VERSOFEST’26
MARCH 25 – 29, 2026
Five Years Of VersoFest!
We’re riding the high of VersoFest 2026, our fifth annual festival, bringing together an extraordinary fusion of music, storytelling, insight, and boundless creativity. We promised it would be the best one yet, and it was.
Not only for the fact that it brought some of our biggest names —Wyclef Jean, Ani DiFranco, Gina Gershon, Susanna Hoffs, and countless other brilliant pioneers in music and media — but because the festival in its entirety contained an energy that’s difficult to put into words.
Photo Highlights
VersoFest’26 Past Lineup
Here is a detailed look at what happened during VersoFest’26
KICKOFF CONCERT | FRIday, February 27
FRIday, FEBRUARY 27, at 8 pm
VersoFest’26 Kickoff Concert: The Thing
The Thing, the rising rock band out of New York City with roots in Connecticut, will be performing the 2026 VersoFest Kickoff Concert.
TREFZ FORUM | $35
Registration is required. Standing room only.
VersoFest | FRIday, MARCH 6
FRIday, MARCH 6, at 7 pm
VersoFest Storytellers: Susanna Hoffs, in Conversation and Song, with Alisyn Camerota
Susanna Hoffs, co-founder of the Bangles, will be one of the lead acts for VersoFest 2026, appearing alongside award-winning journalist and rock memoirist Alisyn Camerota.
TREFZ FORUM | $50
Registration is required.
VersOFest | WEDNESday, MARCH 25
wednesday, MARCH 25, at 6 pm
VersoFest Artist Reception: Holly Danger & Sean Williams
Join us for our reception and artist talk with VersoFest 2026 featured visual artists Holly Danger (Lighthouse) and Sean Williams (The SneakerVangelisT), joined by Westport artist Miggs Burroughs. Both exhibits will be on display from March 20 through April 5.
TREFZ FORUM | FREE
Registration is NOT required
VersOFest Weekend| Thursday, MARCH 26
Thursday, March 26, at 7 pm
VersoFest 2026 Visionary: Ani DiFranco with Lindsay Czarniak
Grammy Award-winning musician, folk-rock legend, and cultural icon Ani DiFranco kicks off the four-day weekend in conversation with Lindsay Czarniak, on DiFranco’s new book, The Spirit of Ani: Reflections on Spirituality, Feminism, Music, and Freedom.
TREFZ FORUM | $35
Registration is required.
Versofest Weekend| FRIday, MARCH 27
FrIday, March 27, at 8 pm
VersoFest 2026 Concert Event: Wyclef Jean, LIVE
Grammy Award-winning artist, producer, composer and Fugees co-founder Wyclef Jean will be this year’s headline performer for the VersoFest 2026 Friday night concert. Wyclef will be performing with his full band.
TREFZ FORUM | $125
Registration is required. Standing room only.
VersOFest Weekend | saturday, MARCH 28
Saturday, March 28, at 10 Am
VersoFest’26 Workshop: Cumbe Dance Congolese Dance and Drum
Get your body moving and those waistlines rolling to the dynamic sounds of the Ngoma Drum with Master Artist Andoche Loubaki in a lively and colorful Traditional Congolese Dance and Drum workshop with Brooklyn based dance troop.
TREFZ FORUM | FREE
Registration is required.
Saturday, March 28, at 1 pm
VersoFest Author Talk: Claire Dederer on ‘Monsters,’ a Look at What to Do with Great Art by Bad People
Best-selling memoirist, essayist, and critic Claire Dederer will be in conversation with acclaimed journalist Hilarie M. Sheets about Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma, Dederer’s recent nonfiction book investigating how to reconcile loving the art but not the artist.
TREFZ FORUM | FREE
Registration is required.
Saturday, March 28, at 1 pm
Verso University Presents: Closing the Deal: How to Get Bigger Gigs with Matt Starr
Learn the secrets to how professionals get those next level opportunities and build sustainable careers as professional musicians. In this interactive VersoFest workshop, you’ll learn how to meet the right people, set your rate, get over your discomfort, and get into action!
