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For fifteen summers now, the Poetry Society of New York has cast its spell over Governors Island, turning ferry rides into pilgrimages and an entire weekend into something close to enchantment. This is A Modern Odyssey, aka 2 sun-soaked days where poets and dreamers of every stripe spill out across the grass to fling verse at the skyline, wander through art that talks back, nibble on Smorgasburg-worthy treats, and lose themselves utterly in the music of words starting at 11:00am on Saturday July 18 and Sunday July 19, 2026.
Grab your $29 VIP Registration Ticket (a $56 value) that includes Admission to the Exclusive VIP Tent on both days where you will enjoy A Selection of Wines, Beers & Spirits, as well as Complimentary Snacks.
Let yourself be swept up in a poetry paradise drenched in sunlight, where every line feels carried in on the river breeze. This is a festival built for joy. Think Victorian cottages that catch the light just so, and overhead, century-old trees throw down their dappled shade like they've been saving it up all year, each leaf rustling out a stanza of its own.
While the season wraps itself around you, slip into the VIP Tent for something cold and something delicious, like pours from summer favorites such as Brooklyn Brewery, Lost Poet Wine, Pomp & Whimsy, and Guayaki Yerba Mate. And when your stomach starts writing its own poetry, let vendors such as Everything About Crepes, Enjoyment Cafe, Yankee Doodle Dandy's, and slowcocoa answer the call (available for purchase).
Come play in the poetry. Come dance in the inspiration. Come raise a glass to the sheer, electric joy of it all...
Picture clowns in candy-colored socks, an accordion sighing through the trees, parasols twirling against the sky, a solar-powered merry-go-round spinning slow circles in the sun. This is The 15th Annual New York City Poetry Festival, hosted by The Poetry Society of New York, where poetry refuses to stay on the page and spills instead into every corner of Governors Island. Get ready for a weekend stitched together from art, libations, sun-drenched imagery, and memories that linger long after the ferry ride home.
This dazzling soirée gathers over 100 poetry collectives and organizations across five main stages: The Brinkley, The Blackbird, The White Horse, The Beckett, and The Algonquin, each one a small universe of voices. For the second year running, the Youth Poetry Festival Stage shines a spotlight on poets under 18, including the National and State Youth Poet Laureates, proof that the future of verse is already wide awake and dazzling.
Each afternoon, Headliner Readings bring acclaimed poets center stage to share their best, often brand-new and never-before-heard, while the beloved Ring of Daisies Open Mic gives anyone the chance to step inside a literal ring of daisies and let their words bloom in a space built on warmth and welcome.
Wander further and the festival unfolds like a poem with no end. We're talking the Vendor Village brimming with independent artisans, booksellers, and zine makers, and immersive installations weaving poetry into technology, sustainability, music, and movement, The Poetry Brothel (a literary cabaret dripping in 1920s glamour), and more.
As you drift between stages, take a dreamy detour to the VIP Tent, a shaded haven of tasty bites and even tastier sips. So whether you're a word-wielding magician or simply chasing that golden summer glow, this bewitching gathering promises to inspire, delight, and wow you at every turn...
Your $29 VIP Ticket (a $56 Value) Includes:
May purchase as many tickets as you like for personal use or for gifting.
Event runs from 11:00am until 6:00pm.
Valid for entry on both days Saturday July 18 & Sunday July 19, 2026.
