Tribeca Festival 2026 (Photo courtesy of Tribeca Festival)
The 25th Tribeca Festival in New York City kicks off Wednesday with the premiere of a documentary about Earth, Wind & Fire, followed by a performance by the legendary band. The festival will conclude with a documentary about Alicia Keys, and in between will be screenings of films dedicated to a wide range of celebrities, from Madonna, Sara Bareilles, and Katy Perry to Peter Frampton, Travis Barker, and Mumford & Sons, all of whom will be performing at the festival.
«"Musical projects in film or just concerts—that's all wonderful. Music is great, and the more of it we have, the better," Tribeca Festival co-founder Robert De Niro said in an interview with ABC Audio.
«"There are amazing stories about the artists, their longevity, and what they had to go through to be able to… perform their songs," adds festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal. "And you just learn about the different musicians, who they are as people, and how they all work together.".
During one of the festival's closing events, U2's Bono will present Bruce Springsteen with the Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award for using his platform to "advance equality, dignity, and human rights." Patti Smith will also perform.
«"What he does is great," De Niro says of Springsteen. "And he has a very powerful voice… and he's as excited as a lot of us are. So God bless him.".
The festival's head of music, Vincent Cassou, says inviting stars like Madonna to answer questions after screenings, and bands like Earth, Wind & Fire to perform after their shows, is part of the festival's plan to "make it unforgettable.".
Cassou says the Frampton documentary will be a major highlight because the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will appear in the film despite suffering from a degenerative muscle disease.
«I think this will be one of the most emotional moments of the festival, that’s for sure.».
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