Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Tribeca Festival, presented by OKX, today unveiled its 2026 television and podcast lineup, featuring a dynamic mix of world premieres, live tapings, and exclusive conversations, taking place June 3rd–14th in New York City. Passes and ticket packages are on sale now at TribecaFilm.com, with the Hudson Pass offering the premier festival experience, including VIP access and an invitation to Opening or Closing Night. Single tickets go on sale April 28th.
“At Tribeca, we’ve always believed in showcasing great storytelling no matter where we find it,” said Tribeca Festival Director and SVP of Programming Cara Cusumano. “This year’s TV and podcast lineup reflects a creative landscape where stories move fluidly across formats and expands the Festival beyond the screen into shared, live moments of discovery. Together, they embody Tribeca’s commitment to interdisciplinary storytelling and to championing the voices shaping culture today, wherever and however those stories are told.”
This year’s television lineup spans buzzworthy new series, compelling documentaries, and standout comedies, anchored by live conversations with the creators and casts behind them. Marking a major milestone in television history, “Survivor” celebrates its 50th season with a special panel featuring fan-favorite players Cirie Fields, Rob Cesternino, Kyle Fraser, Kamilla Karthigesu, Teeny Chirichillo, and Tribeca’s own programmer and three-time “Survivor” player, Jonathan Penner, reflecting on the show’s lasting impact on global pop culture.
“This year’s TV lineup blends dynamic documentary storytelling with contemporary dramas and provocative comedy, capturing the cultural pulse across generations and genres,” said Tribeca Festival Senior Programmer Liza Domnitz. “From the intimacy of personal rediscovery to the shifting landscapes of art, sports, and sex, all our TV selections come anchored in brilliant post-screening conversations with creative teams, subjects, or cast.”
Music icon Alejandro Sanz offers an intimate portrait of reinvention and resilience in “Alejandro Sanz: When No One Sees Me,” with a live conversation with the four-time GRAMMY Award winner, moderated by Entertainment Weekly’s Editor-in-Chief and General Manager Patrick Gomez. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ronan Farrow presents a gripping HBO double feature, the world premieres of “Not A Very Good Murderer” and “The Palladino Files,” created with Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato of World of Wonder.
Additional highlights include the world premieres of FX’s “Adults” season two, a sharp, heartfelt look at modern friendships in New York City, followed by a conversation with cast members Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer, Jack Innanen, Amita Rao, and Owen Thiele; and Netflix’s final season of “Survival of the Thickest” with Michelle Buteau. Additional selections include Hulu’s “Alice and Steve,” starring Jemaine Clement and Nicola Walker, “Every Year After,” with Elisha Cuthbert, and the BBC’s “Dear England,” starring Joseph Fiennes.
Honoring Tribeca’s founding mission to unite communities through the power of storytelling in the wake of September 11th, this year’s television slate includes the world premiere of Nat Geo’s “9/11: Reunited,” a moving portrait of the life-altering bonds formed in the aftermath of one of history’s darkest days. Additional documentary series include “Grandmasters,” examining the modernization of global chess through the eyes of traditional chess masters Magnus Carlsen, Wesley So, and Hans Niemann; and HBO’s “The Man Will Burn,” a revealing look inside the evolution of Burning Man from Academy Award-nominated Jehane Noujaim and Vikram Gandhi.
Tribeca’s Indie TV showcases continue to spotlight emerging talent. The narrative showcase features “CVNT,” a fearless portrait of single motherhood; “Switch,” starring Pauline Chalamet and Coral Peña; and “Kevin’s Series of Unfortunate Events,” a sharp romantic comedy. The documentary showcase includes “Free Help” from Tribeca alum Bianca Giaever (TF ’15) and “The Little Cult That Could,” a darkly comedic look at a Michigan doomsday group.
Today, Tribeca also announced its largest and most ambitious podcast lineup to date, transforming the Festival into a live stage for the medium’s most influential voices. As the first major festival to establish an Official Podcast Selection in 2021, Tribeca continues to lead the space with a historic expansion into Spanish-language programming for the first time this year, including “Nacional II: la ruta del exilio” from La República Independiente de La Radio and “El Capitán y el Brazalete de Esmeraldas” from Peripecia y La No Ficción. Central to this evolution is the debut of the Showcase List, a new curated section recognizing exceptional independent podcasts released since last year’s Festival, including Spanish-language work.
“This year marks our most expansive program yet, deepening our focus on independent podcast discoverability and creating even more opportunities to celebrate exceptional new work,” said Davy Gardner, Head of Podcasts & Audio at Tribeca. “Meanwhile, the Tribeca Podcast Stage has evolved into something larger than live recordings or performances. It’s a place where the defining voices of the medium come to create something new: one-night-only experiences that, together, feel like a live expression of where podcasting is today.”
