NTS DramaFest, Ontario’s largest youth theatre festival, returns in 2026 with a milestone season celebrating its 80th anniversary. The year-long programme will feature district and regional festivals across the province, culminating in the Ontario Provincial Showcase in North York. Founded in 1946, NTS DramaFest has spent eight decades empowering young people through theatre, creativity, and collaboration.

Presented by the National Theatre School of Canada (NTS), the 2026 season also aligns with the School’s own 65th anniversary during the 2025–26 season, underscoring a shared commitment to nurturing the next generation of theatre artists.

A Province-Wide Celebration of Creativity

Each year, NTS DramaFest engages more than 12,000 secondary school students and educators, offering meaningful opportunities to create and present theatrical work. Rooted in accessibility and inclusion, the festival encourages empathy, equity, safety, and curiosity—values that have shaped its impact for 80 years.

“For 80 years, NTS DramaFest has been far more than a celebration of theatre,” says Fanny Pagé, CEO of the National Theatre School of Canada. “It has empowered generations of young people, championed storytelling and collaboration, and inspired artistic citizenship across Canada.”

From District Festivals to the Provincial Stage

The 2026 season begins with District Festivals starting February 17, 2026, launching a province-wide celebration that unfolds through six Regional Festivals: North, East, South, West, Central, and Toronto. These events typically run three to six nights and showcase a wide range of student-led productions.

From each region, two standout productions are selected to perform at the Ontario Provincial Showcase in North York, offering audiences a compelling snapshot of the voices shaping the future of Canadian theatre.

“In its 80th year, NTS DramaFest proves that youth creativity is central to building community,” says Richard Lee, Co-Director of NTS DramaFest. “When students are supported in telling their stories, they create theatre that resonates far beyond the stage.”

Championing Original Voices and Playwriting

Original work has always been at the heart of NTS DramaFest. Over the decades, the festival has published multiple anthologies celebrating student and teacher playwrights, reflecting its enduring commitment to youth-driven storytelling and creative risk-taking.

“As we celebrate 80 years, we’re celebrating possibility,” says Erika Kierulf, Co-Director of NTS DramaFest. “This is not just high school theatre—it’s young artists engaging seriously with the world around them.”

Bridging Youth and Professional Theatre

The anniversary season features professional adjudicators from Canada’s theatre, film, and television communities, including Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, who will adjudicate the East Toronto district. By pairing students with working artists, NTS DramaFest continues to serve as a vital bridge between youth theatre and the professional stage.

Supporting the Next Generation

NTS DramaFest is sustained by a province-wide network of educators, volunteers, and artists who organise 19 District Festivals annually. The festival also awards scholarships and bursaries, including four $3,000 Ken & Ann Watts Memorial Foundation Scholarships, bursaries for graduating students pursuing the performing arts, and a Playwriting Award recognising original student work.

As it enters its ninth decade, NTS DramaFest remains a cornerstone of youth theatre education—nurturing voices that will continue to shape Canadian stages for years to come.