After a long, cold winter, we emerge from The Dark into the light.
Today, we’re proud to announce our summer 2026 program. It’s a slate of interdisciplinary contemporary performance illuminated by new work: ten world and US premieres, many of which were commissioned by PS21, developed in residency here at PS21, or both.
These artists are interrogating the role of American culture and history reflected around the world; engaging PS21’s landscape in ever bolder ways; and seeking out community members to help co-author place-based work.
Groundtone and Commonground return for the second year—two festivals on each end of the summer, each featuring unexpected performances across our grounds.
And so much more.
Tickets are on sale now.
The season starts hot, with a June full of music. The Next Festival of Emerging Artists returns to PS21 on June 5, with a program of world premieres for string orchestra that highlights women immigrant composers. The next night, Japan’s Oki Dub Ainu Band brings their fusion of reggae, afro beats, electronic music and the folk music of the indigenous Ainu people for a blow-out concert. Groundtone, our weekend-long celebration of adventurous music, is back June 18–21, with a packed program featuring Sō Percussion, Becca Stevens, Parker Ramsay, Phil Kline, and more.
Australia’s finest contemporary circus company Circa returns to the Hudson Valley June 11–13 with Eternity, making its US premiere in a PS21 offsite performance at Catskill’s Lumberyard. Synthesizing dance with extraordinary feats of acrobatic movement, Circa offer a glimpse at the ethereality of the human spirit, with the music of Arvo Pärt swirling through the room.
Brooklyn-born and Switzerland-based dancer and choreographer Jeremy Nedd, whose work is focused on decades of social dances, brings two works to PS21 over Upstate Art Weekend, June 26–28. from rock to rockis an homage to the viral Milly Rock, that asks: can a dance move belong to anyone, and if yes, then who actually profits from it? In free daytime performances ofslidin’ thru, Nedd harkens back to social dances of the 70’s and 80’s reflecting on what it means to keep cool during difficult times.
Making its world premiere at PS21 over July 4th weekend, director, actor and dedicated absurdist Geoff Sobelle’s Clown Show shines a spotlight on the nonsensical instability of present day America. A searing, hilarious portrait of our nation, this falling-apart clown show is a hallucinatory, mind-bending performance from masters of their form—wondering if perhaps the show mustn’t go on.
And if you’re ready to get going sooner, join Annea Lockwood‘s free sound mapping workshops May 16–17. The project, Home Ground, is a site-specific work where local community members acoustically map the PS21 grounds, commissioned by PS21.
June 5 | NEXT Festival of Emerging Artists with Andrea Casarrubios
June 6 | Oki Dub Ainu Band
June 11–13 | Circa: Eternity
June 18–21 | Groundtone featuring Sō Percussion, Becca Stevens, Miranda Cuckson, Parker Ramsay, Jay Campbell, Phil Kline, DIVE BARN and more
June 26–28 | Jeremy Nedd: slidin’ thru and from rock to rock
July 3–5 | Geoff Sobelle: Clown Show
July 11 | PS21 Gala honoring Lael Locke
July 19 | Horse Lords
July 25 | International Contemporary Ensemble & Jessie Cox
July 31 & August 2 | Berkshire Opera Festival’s Resident Artist Program: Zémire et Azor
August 7–8 | Walid Raad: Two Drops per Heartbeat
August 15 | PS21 at Crellin Park Day
August 28–29 | 600 HIGHWAYMEN: FIVE YEARS
September 4–7 | Commonground featuring Andrew Schneider, Touki Delphine, DIVE BARN and more
September 18–19 | Lenio Kaklea: The Birds
And more still to come!