LIVING THINGS INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2026
January 20 -February 1, 2026
Get your tickets for the 10th Anniversary Edition 2026!
Play Dead by People Watching
Co-Presented by Living Things and the Rotary Centre for the Arts
January 27, 2026 @7:30PM
Mary Irwin Theatre
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More Shows to be announced soon ...
We work to bring artistic experiences to the community
The Living Things International Arts Festival (LT) is an annual ten-day celebration of contemporary live performance, animated films, visual art and music, with accompanying workshops, artist talks and public forums. Now entering its 10th anniversary edition, the 2026 festival will take place from January 22 to February 1, 2026, in Kelowna, BC. Curated by Professor Emeritus Neil Cadger, and produced by Inner Fish Performance since 2017, the festival presents a wide spectrum of artistic expressions, including object theatre, puppetry, dance, music, visual art installation, and interdisciplinary performance. Artists from across Canada and internationally gather for 10 vibrant days with the local community in the depths of winter.
LT co-presents performances with other regional festivals and presenters including the PuSh Festival and Plastic Orchid Factory (Vancouver), Festival of Animated Objects and High Performance Rodeo (Calgary), Mile Zero Dance (Edmonton), and the Rotary Centre for the Arts; we also sporadically co-present with Canadian presenters elsewhere in Canada. In 2026 we will co-present with the Spring Works Festival (Stratford, Ontario).
The festival directly supports artistic employment, engaging more than 30 artists, technicians, and arts workers. Local collaborations extend to businesses such as Hotel Zed Kelowna (artist accommodations), New Horizon Productions (audio and video rentals), Urban Harvest (organic food for artists), Urban Fare (catering), Kelowna Instaprint (printed materials) and ByJove Marketing Specialists (marketing, media outreach, social media and website)
LT is developed and delivered by a team including the Artistic Director, Managing Director, Festival Producer, Festival Managers, Technical Director, graphic designers, and local volunteers. Planning is a year-round process beginning each February, involving curatorial development, logistics, community outreach, funding strategies, and marketing initiatives.
Our programming is curated to promote artistic innovation and cultural exchange while centering inclusive, community-driven activities. Hands-on workshops in dance, music, and storytelling complement performances that model devised and non-traditional approaches to live art. Events are scheduled across weekdays and weekends with varied start times to accommodate a wide range of community needs.
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LT cultivates connections between international and local artists, provides meaningful training opportunities, and fosters artistic growth within the BC Interior. It contributes to the cultural vitality of the Okanagan region, enriching Kelowna’s evolving identity as a dynamic hub for professional contemporary live performance.