VOICES INTERNATIONAL THEATRE AND ARTS FESTIVAL to Open in Jersey City
Jersey City Theater Center's festival features Kevin Powell, Malik Work, and exhibitions at Mana Contemporary.
Jersey City Theater Center's Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival will open on June 4 and runs through June 26, 2026 across multiple venues in Jersey City. Ticket prices range from free public events to $50 a ticket. Full festival passes are also available.
Produced by Jersey City Theater Center, the Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival is a vibrant celebration of diverse global voices. Under this year's theme, Beyond the Frame, the festival brings together internationally renowned artists and local visionaries for an extraordinary lineup of multidisciplinary performances, conversations, music, dance, immersive installations, and family programming and networking events that invite audiences to experience stories from around the world and from our own communities here in Jersey City.
From acclaimed International Artists to beloved local creators like Giselle Bellas, the festival creates space for everyone to participate, network, and share their story. From Jersey City native and Grammy-nominated poet Kevin Powell to the fearless truth-telling performances of Malik Work, Voices highlights artists who challenge, inspire, and connect audiences. The festival also features immersive installations and exhibitions at Mana Contemporary by award-winning innovators like Laia Cabrera and Isabelle Duverger, creating transformative visual experiences that push artistic boundaries.
International voices from across the globe bring compelling new perspectives to Jersey City, including writer Palesa Mazamisa and many other inspiring artists presenting works that illuminate identity, resilience, and the state of the world today.
Voices seeks to spark imagination, inspire creativity, and foster dialogue among diverse communities through bold artistic exploration. A special all-day Professional Voices Festival Conference on June 11 will bring together artists, presenters, producers, and cultural leaders for panels, conversations, and networking opportunities.
Voices invites audiences to explore Jersey City's thriving arts scene just a few PATH train stops from New York City. Festival events take place at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave), Mana Contemporary (888 Newark Ave), Nimbus Arts Center (329 Warren St), Grace Church Van Vorst (39 Erie St), Barrow Mansion (83 Wayne St), the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza (134-158 Newark Ave) and other venues throughout Jersey City.
JCTC Executive Producer Olga Levina says, "One City. Many Voices. One Global Conversation. As an immigrant born in Ukraine, shaped by a diverse family and a childhood marked by uncertainty, I learned early that safety and peace come from recognizing our shared humanity. In today's world, where the loudest voices often dominate, we must ask: what does that truly mean, and whose stories are being heard now? The Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival creates space here in Jersey City for cultural exchange. Through the arts, we build bridges across communities and cultures by elevating voices too often overlooked and transforming our differences into a powerful global dialogue."
Beyond the Frame explores going beyond the borders we create, not only between countries, but also between communities, cultures, and people questioning what separates us at a time of growing division. For the Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival, the theme also means moving beyond the traditional confines of theatre itself, creating spaces where artists and audiences from around the world come together through stories, dialogue, and shared experiences that challenge perspectives, on Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza, at a church and beyond.
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Are the Bennet Girls OK? The Theater at The Navesink Library (7/31-8/08) |
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Mean Girls: High School Version SASY Inc. (8/07-8/09) |
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Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances Count Basie Center for the Arts (11/21-11/21) |
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Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini State Theatre New Jersey (1/24-1/24) |
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Joshua Bell Leads Beethoven New Jersey Performing Arts Center (3/13-3/13) |
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Dvořák's "New World" Symphony Mayo Performing Arts Center (4/29-4/29) |
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Menopause The Musical ® State Theatre New Jersey (2/27-2/27) |
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Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street The Actors Studio of New Jersey (10/16-10/25) |
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Matilda Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre at the Count Basie Center (6/25-6/27) |
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Yamato Drummers of Japan State Theatre New Jersey (1/31-1/31) |