Today The Atlantic is announcing the first speakers, film screenings, podcast tapings, and book talks for the 18th annual Atlantic Festival, taking place September 17–19 in New York City. The festival will for the second year be anchored at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in downtown Manhattan and hold programming at venues around the city, including the Tenement Museum, the Brooklyn Public Library, and Metrograph.

For the opening night, The Atlantic is partnering with Juilliard to present “A Soundtrack of a Nation,” during which artists and musicians will trace the evolution of the American sound. The festival will also screen the forthcoming documentaries Crime and Punishment in America and Playing POTUS, and feature live events with The Atlantic’s podcasts, including Radio Atlantic, The David Frum Show, and an upcoming show hosted by David Brooks. More speakers, screenings, and events will be announced in coming weeks.

Tickets: Single-Day Passes and Out and About tickets are now on sale, along with 2-Day General Admission Passes. Premiere Passes are sold out. Atlantic subscribers receive an exclusive 30 percent discount on festival passes and select Out and About programming.

Among the conversations being announced today:

• Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in conversation with The Atlantic‘s editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg
• A discussion marking the 25th anniversary of September 11 with former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, and Atlantic executive editor Adrienne LaFrance
• Bumble’s founder and CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd
• Representative Chip Roy of Texas, the policy chair of the House Freedom Caucus, interviewed by Atlantic managing director of events Evan Smith
• Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad with contributing writer Jemele Hill
• A conversation on the future of American cities, with Todd Gloria, the mayor of San Diego; Mattie Parker, the mayor of Fort Worth; and Aftab Pureval, the mayor of Cincinnati, with Evan Smith
• University leaders on the state of higher education, including University of California president James B. Milliken and Mount Holyoke College president Danielle R. Holley, led by Radio Atlantic co-host Adam Harris
• Former Chicago mayor and ambassador Rahm Emanuel, interviewed by Atlantic staff writer Ashley Parker
• The New York Times’ White House correspondent Maggie Haberman and reporter Jonathan Swan the authors of Regime Change, with Atlantic staff writer Tim Alberta
• Attorney General of California Rob Bonta and Attorney General of New Hampshire John Formella with Atlantic staff writer Quinta Jurecic
• Events featuring Atlantic contributing writer and The Anxious Generation author Jonathan Haidt, PBS NewsHour co-anchor Amna Nawaz, author and translator Emily Wilson, and MS NOW host Stephanie Ruhle
• And events to be announced with many of The Atlantic‘s writers and editors, including Anne Applebaum, Gal Beckerman, Sophie Gilbert, Drew Goins, Faith Hill, Jemele Hill, Rose Horowitch, Sally Jenkins, Jonathan Lemire, Shirley Li, Annie Lowrey, Vann R. Newkirk II, Tom Nichols, Alexandra Petri, Missy Ryan, Vivian Salama, Michael Scherer, Clint Smith, Annie Joy Williams

Special programming, screenings, and Out and Abouts:

• The festival’s opening-night program, “A Soundtrack of a Nation,” a special collaboration with Juilliard, including the composer and pianist Nicholas Britell, the tap dancer and choreographer Michelle Dorrance, the bass-baritone Davóne Tines, and Juilliard president Damian Woetzel; additional performers are to be announced
• A screening of the forthcoming PBS documentary series Crime and Punishment, which explores the 250-year history of the United States’ criminal legal system, directed by Lynn Novick and executive produced by Ken Burns and Sam Pollard, followed by a discussion with Novick and the poet Reginald Dwayne Betts
• A screening of Playing POTUS, a new documentary on presidential parody featuring Saturday Night Live alumni and comedy legends, with director Josh Greenbaum and more speakers to be announced
• The festival’s Atlantic Reads programming, featuring conversations and book signings with the authors Kurt Andersen, Kate Bowler, and Timothy W. Ryback, among others

The 2026 Atlantic Festival is underwritten by Genentech at the Presenting Level; Boston Scientific, Contentful, Edward Jones, and TIAA at the Supporting Level; and Allstate, Calm Health, Hauser & Wirth, and Seabourn Cruise Line at the Contributing Level.

Media and creators interested in covering the festival should reach out to our comms team at press@theatlantic.com; in-person seating will be limited and will need to be reserved in advance.

The Atlantic Festival
September 17–19, 2026
Perelman Performing Arts Center
For passes: theatlantic.com/theatlanticfestival