2026 Festival Schedule (in progress)
A Huge Congratulations to our winners for 2025 - Individual Champion, Black Chakra & Team Champions, Spotlight Poetry!
(Check out our Past Champions page for a list of all the Finalists!)
All events, with the exception of Finals Stage on Saturday, March 21st are free and anyone may participate in the workshops or open mics and readings, even if you are not a competing poet!
Wednesday, March 18:
- The Sound of Cicadas: Poetry Reading & Roundtable 6 to 8 pm
- The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW
- Features TBA.
- Early Bird Open Mic 8 pm to 10 pm
- Red Door Brewing (509 Central Ave SW)
Thursday, March 19:
Please Note: All poets & teams need to check in during Poet Orientation
- Poet Orientation 1 pm
- Main Library, 501 Copper Ave NW
- Attendence required for all competing poets.
- Main Library, 501 Copper Ave NW
- Trans & Non-Binary Open Mic 2:30 - 3:30 pm
- Main Library, 501 Copper Ave NW
- Hosted by Evris Oake
- Main Library, 501 Copper Ave NW
- Preliminary Bouts 1- 3 (Teams) 6 pm to 8 pm
- Bout 1: TBA
- Bout 2: TBA
- Bout 3: TBA
- Bout 1: TBA
- Preliminary Bouts 4 - 6 (Indies) 8 pm to 10 pm
- Bout 4: TBA
- Bout 5: TBA
- Bout 6: TBA
- Bout 4: TBA
Friday, March 20:
- Side Events A-B 10 am to 11:15
-
- Workshop 1: Michael Jasso – “What Teachers Make”
- The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW
- Visible/Invisible Disabilities Open Mic - Hosted by Sam Brown
- The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW
- Workshop 1: Michael Jasso – “What Teachers Make”
- Side Events C-D 11:30 am to 12:45 pm
-
- Workshop 2: LadyK - Slam Strategies & Taking Your Slam Career to the Next Level
- The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW
- LGBTQ+ Open Mic - Hosted by Emily Tucker
- The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW
- Workshop 2: LadyK - Slam Strategies & Taking Your Slam Career to the Next Level
- Side Events E-F 1 pm to 2:15 pm
-
- Workshop 2: Brennan DeFrisco –“New Shit: Freestyle Poetry & the Infinite Rough Draft”
- The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW
- Asian American-Pacific Islander Open Mic - Host Keith Allen
- The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW
- Workshop 2: Brennan DeFrisco –“New Shit: Freestyle Poetry & the Infinite Rough Draft”
- Haiku Head 2 Head - Host TBA 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
- Secret Gallery, 717 Central Ave NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
- Preliminary Bouts 7 - 9 (Indies) 6 pm to 8 pm
- Bout 7: TBA
- Bout 8: TBA
- Bout 9: TBA
- Bout 7: TBA
- Preliminary Bouts 10 - 12 (Teams) 8 pm to 10 pm
- Bout 10: TBA
- Bout 11: TBA
- Bout 12: TBA
- Bout 10: TBA
- Erotica Open Mic (& Burlesque Showcase) 10:30 pm to 1 am
- Albuquerque Social Club, 4021 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108
- Hosted by Kristin Patton
- This is a 21+ event
- Albuquerque Social Club, 4021 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108
Saturday, March 21:
- Book Market 10 am to 2 pm
- Explora, 1701 Mountain Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104
- Side Events G-H 10 am to 11:15 pm
- Veteran's Open Mic - Host Daniel Garwood
- The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW
- Workshop 4: Chelsea Guevara - "Retracing Our Steps"
- The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW
- Veteran's Open Mic - Host Daniel Garwood
- Side Events I-J 11:30 to 12:45 pm
- Latino/Latinx/Chicano/Chicanx Open Mic - Hosted by Michael Jasso
- The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW
- Workshop 5: TBA
- The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW
- Latino/Latinx/Chicano/Chicanx Open Mic - Hosted by Michael Jasso
- Side Events K-L 1 pm to 2:15 pm
- Black Poets Open Mic - Hosted by LadyK
- The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW
- Indigenous Poets Open Mic - Hosted by Caitlin C.
- The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW
- Black Poets Open Mic - Hosted by LadyK
- Nerd Slam - Hosted by El'Ja 2:30 to 4:30 pm
- TBA (location information will be posted soon)
- Finals Stage - Hosted by Gigi Bella & El'Ja Bowens 7 pm to 10 pm
- Historic Lobo Theater
3013 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106- Call time for Poets performing on Finals stage is 6 pm sharp
- Historic Lobo Theater
- Underground Slam - Hosted by Michael Jasso 11 pm to 1 am
- Studio 519, 519 Central Ave NW, Albuquerque, NM 87106
Sunday, March 22:
- Breaking Bread Poet’s Picnic 12 pm to1:30 pm
- Red Door Brewing, (509 Central Ave SW)
* The Underground Slam will be announced at orientation. Buy in is $25, winner takes all.