Highlights include live tapings of The New York Times’ “Cannonball” with Wesley Morris; Vox Media’s “On with Kara Swisher,” featuring comedian and pioneering podcaster Marc Maron; Slate’s “Death, Sex & Money” with host Anna Sale joined by Peter Dinklage and Erica Schmidt for a candid conversation on art, love, and creative partnership; and WNYC’s “The New Yorker Radio Hour” with David Remnick.
Additional standout events include the first-ever live episode of “Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud” featuring host Bella Freud and legendary multimedia artist Laurie Anderson, with audiences encouraged to dress for the occasion; musician Hrishikesh Hirway, host of “Song Exploder,” celebrates his new album “In the Last Hour of Light” with moderator Adam Scott; and the world premiere of a new immersive live show from WNYC’s “Radiolab Live” with hosts Latif Nasser and Lulu Miller.
World premieres include “The Fastest Girl in Somalia” from ESPN’s “30 for 30 Podcasts,” a heartbreaking narrative about Olympic runner Samia Yusuf, and the highly anticipated fifth season of Lava For Good’s “Bone Valley,” the acclaimed investigative anthology from Gilbert King and Lava for Good.
The full television and podcast lineup for the 2026 Tribeca Festival is detailed below.
To learn more about the Tribeca Festival programming team, visit TribecaFilm.com. For updates, follow @Tribeca and #Tribeca2026 on Instagram, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Festival passes and ticket packages are now available at TribecaFilm.com.
2026 TRIBECA FESTIVAL TV SELECTION
9/11: REUNITED (Nat Geo) New Series World Premiere. Revisits the deadliest terror attacks in U.S. history, when thousands lost their lives and millions were forever changed. Amid the devastation, strangers formed profound, life-altering bonds in fleeting, life-or-death moments and connections that have endured for decades. Made to mark the 25th anniversary, in collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, this powerful three-part series brings those individuals back together, many for the first time since that day. Through deeply emotional reunions and immersive storytelling, 9/11: REUNITED interweaves present-day encounters with a gripping, human-centered retelling of the September 11, 2001 attacks, honoring the resilience, memory and lasting impact of those who lived through it.
After the Screening: A conversation with 9/11: Reunited participants and the creatives who brought their stories to life.
Adults (FX) Season Two World Premiere – Adults is an ensemble comedy series about a group of twenty-somethings in New York leaning on each other to navigate love, work, friendship and family. Created by Ben Kronengold & Rebecca Shaw, the show puts a generational lens on the wins, losses and humiliations of being in your twenties.
After the Screening: A conversation with Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer, Jack Innanen, Amita Rao, Owen Thiele and Creators Ben Kronengold & Rebecca Shaw.
Alejandro Sanz: When No One Sees Me New Series US Premiere.
From a music-obsessed kid to a global icon, Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro’s journey is fueled by passion, reinvention, and resilience. After early failure, he reemerges as Alejandro Sanz, rocketed to fame by a debut album that changes his life overnight. Searching for his true voice, he dives into Italian pop, flamenco and Latin music, creating Corazón Partío, one of the most iconic Latin songs ever. But success comes at a cost: fame, fatherhood, heartbreak, loss, depression, and brutal industry battles threaten to break him. Through love, collapse, and rebirth, Alejandro fights back. Now in 2026, facing new challenges and guided by his four children, he stands at his most powerful and authentic chapter yet.
Preceding the Screening: A conversation with Alejandro Sanz, director Álvaro Ron, and Executive Producer Sergi Reitg, moderated by Entertainment Weekly’s Editor-in-Chief and General Manager Patrick Gomez.
Alice and Steve (Hulu) World Premiere of Episode 3 – Alice is devastated when her best friend Steve starts dating her 26-year-old daughter Izzy. She’s going to lose her best friend and her daughter in one fell swoop. Alice tries everything she can to end the relationship. Unfortunately for her, Steve’s more than ready for the attack, and what begins as a perfect friendship, devolves into an all-out feud. A hilarious, messy, and complicated exploration of friendship, love, and revenge, “Alice and Steve” is an anti-romantic comedy that asks the question, how far would you go for love – or revenge?
Tribeca will screen Episodes 1 and 2, and World Premiere Episode 3.
After the Screening: A conversation with Jemaine Clement, Nicola Walker, Yali Topol Margalith, Writer and Executive Producer Sophie Goodhart and Director Tom Kingsley.
Dear England (BBC) New Series US Premiere – Based on the Olivier Award-winning play, Dear England charts the game-changing rebirth of England’s national game, football, at the hands of an unlikely disruptor – one haunted by his own failure – against the backdrop of unprecedented political, social, and cultural turmoil.
After the Screening: A conversation with Executive Producer and Writer James Graham.
