The Coconut Grove Theatre Festival Returns April 16–19, 2026

Miami, FL — March 6, 2026 — The Coconut Grove Theatre Festival (CGTFest) returns April 16–19, 2026, bringing four days of original new plays, both emerging and award-winning voices, and community-driven theatre back to its historic Miami home.

Following a successful inaugural year that featured eight plays, 16 of Miami’s leading and emerging theatre creatives, 42 actors from across South Florida, and more than 700 audience members, CGTFest returns in 2026 with expanded programming and renewed ambition.

What made CGTFest 2025 such a success was the incredible excitement and support, both from our artists and partners, and also from our audience, which ranged from first-time theatregoers to long-time arts supporters. Their enthusiasm and engagement is why CGTFest can return this year to bring even more exciting stories to life for an expanded audience of Grovites, South Floridians, and for the first time, the youngest of theatre fans for a CGTFest children’s matinee,” said William Hector, Founder and Artistic Director of CGTFest.

This year, CGTFest expands its audience by introducing a Children’s Matinee for the first time, featuring two original plays written by leading Miami dramatists Vanessa Garcia and Brandon Urrutia. Designed to welcome young theatre fans and families into the Festival experience, the productions will incorporate music and puppetry to create an engaging and imaginative experience for children.

Additional events leading up to the festival:

• IG Live- Online Event: March 16th- Follow the Instagram at @CGTFest

• Rotary Event- Thursday, March 26th- 6-8pm: $25

• Opening night party April 16, 2026. 

All upcoming events will be listed on the website, with additional updates and event details available on Instagram.

Devoted to developing and elevating new theatrical works, CGTFest presents staged readings of original plays that represent the next generation of mainstage productions. The Festival serves as a launchpad for writers, directors, and actors shaping the future of South Florida’s theatre landscape.

Taking place during the closing stretch of the Miami Film Festival, CGTFest offers audiences another kind of storytelling experience, one that unfolds live on stage. The Festival highlights Coconut Grove’s long-standing creative roots, positioning theatre as an essential part of South Florida’s growing arts ecosystem, and the Grove as a go-to theatre district: a tropical version of London’s West End with productions of all scale year round.

About The Coconut Grove Theater Festival

CGTFest, founded in 2025, brings new works to life in the heart of Miami’s legendary theatre district of Coconut Grove. CGTFest is funded entirely through community support, with contributions going directly to actors, writers, directors, and production. Through Lost Girls Theatre, its 501(c)(3) fiscal agent, donations are tax-deductible.

Tickets and additional information are available at www.cgtfest.com.