. As a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, DRA supports the essential programs of the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund), including the HIV/AIDS Initiative and The Dancers' Resource, as well as more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide.
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