Every Year After (Prime Video) New Series World Premiere – For six summers, Barry’s Bay was a magical place full of firsts for Percy Fraser, including first love—and first heartbreak. Ten years later, an unexpected tragedy brings Percy back to Barry’s Bay, where she has to face the people, memories, and mistakes she thought she’d left behind, especially the one boy who changed her life forever—Sam Florek. Told over the course of six years and one week in Barry’s Bay – the quintessential lake town – Every Year After is a romantic, nostalgic story of first loves and the people and choices that mark us forever. The series is based on the best-selling novel by Carley Fortune, “Every Summer After” – which spent 16 weeks on The New York Times Bestseller list, has sold 1M+ copies to date, and gained popularity through BookTok with the book hashtag getting over 81.4M views on TikTok.
After the Screening: A conversation with cast members Sadie Soverall, Matt Cornett, Michael Bradway, Elisha Cuthbert, Joseph Chiu, Abigail Cowen, Aurora Perrineau, Showrunner and Executive Producer Amy B. Harris, and book author and Executive Producer Carley Fortune.
Grandmasters New Series World Premiere – The once esoteric and uninspired world of competitive chess is thrown into turmoil when an eccentric German entrepreneur enlists reigning champion Magnus Carlsen to launch a new league that aims to revolutionize the game, challenge the sport’s governing body, and “make chess cool.” As the chess world fractures, Grandmasters like Wesley So – Magnus’s soft-spoken rival whose quiet brilliance contrasts with the sport’s emerging showbiz era – and Hans Niemann, a rebellious American prodigy with raw talent and controversy, find themselves at the center of this upheaval. Grandmasters chronicles the rivalries, reinventions, and personal battles shaping the modern pursuit of greatness in the game of kings.
After the Screening: A conversation with international chess masters Danny Rensch, Levy Rozman, subjects Jan Henric Buettner and Lea Makhloufi, and series Executive Producer and director Liza Mandelup.
The Man Will Burn (HBO) New Series World Premiere – The Man Will Burn traces the evolution of Burning Man, from its anarchic countercultural roots in San Francisco to the 80,000-person desert gathering it has become. With exclusive access to Burning Man Project leadership and archives, the series offers a behind-the-scenes verité look at one of modern American culture’s most successful and controversial social experiments. Throughout several consecutive years of unprecedented crises, the story follows a movement pushed to its limits.
After the Screening: A conversation with directors Jehane Noujaim, Vikram Gandhi and additional participants.
Not A Very Good Murderer and The Palladino Files (HBO), New Series World Premieres – A sneak peek of two upcoming HBO documentary crime series from award-winning filmmakers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist investigative journalist Ronan Farrow, who chases stranger-than-fiction mysteries exploring power and truth.
Not A Very Good Murderer – Ronan Farrow explores the life of a former beauty queen, uncovering a story stranger than fiction: a bombshell political allegation, jewelry heists, kidnapping, arson, and more than one murder attempt. But how much of it is true? This genre-bending documentary series delves into what it takes to uncover the truth, and the cost of keeping it hidden.
The Palladino Files – When legendary private eye Jack Palladino is murdered, one of his old targets, Ronan Farrow, takes up the case. Over the course of the series, Farrow dives into Palladino’s celebrity-ladened case files, uncovering secrets that may reveal who killed the private eye and why.
After the double feature screening: A conversation with Ronan Farrow and Directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.
SURVIVAL OF THE THICKEST (Netflix) Final Season World Premiere – Season 3 of Survival of the Thickest centers on Mavis Beaumont (Michelle Buteau). Black, plus-size, and falling in love while loving herself, Mavis works hard to grow her brand as a stylist and designer. She’s determined to not only survive but thrive with the support of her chosen family, a body-positive attitude, and a cute v-neck with some lip gloss. The scripted comedy is inspired by Buteau’s acclaimed book of essays.
After the screening: A conversation with Executive Producer, Creator and Star Michelle Buteau.
SURVIVOR 50 (CBS) – A celebration of the monumental 50th season of one of television’s most iconic franchises. Fan-favorite players Cirie Fields, Rob Cesternino, Kyle Fraser, Kamilla Karthigesu, Teeny Chirichillo, plus one of Tribeca’s own programmers Jonathan Penner will participate in a conversation exploring the series’ cultural impact and enduring legacy.
X-MEN ‘97 (Disney+) Season Two World Premiere – A band of mutants use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them; they’re challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future. Created by Stan Lee and Beau DeMayo.
2026 INDIE TV NARRATIVE SHOWCASE
CVNT (United States) World Premiere – CVNT is a darkly comic, visually fearless series about the impossible math of single motherhood and the lengths one woman will go to keep her kid’s world intact. A love letter to moms who make it work no matter what. Starring Nicole Higgins, Will Madden, Ben Weaver, David Brown, and Mila Higgins. Created by Nicole Higgins.
