Connect Beyond Festival is back for three days of music, storytelling, and immersive experiences at The Orange Peel in Asheville!

The 2026 festival brings together filmmakers, musicians, creatives, and cultural voices for a weekend of live performances, conversations, and interactive installations.

LINEUP HIGHLIGHTS:

SPEAK - award winning film screening and Q&A with filmmakers Guy Mossman and cast member Sam Schaefer

The Community Garden - a venue wide interactive art experience brought to you by some of the creative talent behind Meow Wolf and Epic Games
Oakland Rising - performances by vocalists August Lee Stevens, B. Deveaux, and NAIMA

Shared Roots: Songs & Stories in the Round - performances and stories with acclaimed musicians Mary Gauthier, Marisa Blake, and Shana Tucker, moderated by music journalist Marcus K. Dowling

StoryLab: Build The World You Want - youth workshop where participants can explore different types of media from newspaper design to film storyboarding to social storytelling

...and much more! More films, workshops, artists and events will be announced on the website and social media.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!