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WBUR announces the return of The WBUR Festival
It's back! WBUR, Boston's NPR, has announced the return of The WBUR Festival. It's all happening Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30, 2026, bringing together big speakers, captivating conversations, musical performances, multiple stages and a vibrant street scene along Commonwealth Avenue. Look out for the speaker lineup, which will be unveiled in the coming months.
"Last year's Festival exceeded our wildest expectations," said Margaret Low, CEO of WBUR. "It showed just how hungry people are for a chance to gather, feel a sense of connection and community and grapple with serious issues. They also want to have some fun. So, just like year one, we'll make sure there are plenty of opportunities to do just that."
Last year's debut, what Low calls "a love letter to Boston," drew thousands of attendees and featured 200 speakers, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, America's leading infectious disease expert; Ina Garten, cookbook author and television host; journalists Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, and Kara Swisher, host of On with Kara Swisher; Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of "Bad Feminist"; as well as On Point's Meghna Chakrabarti and Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!'s Peter Sagal.
"Events like this are the future of public radio," This American Life host Ira Glass told NPR's Asma Khalid at the Festival last year.
Tickets for The WBUR Festival are officially on sale. Options include one-day, two-day, VIP and student passes. Fans are encouraged to reserve their spot early to lock in the lowest prices — as they'll increase as the Festival date nears. WBUR Members receive special benefits, including Members-only Festival activities. You can become a WBUR Member today and discover all the possibilities, while also sustaining independent journalism.
Boston University, WBUR's home for more than 75 years, will once again be the Festival backdrop. With its beautiful spaces and places up and down Commonwealth Avenue, BU will help bring the Festival to life. And so many sponsors have already signed up for year two: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Huntington Theatre, Ravi K. Mehrotra Institute for Business, Markets, and Society and Celebrity Series of Boston. Their commitments help make this event possible.
To keep up to date on Festival news, sign up for the WBUR Events newsletter. Want to get involved? Organizations interested in sponsoring The WBUR Festival can reach out to partnerships@wbur.org to learn more.