Connect Beyond Festival is a 501( c)3 organization dedicated to inspiring social change through festivals and programming around art, music, film, literature and conversation. We host an annual 3-day weekend festival as well as select additional programming through the year.

The 2026 Connect Beyond Festival will take place at the Orange Peel in downtown Asheville May 29-31.

• The full lineup and schedule can be found here.

• Tickets can be found here.

• For shows at The Orange Peel, no large bags or backpacks are permitted inside the venue. Smaller purses and bags are permitted and will be searched upon entry.

You can buy tickets here.

Unlike larger music or arts festivals, we design Connect Beyond to have one event at a time and provide a dinner break between our afternoon and evening programs, so your ticket gets you all the events for that day! If you have a weekend pass, you get access to all events unless otherwise noted as a VIP event.

Yes! You must wear your wristband at all time to leave the Orange Peel and gain re-entry.

Anyone without a wristband or ticket will not be allowed entry to the venue.

Parking is available on the street and in city parking garages within walking distance to the Orange Peel. For more information on city parking and access to the Orange Peel, click here.

For general inquiries, partnerships, sponsorships, marketing and media passes, please see our Contact Page for more information.

Yes! As a 501(c )3, our organization depends on individual donors, organizations, corporations and grants to keep our programming going. Your donation is tax deductible. For more info, please see our Donate page.

Contact festival director Jessica Tomasin and see our Contact Page for more information.

We’re glad you asked! We’re proud to have DoubleTree and Embassy Suites in Downtown Asheville as our official hotel partners. See the information below for rates and booking links. There are plenty of accommodations available throughout the city to fit your needs.