KEVIN’S SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (UK) World Premiere – Hopeless romantic Kevin stumbles through a series of increasingly disastrous dates, convinced persistence will eventually lead him to love. Unbeknownst to him, a genuine connection is growing closer to home, turning chaos into a tender story about finding love where he least expects it. Starring Ryan Sampson, Jake Watkins, Cecilia Noble, Fiona Allen. Created by Rex Glensy, Asad Moghal and Daniel Mannheim.
SWITCH (United States) World Premiere – Two women embark on a journey to find a man to have a threesome with. The perfect mix of funny and sexy,Switch asks: can a relationship survive our deepest desires? Starring Pauline Chalamet, Coral Peña, Adam Shaukat, Benjamin Holtz, Nikki Sniper. Created by Isabelle Platt & Sofya Levitsky-Weitz.
2026 INDIE TV DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE
FREE HELP (United States) World Premiere – Bianca Giaever who, after being called selfish by her dad, decides to offer free help to anyone who wants it. In every episode, Bianca takes on a few strangers, stepping into their lives to help solve their problems. But what begins as a straightforward offer quickly pulls her into more complicated territory than she ever expected. Directed by Bianca Giaever.
THE LITTLE CULT THAT COULD (United States) World Premiere – A darkly comedic documentary series following a Michigan doomsday group as they prepare for the soon-to-come apocalypse. Directed by Anthony Columbus.
2026 TRIBECA FESTIVAL PODCASTS & AUDIO SELECTION
LIVE PODCAST EVENTS
Live tapings of hit shows and exclusive performances.
Audio Flux Presents: Trash or Treasure
Performance. Audio Flux is a home for innovative, short-form audio and bold storytelling. Join co-founders Julie Shapiro and John DeLore for the debut of eight new “fluxworks”—three-minute audio stories inspired by Kenya-based artist Cyrus Kabiru, who transforms trash and other discarded materials into stunning, provocative sculptures. You’ll hear a range of climate stories – but not the ones you might expect. Julie and John will share original fluxworks by Munira Kaoneka (Tanzania), Daniel Ondieki (Kenya), Remoy Philip (USA), Alex Sujong Laughlin (USA), and four winners from the Audio Flux Circuit 07 open call. Produced in partnership with the Cape Town–based audio training organization Radio Workshop.
Cannonball with Wesley Morris Live (The New York Times)
Live episode recording. Sharp, surprisingly personal and never obvious, Cannonball with Wesley Morris takes a deep dive into the culture that moves us — the good, the bad and whatever’s in between. Each week, host Wesley Morris talks with fellow writers, artists and friends to talk about the cultural moment we’re in in order to better understand it, and ourselves. Wesley will be joined on stage for an intimate, personal conversation with a special guest as they explore different parts of art and popular culture while digging into their historical context, uncovering layers of meaning and insight.
Concert & Conversation: Hrishikesh Hirway moderated by Adam Scott
A special conversation and concert at Le Poisson Rouge between Hrishikesh Hirway (Song Exploder) and acclaimed actor Adam Scott to support the release of Hirway’s new album, In the Last Hour of Light.
Death, Sex & Money Live with Guests Peter Dinklage & Erica Schmidt (Slate)
Live episode recording. Anna Sale is back for a brand new live-from-Tribeca episode of Slate’s beloved podcast, Death, Sex & Money. Known for her thoughtful and empathetic interviewing style, Anna will sit down with award-winning actor Peter Dinklage, and his wife, writer/director Erica Schmidt, for a nuanced and lively conversation on the overlap of love and art.
Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud Live with Guest Laurie Anderson (Vox Media)
Live episode. Join Bella Freud and special guest, legendary multimedia artist Laurie Anderson, for the first-ever New York live recording of the Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud podcast. The show sees renowned fashion designer Bella Freud invite a special guest to ‘lie on the couch’ and explore the connection between fashion and identity. Bella’s conversations begin with questions about style and what we reveal through the clothes we wear, interviewing culturally significant guests in the worlds of fashion, cinema, sport, art, music and literature. Fashion Neurosis offers a uniquely thoughtful conversation that goes far beyond what we wear – exploring the unspoken language of clothes and the ways in which we use them as an alternative means to communicate in the world.
Lemme Say This Live with Guest Sydney Lemmon (Higher Ground)
Live episode recording. What’s the greatest celebrity notes app apology of all time? Who is Hollywood’s most divorced man? And which society is torturing the poets? Wanna know the answers, but have no time to scour the internet all day? Well, Peyton Dix and Hunter Harris have your back. These two beacons of truth and connoisseurs of mess have been bonded for over a decade, sharing the traumas of a crappy Boston dorm room and a pitiful Brooklyn dating scene. Now, these certified haters and internet carnivores are ready to cut your faves straight to the white meat. Featuring special guest actress Sydney Lemmon.
