Kindling Arts Festival has always pushed boundaries, challenging the limitations of conventional art while bringing varying perspectives into focus and supporting multidisciplinary collaboration. This year offered the festival’s biggest lineup yet, with 22 daring works that included everything from immersive dance-theater experiences and high-flying aerial acts to experimental performance art and a showcase of Asian and Pacific Islander filmmakers. But much of the festival’s draw stems from its joyful, inclusive and always celebratory vibe. Empowering both artists and audiences, Kindling Arts provides a much-needed home for some of Nashville’s most surprising, unconventional and uniquely rewarding art.Â
More Best of Nashville wins: In our Writers’ Choice, Kindling Arts Festival has also been named Best Experimental Theater (2025), Best Summer Ticket (2023) and Best Summer Arts Festival (2021).
