Gravenhurst will take centre stage this spring as it hosts one of the 2026 regional festivals for NTS DramaFest, Ontario’s largest youth theatre celebration.
The Muskoka community is scheduled to welcome student performers from April 14 to 17 as part of the festival’s 80th anniversary season. Regional events are being held across the province, with Gravenhurst serving as one of six host areas leading up to the Ontario Provincial Showcase in North York.
Founded in 1946 and presented by the National Theatre School of Canada, NTS DramaFest engages more than 12,000 secondary school students and educators annually. The festival highlights original, student-led productions and provides participants with feedback from professional adjudicators working in theatre, film and television.
For Gravenhurst, the four-day regional festival is expected to bring young performers, teachers, families and supporters into the community, offering audiences a chance to experience a range of high school theatre productions.
The regional festival in Gravenhurst will be part of a provincewide season that begins with District Festivals on Feb. 17 and unfolds through six Regional Festivals — North, East, South, West, Central and Toronto. From each region, two productions will advance to the 2026 Ontario Provincial Showcase, which rotates host locations annually and will be held in North York.
“In its 80th year, the NTS DramaFest is proof that youth creativity is a key to nation-building. When students are given the space and support to tell their stories, they don’t just make theatre. They make a community,” said Richard Lee, co-director of NTS DramaFest.
Organizers say the festival’s mission centres on accessibility and inclusion, encouraging collaboration, curiosity, equity and celebration. Over eight decades, DramaFest has become a platform for young people to explore storytelling while building confidence and community connections.
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