New Yorker Radio Hour Live with David Remnick (WNYC)
Live episode recording. The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine’s editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn’t a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation.
On With Kara Swisher Live with Guest Marc Maron (Vox Media)
Live episode recording. Twice a week, award-winning journalist Kara Swisher gets to the heart of the story through no-holds-barred interviews with power players across business, tech, media, politics and beyond. Joining Kara on stage for a special live recording of On With Kara Swisher is acclaimed comedian, actor and podcaster, Marc Maron (also starring in Tribeca’s 2026 Film Selection, In Memoriam). Rarely do two such defining voices of the podcasting industry share the same stage, making this a truly unmissable moment for anyone who loves the art of the interview.
Radiolab Live with Latif Nasser & Lulu Miller (WNYC)
Watch a Radiolab episode come to life in real time with hosts Latif Nasser & Lulu Miller. In this world premiere of a new project, we’ll dim the lights and turn up the mics and puzzle through a great mystery of nature.
2026 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
Never-before-heard narrative audio stories from innovative creators to premiere at Tribeca.
Selections Live Show: Timbre
In this live show with selected creators in attendance, experience bold, original voices showcasing wit and depth and experimenting with form. Selections include:
Bodies on the Line (Audacious Machine Creative)
World Premiere. Through extensive interviews and field recordings at abortion clinics, Jeffrey Nils Gardner dives into how working as a clinic escort has helped individuals understand their gender, body, and relation to others. Creator: Jeffrey Nils Gardner
For the Sake of the Children (Joe Sill Studio, Word Onscreen, Tina Lizzie Corp)
World Premiere. For the Sake of the Children is an audio series following Justin Lucas’ journey in rallying his small, tightknit town of Moriah to stand up to their ancient foreboding gods – alien beings known as the Architects that are thought to be humanity’s creators. After centuries away, the Architects have returned to our planet and sequestered themselves behind an enormous, mysterious Wall. They demand a child from Moriah be given to them once per year, a child the town never sees again. Creator: Joe Sill
My Brother David (iHeartPodcasts)
World Premiere. After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, David – a 48 year old husband and father living in Toronto, who has never listened to a podcast – decides to make a podcast together with his little sister Sarah, an avid podcast listener, grief worker and artist living in Chicago. And so begins Sarah and David’s sometimes hilarious, often irreverent and totally unflinching journey to follow the ups and downs of David’s disease. How long does David have left? Will the Blue Jays ever win the World Series? Is that gas or diarrhea? What does life look like when you know you’re going to die? Creator: Sarah Illiatovitch-Goldman
Parasites & Power
World Premiere. Parasites & Power is a six-part podcast series of interwoven stories about the colonial origins of today’s global public health system. Through archival research and dozens of interviews, the series reconstructs largely forgotten stories from medical history that tell us a lot about today, and can help us imagine better futures for global health. Creators: Jessie Graham, Rekha Murthy, Bart Warshaw
The Double[s] (Wolf at the Door Studios)
World Premiere. At a Goop-like wellness empire built on female empowerment, Alice meets her doppelganger — a shinier, breezier British import who promptly steals her promotion. Desperate for answers, Alice joins a secret support group of people whose doubles are systematically dismantling their lives…then the doubles start turning up dead. Creators: Winnie Kemp, Alexander Kemp
The Fastest Girl in Somalia (30 for 30 ESPN Podcasts)
World Premiere. In 2008, 17-year-old Somali runner Samia Yusuf Omar stepped onto the Olympic track in Beijing wearing donated shoes, long black leggings, and an oversized white t-shirt. She finished last in her heat, but ran with such determination that she drew the loudest cheer of the race. That moment defined her life – but the world she returned to was collapsing. This narrative series tells Samia’s extraordinary story of resilience, ambition, and the perilous intersection of sport, war, and migration. Reported and narrated by journalist Teresa Krug, who knew Samia personally, the series blends first-hand accounts, archival Olympic audio, and original reporting to uncover both the promise and the costs of chasing the Olympic dream. Creator: Teresa Krug
Scene on Radio: The News (Scene on Radio)
World Premiere. In this eight part documentary series, co-hosts John Biewen and Chenjerai Kumanyika explore the roots of today’s ongoing media crisis – the splintering of news audiences, the widespread perception of bias, and the deluge of misinformation – by delving through stories from the past and the present. They ask what’s *really* wrong with the media. Is it what we think it is? Creators: John Biewen, Chenjerai Kumanyika, Diane Hodson
Stunt Queen (iHeartRadio)
World Premiere. Stunt Queen follows the life of Dee Farmer, one of the most brilliant legal minds of our time who has spent most of her life incarcerated among men. Dee’s story is one of survival, sacrifice and determination as she continually advocated for herself despite being sentenced to 50 years by a judge. Facing a brutal system throughout her incarceration – compounded by her transgender identity and HIV-positive diagnosis – Dee taught herself the law from within the prison library, working to fight an unjust system for herself and others. Released in 2020 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dee returns to Baltimore full of resolve, faith, and a newfound purpose. Creator: Alison Flowers