BOARD ROOM | $5
Registration is required.
Saturday, March 28, at 3 pm
VersoFest’26 Visionary: Adria Petty, on the Legacy of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Adria Petty, who works as a managing partner at the Tom Petty estate, will discuss the legacy of her father and his band, The Heartbreakers, in conversation with music industry pioneer Sam Hendel.
TREFZ FORUM | FREE
Registration is required.
Saturday, March 28, at 5 pm
VersoFest 2026 Author Talk: Gina Gershon on AlphaPussy
Celebrated actress Gina Gershon will be one of the highlight performers on VersoFest Saturday, discussing her recent memoir, AlphaPussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs, with award-winning journalist and rock memoirist Alisyn Camerota.
TREFZ FORUM | $35
Registration is required.
Saturday, March 28, at 7:30 pm
VersoFest Storytellers: Alt-Rock Legend David J, in Verse, Conversation, and Song
Musician, writer, playwright, poet, visual artist, and alt-rock legend David J (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets) closes VersoFest Saturday with a special storytellers event. David will read selections from his new poetry book, Rhapsody, Threnody & Prayer, accompanied by original pre-recorded music an acoustic set & followed by an interview featuring celebrated author Douglas Rushkoff.
TREFZ FORUM | $35
Registration is required.
VersOFest Weekend | sUnday, MARCH 29
Sunday, March 29, at 10:30 am
VersoFest’26 Panel Discussion: Coffee with the C-Suite: Creators, Technologists, and Music’s AI Frontier
In this candid, executive-level conversation, leaders from across music tech, rights investment, AI creation tools, and licensing platforms unpack the seismic shifts redefining the industry. Speakers are from Suno, LANDR, Incantio; and Chord Music Partners Music.
Coffee and pastries will be served at 10 am, courtesy of VersoFest’26 partners COBS Bread and The Y’s Men of Westport/Weston.
TREFZ FORUM | FREE
Registration is required.
Sunday, March 29, at 12-4 pm
VersoFest 2026 Workshop: Sound Playground with Suno
Step into a collaborative music experience with music platform Suno. This open workshop invites the curious to experiment with instruments, voice, and AI to explore how technology can expand the edges of musical expression and unlock playful possibilities. Open to all ages and musical abilities!
BROOKS PLACE | FREE
Please register for only one session.
Sunday, March 29, at 12 pm
Verso Visionary: Renowned Music Entrepreneur Peter Shapiro, in Conversation with Relix Editor Dean Budnick
Peter Shapiro, who has owned and operated venerated concert venues like Brooklyn Bowl and The Capitol Theatre and has produced a wide array of lauded music festivals, alongside rock author, writer, and documentarian Dean Budnick, will discuss the legacy of the Grateful Dead and the development of the jam band scene over the decades.
TREFZ FORUM | FREE
Registration is required.
Sunday, March 29, at 2 pm
VersoFest 2026 Film Screening: ‘Grateful Dead: Dead Ahead’
VersoFest 2026 winds down with a true classic concert film. Recorded October 30 and 31, 1980 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Dead Ahead showcases the recently reformed Grateful Dead lineup in acoustic and electric splendor.
TREFZ FORUM | FREE
Registration is required.
VERSOFEST’26 art exhibits
March 20 through April 5
VersoFest Exhibit: ‘Lighthouse’ by Holly Danger
Stamford-based video artist Holly Danger presents Lighthouse, an immersive art experience on display in the Sheffer Gallery. Lighthouse is a video art installation that reminds us that we project light into the world for ourselves and each other. As you move through this exhibit, you’ll be surrounded by thousands of colorful strings lining the perimeter of gallery.
SHEFFER GALLERY | OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
March 20 through April 5
VersoFest Exhibit: ‘The SneakerVangelisT’ by Sean Williams
Sean “Opus 1” Williams presents The SneakerVangelisT. Sneakers are wearable art that serve both self expression and function simultaneously. Some sneaker models offer an ideal canvas for artistic expression, while others make the perfect muse.
SOUTH & JESUP GALLERIES | OPEN TO THE PUBLIC