The Tucson Festival of Books welcomes entertainers of all types to apply to become part of the 2027 Festival, which will take place Saturday, March 13th and Sunday, March 14th, on the University of Arizona campus. All performances must be suitable for family audiences of all ages.
The 2027 Festival will feature four different entertainment venues:
Food Court Stage
Located on the UA Mall, adjacent to the Festival Food Court.
Can accommodate music, dance, and other acts.
Amplification permitted, but the Festival reserves the right to reduce volume if an act interferes with author events or other Festival activities.
Performance area: 20' x 16' x 1'
The Canyon
Located in the breezeway between the Student Union Building and the UA Campus Store.
Available for acoustic or minimally amplified vocal and instrumental performances.
Performance area: 10' x 10'
The Children's Stage
Located in the courtyard south of the College of Education Building.
Acts must be suitable for children under 6.
Performance area: 16' x 20' x 2'
The Tucson Folk Festival Songwriter Stage
Located in front of Bear Down Gym.
Intended only for acts performing original works.
Available for acoustic or minimally amplified vocal and instrumental performances.
Performance area: 10' x 10'
*The University of Arizona will provide sound systems and operators for each venue including wired mics on stands, mixing board and speakers.
In addition, a limited number of Buskers will be invited to mingle with the public and perform at the Friends Tent, Volunteers Check-in, and elsewhere on the Festival grounds over the course of the weekend. All types of family-friendly performers will be considered, including singer/songwriters/instrumentalists (original or public domain material), jugglers, clowns, close-up magicians, etc.
Entertainment applications are due no later than 5pm on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Applications received after this date will be placed on a waiting list and reviewed if a space becomes available.
The decisions of the committee are final. Applicants will be notified of their status by November 30, 2026 (later for the Children's Stage). If you are invited to perform at the 2027 Festival, you will receive an Entertainment Agreement, which must be completed and returned by the deadline in order to confirm your participation. The Entertainment Committee will maintain a waiting list in the event of cancellations or other unavailability of invited performers.
Like the 300+ authors who attend each year, entertainers are not compensated by the Festival; however, we will publish a schedule of entertainment on our website, in the Festival Guide published by The Arizona Daily Star, in the TFOB apps (Apple and Android), as well as social media campaigns related to the event. Performers are encouraged to promote their appearances through their own PR and social media sites.
During your scheduled performance, you may place a tip jar and distribute promotional material. Sales of CDs and other merchandise are subject to Arizona business licensing and sales tax/remittance regulations, which are the sole responsibility of the seller.
To apply for consideration as a performer, please complete this electronic form. An asterisk (*) indicates a required field. Please provide as much information as possible in order to expedite our application review process. Use the additional comments block if you have any special needs or requests regarding your performance.
Difficulty submitting your application? Contact us at help@tucsonfestivalofbooks.org
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