Selections Live Show: Tone
In this live show with selected creators in attendance, we probe the depths of the human experience through investigation and inquiry. Selections include:
A History of the United States in 100 Objects (BBC Studios)
World Premiere. America’s 250th birthday calls for a history as sprawling and contradictory as the country itself. A History of the United States in 100 Objects tells that history one thing at a time. A gold coin from an 1857 shipwreck that triggered a financial panic. An antebellum schoolbook that became an instrument of Black liberation. Each week, an object opens the door into an extraordinary, often shocking story — about who we’ve been, what we’ve built, and what we’ve allowed ourselves to forget. The series brings together some of the most respected voices in narrative storytelling, includingRadiolab co-creator Jad Abumrad and co-host Latif Nasser and Dan Taberski, investigative journalist and host of Hysterical and Missing Richard Simmons, with additional contributors to be announced. Creators: Roman Mars, Annie Brown and Courtney Harrell
Bone Valley Season 5: The Devil’s Quarry (Rolling Stone, Lava for Good)
World Premiere. Bone Valley Season 5: The Devil’s Quarry is hosted by award-winning investigative journalist and longtime contributing editor at Rolling Stone, Paul Solotaroff. For Paul, the devil had always been a myth, until now. In the woods outside Carmel, New York, a hunter finds the bones of a twelve-year-old girl, and the unraveling begins. She had been missing, forgotten even. Now, buried records, ignored warnings, and a justice system that may have gotten it dangerously wrong are forced into the open, while the real killer bides his time, counting the days until he can hunt again. Which raises the most haunting question of all: Who is the devil among us? Executive Producers: Jeff Kempler, Jason Flom, Kevin Wortis, and Gilbert King
Cultivate Being (Theo Balcomb Sound)
World Premiere. Death is one of the core mysteries of life, a part of life that affects us all – yet just about all of us try to avoid it. When host Amelia Chiarenza was in her early forties, a giant wave of loss crashed over her: both of her parents and a close friend died in the span of 16 months. Grief consumed her, forcing her to acknowledge death, to try to understand and embrace it in order to cope and thrive. Cultivate Being is a record of that quest. Creators: Amelia Chiarenza, Theo Balcomb
Personally: Discount Dave (and the Fix) (CBC)
World Premiere. Everyone has a party story. Host and creator Becca Auerbach’s involved a run in with rock icon David Lee Roth. At least, that’s who he said he was. And maybe it’s because she loves rock and roll, or maybe it’s because she’s trying to fill a hole, but she holds onto that night. And it ultimately leads to her own reckoning. A harrowing and hilarious blend of memoir and auto-fiction, Discount Dave (and The Fix) is the true-ish story of a fake rockstar, a real trial and what it means to stop running, face yourself and fight to heal. Creator: Rebecca Auerbach
Reaching Out (Futuro Media)
World Premiere. On the eve of their 30th birthday, twin brothers Sayre and Connor are searching for their biological father while also trying to figure out their lives. Soon the brothers discover that their birth father is closer than they ever could have imagined. The journey to meet the man who left before they were born forces both brothers to confront parts of themselves they have hidden from themselves and each other. Reaching Out is a story about fathers, sons, and the distance between them. Creator: Sayre Quevedo
The Corridor (Auricle Productions)
World Premiere. The Corridor examines how Louisiana became a center of industry and an epicenter of disease, with some communities facing cancer risks among the highest in the nation. Across seven episodes, The Corridor explores how residents have pushed back against the destruction of their past, the construction of more plants, the lax enforcement of environmental regulations, and further harm to people’s health as they seek to claim their right to a prosperous and healthy future. Creators: Jaha Avery, Erika Janik, Sam Moore
The Dolos Project (FinalFinalMixV2 Media)
World Premiere. From their small space station, co-pilots David and Sarah have witnessed the nuclear annihilation of all life on earth. Now they, and their AI station companion SAI may be all that remains of humanity. But as David and Sarah attempt to search for survivors, they discover that all may not be as it appears. This is The Dolos Project, an intimate psychological sci-fi thriller podcast that explores how we grapple with immeasurable loss, how we cling to shreds of hope when none appear to remain, and how advances in AI may not be the societal upgrade we’re being sold. Creators: Megan Bagala
The Most Wanted Olympian (CBC)
World Premiere. How did a small town Canadian boy allegedly become a narco kingpin? Ryan Wedding was once a promising young athlete, a snowboarder who went all the way to the Olympics. Now captured after a decade on the run, he’s accused of running a deadly international drug trafficking empire. In this new podcast from CBC and the Toronto Star, featuring new on-the-ground reporting and original interviews, host Michelle Shephard and reporter Calvi Leon investigate the Canadian who the FBI called a “modern day El Chapo” and ask: what will it take to bring him to justice? Creator: Michelle Shephard
2026 PODCAST SHOWCASE LIST
A curated selection honoring the exceptional independent podcasts from the past year.
