Fayetteville, Arkansas has long been considered a hotspot for all types of artists and makers, and a rapidly growing interest in filmmaking has especially emerged in recent years. Whether the passion be for documentaries, short films, full-length feature films or animation, the annual Fayetteville Film Fest is attracting both filmmakers and movie-lovers to town to be immersed in this ever-evolving, increasingly accessible form of creative expression. Happening in the heart of the city’s bustling downtown on the historic Fayetteville Square, the festival is set for October 12-14th with the primary screening location in the Global Campus Theatre at 2 East Center Street.

Hands-on arts activities, live music, interactive musical oceanic art installation AND free ice cream!  Pottery on the Patio is fun for the whole family! This year, the event returns to Fayetteville on Saturday October 7, 2023 from 3:30 to 7:30pm.

The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks will host its 7th annual International Festival on Sunday, September 10 from 3:00 to 7:00 pm.

The Walton Arts Center has announced a must-see lineup for their 32nd Broadway season, including five shows direct from Broadway making a stop on their first-ever national tours! Those shows will be making their Arkansas debuts in Fayetteville, AR, shining a spotlight on the healthy and lively theater and arts scene in Northwest Arkansas.  Every Broadway season at the Walton Arts Center is a thrill, but this year's spread is particularly exciting! Combined, the shows coming to Fayetteville for the 2023-24 season have earned an astounding 12 Tony Awards® and one Grammy Award®. The titles range from Broadway classics to celebrations of pop sensations, with modernized favorites and magical moments for the whole family. The Broadway Series is a pillar of the Walton Arts Center’s annual programming and has been drawing larger and larger crowds to Dickson Street and downtown Fayetteville, AR each year. During the 2021-22 Broadway season, a near sold-out double run of Hamilton saw visitors flocking to Fayetteville from all over the region for the opportunity to experience the world-class production in Baum Walker Hall. This year, theatre lovers are expected to head to Fayetteville yet again to see the new iteration of a classic Sondheim work and a long-awaited stage adaptation by Aaron Sorkin, among others. For good reason, experiencing a Broadway Series show at the Walton Arts Center in downtown Fayetteville is one of the most popular things to do in Northwest Arkansas! The Broadway Series will begin in September 2023 with performances running through May 2024. Announced titles include: Six - Sept. 12-17, 2023 Arkansas Premiere From Tudor Queens to pop icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a euphoric celebration of 21st century girl power! This new original musical is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over. SIX won 23 awards in the 2021/22 Broadway season, including the Tony Award® for best original score (music and lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for best musical. TINA: The Tina Turner Musical - Dec. 12-17, 2023 Arkansas Premiere An uplifting comeback story like no other, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, this electrifying sensation will send you souring to the rafters. Featuring her much-loved songs, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall and directed by the internationally acclaimed Plyllida Lloyd. Jagged Little Pill - Jan. 23-28, 2024 Arkansas Premiere Joy, love, heartache, strength, wisdom, catharsis, life – everything we’ve been waiting to see in a new Broadway show – is here in the exhilarating, fearless new musical based on Alanis Morissette’s world-changing music. Directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus, with a Tony-winning book by Diablo Cody (Juno) and a Grammy Award-winning score, this electrifying production about a perfectly imperfect American family “vaults the audience to its collective feet” (The Guardian). Company - Feb. 20-25, 2024 Arkansas Premiere It’s Bobbie’s 35th birthday party, and all her friends keep asking, why isn’t she married? Why can't she find the right man and isn't it time to settle down and start a family? As Bobbie searches for answers, she discovers why being single, being married and being alive in the 21st century could drive a person crazy. Winner of five Tony Awards, including best revival of a musical, Company strikes like a lightning bolt. Aladdin - March 26-31, 2024 From the producer of The Lion King comes the timeless story of Aladdin, a thrilling new production filled with unforgettable beauty, magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle. It’s an extraordinary theatrical event where one lamp and three wishes make the possibilities infinite. Come see why audiences and critics agree, Aladdin is “exactly what you wish for!” (NBC-TV). To Kill a Mockingbird - April 16-21, 2024 Arkansas Premiere All rise for Academy Award® winner Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork. The New York Times Critic’s Pick To Kill A Mockingbird is “the most successful American play in Broadway history” (60 Minutes). Rolling Stone gives it five stars, calling it “an emotionally shattering landmark production of an American classic,” and New York Magazine calls it “a real phenomenon. Majestic and incandescent, it’s filled with breath and nuance and soul.” With direction by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher, To Kill A Mockingbird has quickly become “one of the greatest plays in history” (NPR). In addition to the six-show lineup, Walton Arts Center will also host performances of three Broadway add-on shows this 2023-24 season: The Cher Show - November 19-21, 2023 Les Misérables - January 2-7, 2024 Hairspray - May 3-5, 2024 The Cher Show will launch its national tour directly from Walton Arts Center after using the space to hold technical rehearsals. For more information about the 2023-24 Broadway Series, please visit the Walton Arts Center website.

TheatreSquared's 18th season is an exciting and ambitious one, featuring eight new productions and the return of the rapidly-growing Arkansas New Play Festival!

The mainstage at JJ’s Live - formerly known as JBGB - has a short history in Fayetteville compared to some music venues, but the music spot continues to announce new shows and bring some seriously big names to perform in Fayetteville!