HARVARD
ARTS
FESTIVAL
April 30–May 3, 2026
Welcome to the Harvard Arts Festival! Our four-day annual celebration — produced by the Office for the Arts — shines a spotlight on the vibrant, year-round creativity that fills Harvard’s stages, studios, galleries, classrooms and public spaces. It’s a festival of artmaking and the story of our community: who we are, where we live and how we come together with joy through the arts.
Open to community members of all ages, the festival features more than 150 arts events of every kind, most of them free. Select festival events, including the Performance Fair, will be livestreamed at HarvardArts on YouTube so families, friends, alums and fans around the world can be a part of the experience.
This year, in addition to festival favorites, you’re invited to two special programming tracks: Science and Arts and Religion, Spirituality and Ethics. (See tabs below.)
With performances, exhibitions, hands-on artmaking and more, Arts Fest is a beautiful invitation for arts lovers and curious explorers to connect with Harvard.
Join the joy!
Events
Other Calendars
First-Year Musical 2026
Wed, Apr 29, 2026 7pm
More dates & times available
Harvard Choruses New Music Initiative Concert
Wed, Apr 29, 2026 7pm
John Knowles Paine Concert Hall, Paine Hall
Mission On a Mission: The Jazz and Spiritual Legacy of Randy Weston
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 8pm
Music Building, Loeb Music Library
More dates & times available
OFA Dance Informal Showing: Stiggity Stackz in Process
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 6pm to 7:30pm
Harvard Dance Center, 66 Garden St., Cambridge, MA, Studio 1
Yellow Face
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 7:30pm
Loeb Drama Center, Loeb Experimental Theater
More dates & times available
International Dawn Chorus Day: sound installation
Sat, May 2, 2026 8am to 6pm
Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center, Harvard Commons
Music 189R Chamber Ensembles Performance: Students of the Parker Quartet
Sat, May 2, 2026 10:30am to 12:30pm
Memorial Church, Main Sanctuary
Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
Sat, May 2, 2026 3pm to 4:30pm
Science Center, Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
- Share Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments on Facebook
- Share Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments on X
- Share Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments on LinkedIn
Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra: Concert 4
Sat, May 2, 2026 8pm
Take & Give: Swap Boxes for Allston-Brighton by Brooke Scibelli
Sun, Mar 1, 2026
Exhibition: Encounters in the Americas
Sun, Mar 1, 2026 9am to 5pm
Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology
More dates & times available
Art. Science. Policy: A Student Exhibition
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 8pm
More dates & times available
Harvard Museum of Natural History: Glass Flowers and More
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 5pm
Harvard Museum of Natural History
More dates & times available
Harvard Staff Art Show: Cambridge
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 10pm
Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center, Riverview Commons
More dates & times available
Harvard Staff Art Show: Longwood
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 5pm
Countway Library (Harvard Medical School Campus)
More dates & times available
Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 5pm
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
More dates & times available
Harvard Staff Art Show: Allston
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 10am to 7pm
Harvard Ed Portal, Crossings Gallery
More dates & times available
Renaissance, Race, and Representation in the Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 10am to 6pm
Alain Locke Gallery of African & African American Art
More dates & times available
- Share Renaissance, Race, and Representation in the Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art on Facebook
- Share Renaissance, Race, and Representation in the Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art on X
- Share Renaissance, Race, and Representation in the Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art on LinkedIn
Visit Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 11am to 4pm
Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East
More dates & times available
Visit the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 11am to 4pm
Science Center, Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
More dates & times available
Gallery Talk: Activation of Moholy-Nagy’s Light Prop for an Electric Stage
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 12:30pm
ArtsThursdays at the Harvard Museum of Natural History
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 5pm to 9pm
Harvard Museum of Natural History
Meet the curator: Eve Fowler: words doing as they want to do
Fri, May 1, 2026 12pm to 2pm
Byerly Hall, Johnson-Kulukundis Family Gallery
AFVS Open Studios & Senior Thesis Show
Fri, May 1, 2026 5pm to 7pm
Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts
Curator-Led Tour: Eve Fowler: words doing as they want to do
Sat, May 2, 2026 11am
Byerly Hall, Johnson-Kulukundis Family Gallery
Pop Art Nuns & the Art of Protest: A Discussion and Printmaking Workshop
Sun, May 3, 2026 12pm to 3pm
Memorial Church, Student Oasis
Art. Science. Policy: A Student Exhibition
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 8pm
More dates & times available
Harvard Museum of Natural History: Glass Flowers and More
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 5pm
Harvard Museum of Natural History
More dates & times available
Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 5pm
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
More dates & times available
Visit Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 11am to 4pm
Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East
More dates & times available
Visit the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 11am to 4pm
Science Center, Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
More dates & times available
ArtsThursdays at the Harvard Museum of Natural History
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 5pm to 9pm
Harvard Museum of Natural History
Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
Sat, May 2, 2026 3pm to 4:30pm
Science Center, Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