Showcase Live Show: Texture
In this live show with showcase creators in attendance, we explore stories of compassion and endurance. Selections include:
Articles of Interest: Gear (Radiotopia)
Conducting more than two years of research, recording 70+ different interviews with designers, soldiers, veterans and civilians, crossing dozens of state lines and entering a myriad of places previously barred from press, host and producer Avery Trufelman composed Articles of Interest: Gear as a series investigating the connection between the United States military and the outdoor clothing industry, while diving deep into history and far beyond the world of high-tech performance wear. Creator: Avery Trufelman.
Babalu (Uneasy Tiger)
In the eight-part audio drama Babalu, Sherry Zhang died by suicide in 1989, leaving behind a baby daughter Luisa and, unbeknownst to her family, dozens of cassette tapes recording her innermost thoughts. Years later, Luisa learns about these tapes and decides to finally get to know the mother she lost through her own words. But the more she listens, the more questions she has. Season one explores Luisa’s personal love letter to grief, the nuanced Asian American experience, and the often misrepresented people of Los Angeles. Creators: Kimberly Truong, Katharine Chen Lerner.
Cotton King (Signal Hill)
From the audio magazine Signal Hill, Cotton King looks back at Omar Etman’s grandfather, who ran the biggest cotton company in Egypt. It was a workman’s paradise, owned by the people of Egypt. At least, that’s the story his family has always told him. Creator: Omar Etman.
Digital Ghost (Written In Air)
From the audio magazine Written In Air comes the audio showcase Digital Ghost. How do you find a ghost who doesn’t want to be found? That’s the question Rebecca Nola has been asking herself ever since her dad died as a kid. Taking a page from her dad’s favorite Greek mythologies stories, she embarks on her own quest to bring him back from the underworld… with some help from artificial intelligence. Creator: Rebecca Nola.
Ear Hustle: The Loop (Radiotopia)
Ear Hustle: The Loop brings listeners into the Crossroads Youth Detention Facility in Brooklyn, NY, where a Drama Club program teaches improvisational theater techniques as a way to build connection and conflict-resolution skills. Additionally, Ear Hustle heads uptown to visit the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, where they close their doors to the public twice a month and invite a select group of parents and their children. Moms and dads, bussed over from Rikers Island in chains, are uncuffed upon arrival at the museum and reunited with their kids for a rare, emotional and often bittersweet visit outside prison walls. Creators: Earlonne Woods, Nigel Poor.
Grim Death and Bill the Electrocuted Criminal (Echoverse)
In this quirky, supernatural investigative scripted thriller based on the acclaimed book of the same name, Bentley Hawthorne lives a solitary and mysterious life in an old mansion with his wry, long-suffering butler Pym. Pym and Bentley’s childhood friend and spitfire journalist Gwendolyn Marks don’t understand why Bentley insists on a path of isolation, but that’s because they don’t know his secret: the seemingly-gentle Bentley is actually a chosen servant of Death tasked with avenging victims who have been killed before their time. Starring Cory Michael Smith, Merritt Wever, and Željko Ivanek. Creator: Mark Stern.
Nacional II: la ruta del exilio (La República Independiente de La Radio)
What do a young Spanish Republican woman in 1939 and a young Palestinian woman in 2025 have in common? Both have been forced to leave their homes, both have crossed a border, and both become refugees in a foreign country. The narrative podcast brings together fiction and documentary — the history of Spain and that of Palestine, the Spanish Civil War and the genocide in Gaza – to tell the lives of two women, Lola (Victoria Luengo) and Duha Alzaiti (played by herself), bound by the same wrenching experience: exile. Two women who speak to each other about their fears and uncertainties and share their stories in a place without space or time. Creator: Javier Gallego Garrido.
Snap Judgment: A Tiny Plot (KQED)
Snap Judgment brings listeners “A Tiny Plot,” a five-part documentary series following a group of homeless people in Oakland, CA as they fight for an extraordinary idea: their own plot of land from the city, where they could live in community. The series follows Mama D, who has been homeless for more than ten years, as she and cohort invite listeners into their worlds to witness high-stakes decisions, devastating failures, and wild successes — all in service of getting people off the streets in Oakland. “A Tiny Plot” offers an intimate and personal perspective on the nation’s deeply entrenched homelessness crisis. Creator: Shaina Shealy.
