Newark will once again become a gathering place for poets, writers, performers and poetry lovers when the Dodge Poetry Festival returns Oct. 15–17. Produced by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the festival is billed as North America’s largest poetry festival and will bring three days of spoken word, live performances, writing workshops and family programming to downtown Newark.
The festival, headquartered at NJPAC since 2010, has welcomed more than 150,000 people over more than four decades. Reimagined in 2024, the event places an emphasis on poetry as a performing art and as a vehicle for social justice advocacy.
Among the highlights planned for 2026 is “Patti Smith: Songs and Stories,” featuring the celebrated poet, musician and punk rock icon Patti Smith. The festival will also present a Def Poetry Reunion, bringing together poets who appeared on Def Poetry Jam, the groundbreaking HBO spoken-word series created by Russell Simmons.
The lineup also will spotlight literary communities representing diverse cultural traditions. Special readings will feature poets affiliated with Cave Canem, an organization dedicated to supporting poets in the African diaspora; Kundiman, which cultivates Asian American creative writing; and CantoMundo, a national organization supporting a community of Latinx poets.
Additional headliner events are expected to be announced.
The festival’s programming extends beyond headline performances. Thousands of high school students from across the country are expected to participate in Young Artists Day, which will feature readings, performances and programming designed for teen audiences.
Writers can participate in Fine-Tune Your Craft, a day of workshops and professional-development opportunities created in partnership with the Academy of American Poets. Festivalgoers can also attend an open-mic celebration hosted by Newark’s EvoluCulture poetry collective.
Families will have an opportunity to experience poetry during the free Family Fun Day at NJPAC’s Chambers Plaza. The event will feature poets on the Community Catalyst Stage, along with drumming and dancing workshops and other activities.
Another featured gathering, Poetry Like Bread, will bring attendees together over breakfast with nationally recognized poets to discuss their creative journeys and careers.
The 2026 festival roster includes U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze, Pulitzer Prize winner Tyehimba Jess, bestselling author and poet Elizabeth Acevedo, Terrance Hayes, Aja Monet, Danez Smith, Naomi Shihab Nye, Evie Shockley, Frank X Walker, Marc Bamuthi Joseph and others.
NJPAC Executive Producer and Executive Vice President David Rodriguez said the festival offers programming for both longtime poetry enthusiasts and people experiencing live poetry for the first time.
With established literary voices, emerging artists, music and community programming, the Dodge Poetry Festival is set to bring poetry into the heart of Newark once again this October.