- Share Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments on Facebook
- Share Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments on X
- Share Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments on LinkedIn
Mission On a Mission: The Jazz and Spiritual Legacy of Randy Weston
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 8pm
Music Building, Loeb Music Library
More dates & times available
Visit Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 11am to 4pm
Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East
More dates & times available
Pop Art Nuns & the Art of Protest: A Discussion and Printmaking Workshop
Sun, May 3, 2026 12pm to 3pm
Memorial Church, Student Oasis
Mission On a Mission: The Jazz and Spiritual Legacy of Randy Weston
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 8pm
Music Building, Loeb Music Library
More dates & times available
ArtsThursdays at the Harvard Museum of Natural History
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 5pm to 9pm
Harvard Museum of Natural History
OFA Dance Informal Showing: Stiggity Stackz in Process
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 6pm to 7:30pm
Harvard Dance Center, 66 Garden St., Cambridge, MA, Studio 1
AFVS Open Studios & Senior Thesis Show
Fri, May 1, 2026 5pm to 7pm
Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts
Music 189R Chamber Ensembles Performance: Students of the Parker Quartet
Sat, May 2, 2026 10:30am to 12:30pm
Memorial Church, Main Sanctuary
Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
Sat, May 2, 2026 3pm to 4:30pm
Science Center, Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
- Share Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments on Facebook
- Share Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments on X
- Share Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments on LinkedIn
Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra: Concert 4
Sat, May 2, 2026 8pm
Pop Art Nuns & the Art of Protest: A Discussion and Printmaking Workshop
Sun, May 3, 2026 12pm to 3pm
Memorial Church, Student Oasis
Call for Art- Office for the Arts and Cambridge Kiosk Gallery
Sun, Mar 1, 2026
Take & Give: Swap Boxes for Allston-Brighton by Brooke Scibelli
Sun, Mar 1, 2026
Exhibition: Encounters in the Americas
Sun, Mar 1, 2026 9am to 5pm
Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology
More dates & times available
First-Year Musical 2026
Wed, Apr 29, 2026 7pm
More dates & times available
Harvard Choruses New Music Initiative Concert
Wed, Apr 29, 2026 7pm
John Knowles Paine Concert Hall, Paine Hall
Art. Science. Policy: A Student Exhibition
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 8pm
More dates & times available
Harvard Museum of Natural History: Glass Flowers and More
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 5pm
Harvard Museum of Natural History
More dates & times available
Harvard Staff Art Show: Cambridge
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 10pm
Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center, Riverview Commons
More dates & times available
Harvard Staff Art Show: Longwood
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 5pm
Countway Library (Harvard Medical School Campus)
More dates & times available
Mission On a Mission: The Jazz and Spiritual Legacy of Randy Weston
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 8pm
Music Building, Loeb Music Library
More dates & times available
Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 9am to 5pm
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
More dates & times available
Harvard Staff Art Show: Allston
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 10am to 7pm
Harvard Ed Portal, Crossings Gallery
More dates & times available
Renaissance, Race, and Representation in the Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 10am to 6pm
Alain Locke Gallery of African & African American Art
More dates & times available
- Share Renaissance, Race, and Representation in the Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art on Facebook
- Share Renaissance, Race, and Representation in the Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art on X
- Share Renaissance, Race, and Representation in the Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art on LinkedIn
Visit Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 11am to 4pm
Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East
More dates & times available
Visit the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 11am to 4pm
Science Center, Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
More dates & times available
Gallery Talk: Activation of Moholy-Nagy’s Light Prop for an Electric Stage
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 12:30pm
ArtsThursdays at the Harvard Museum of Natural History
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 5pm to 9pm
Harvard Museum of Natural History
OFA Dance Informal Showing: Stiggity Stackz in Process
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 6pm to 7:30pm
Harvard Dance Center, 66 Garden St., Cambridge, MA, Studio 1
Yellow Face
Thu, Apr 30, 2026 7:30pm
Loeb Drama Center, Loeb Experimental Theater
More dates & times available
Meet the curator: Eve Fowler: words doing as they want to do
Fri, May 1, 2026 12pm to 2pm
Byerly Hall, Johnson-Kulukundis Family Gallery
AFVS Open Studios & Senior Thesis Show
Fri, May 1, 2026 5pm to 7pm
Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts
International Dawn Chorus Day: sound installation
Sat, May 2, 2026 8am to 6pm
Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center, Harvard Commons
Music 189R Chamber Ensembles Performance: Students of the Parker Quartet
Sat, May 2, 2026 10:30am to 12:30pm
Memorial Church, Main Sanctuary
Curator-Led Tour: Eve Fowler: words doing as they want to do
Sat, May 2, 2026 11am
Byerly Hall, Johnson-Kulukundis Family Gallery
Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
Sat, May 2, 2026 3pm to 4:30pm
Science Center, Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
- Share Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments on Facebook
- Share Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments on X
- Share Melodies of Invention: Original music celebrating Harvard’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments on LinkedIn
Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra: Concert 4
Sat, May 2, 2026 8pm
Pop Art Nuns & the Art of Protest: A Discussion and Printmaking Workshop
Sun, May 3, 2026 12pm to 3pm
Memorial Church, Student Oasis