Showcase Live Show: Tempo
In this live show with showcase creators in attendance, unique, singular storytellers are highlighted. Selections include:
A Whole Other Country (Marfa Public Radio)
A Whole Other Country delves into the creation and bloody dissolution of the Republic of Texas, a short-lived secessionist “nation” that flourished in an off-grid community in Far West Texas in the 1990s. Reported by Zoe Kurland, the six-part documentary series traces the story of Rick McLaren, a Texas transplant who started out as an aspiring vintner before becoming the frantic, history-obsessed leader of the Republic of Texas. To investigate what happened, Zoe drives the long, bumpy roads to The Davis Mountains Resort, a rural subdivision, to talk to a cast of Rick’s neighbors and onlookers who watched the story of the standoff play out in real time. Creator: Zoe Kurland.
Caterpillar Roadshow (Signal Hill)
From the audio magazine Signal Hill, Caterpillar Roadshow is an audio story from reporter Annie Rosenthal. A couple years ago, Annie’s mother — an entomologist named Martha Weiss — received a letter from a little boy in Japan saying he wanted to replicate a famous study of hers. The letter Martha received about building on this study set in motion a series of spectacular events that advance her original science and show how science works when a 12-year-old boy is the one doing it. Creator: Annie Rosenthal.
El Capitán y el Brazalete de Esmeraldas (Peripecia y La No Ficción)
El Capitán y el Brazalete de Esmeraldas is a narrative podcast that revisits one of football’s most controversial and least understood episodes: in May 1970, days before the Mexico World Cup, England captain Bobby Moore was arrested in Bogotá, accused of stealing an emerald bracelet from a jewelry store. What followed was an international scandal that entangled sport, politics, diplomacy, and media pressure at the highest level. Through exclusive interviews, archival research, and declassified diplomatic cables, El Capitan y el Brazalete de Esmeraldas reconstructs the events from multiple perspectives. Creators: Camilo Macias, Felipe Macias, Juan Serrano.
Proxy: Brian Can’t Stop Fact-Checking His Mother-In-Law (Radiotopia)
It’s the knot you can’t untangle – the problem so unique, it makes you feel alone. But what if someone is out there who gets it? In the Proxy podcast series, creator Yowei Shaw finds that person: the perfect stranger to offer the insight to demystify the feelings that shape us all. This special installment features acclaimed journalist and podcaster Brian Reed (S-Town, Question Everything), who lives with his mother-in-law diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Brian can’t stop fact-checking her and losing his patience — even though he knows she’s losing her memory. Creator: Yowei Shaw.
The Vodou Project
The Vodou Project is a documentary podcast from Haitian-American producer Baudelaire Ceus that reexamines one of the world’s most misunderstood spiritual traditions. Through immersive sound, travel, and intimate interviews, Baudelaire journeys from Benin to Haiti and across the Haitian diaspora to uncover the true story of Vodou — a story of resistance, faith, and cultural survival that’s often been distorted by fear and colonial mythmaking. Blending investigative storytelling, history, and personal narrative, The Vodou Project challenges old perceptions and celebrates the spiritual and cultural heritage at the heart of Haitian identity. Creator: Baudelaire Ceus.
Two Thousand and Late (Atypical Artists)
Two Thousand and Late tells the story of a demon from hell sent to bring along the apocalypse. Only, when they arrive, they find that the end of the world isn’t as straightforward as they thought. Best described as Fleabag meets Venom, Two Thousand and Late is a dark, angry story that’s full of hard-won optimism. It’s about imperfect, destructive people who want to shape the world into something better. There are lessons to be learned about mankind, about community, and about yourself even as you burn everything down. Creator: Lauren Shippen.
Unknown Unknowns (Signal Hill)
From the audio magazine Signal Hill, the audio showcase Unknown Unknowns asks the question: how to make a life-changing decision when all you have is the sparse and noisy data of an uncertain world? First, try posting on Lex. Creator: Lio Wong.
Who Blew Up The Guidestones? (Goat Rodeo & The Atlanta Journal Constitution)
For decades, the Georgia Guidestones were nothing more than kitschy roadside Americana – a curiosity people visited for fun, intrigue, and the occasional pagan ritual. But in 2022, the Guidestones became a flashpoint that resulted in a real-world act of domestic terror – a mystery that to this day, has never been solved. This all-new podcast takes listeners to the small town of Elberton, GA and on a wild ride through granite quarries, graves, cults, Confederate monuments, a swatting raid, and A LOT of explosives. Creator: Tyler McBrien.
What do you all think of the lineup? Which films are you excited to see? Please let us know in the comments section below or on our X account.
