Come From Away to join Anne on mainstage of 2026 Charlottetown Festival

Ryan McKellop · CBC News

· Posted: May 12, 2025 2:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

The archetypal Charlottetown Festival shows of 2025 haven't deed the signifier yet, but plans for adjacent year's variation are already successful the works.

And a decennary aft it debuted, the Tony-nominated philharmonic Come From Away will yet marque its mode to P.E.I. successful the signifier of a co-production with Neptune Theatre successful Halifax, the festival announced Monday. 

It volition articulation the ever-popular standard Anne of Green Gables — The Musical, which is present presented successful Charlottetown each 2 summers, to header the 2026 festival.

Anne will beryllium archetypal up astatine the Sobey Family Theatre astatine the Confederation Centre of the Arts, moving from June 25 to Aug. 29. Come From Away will beryllium staged from July 2 until Sept. 26.

"Next summertime volition beryllium a historical doubleheader featuring 2 of the astir palmy Canadian musicals ever written," Adam Brazier, the creator manager of performing arts astatine the Confederation Centre, was quoted arsenic saying successful a quality release.

"Since its premiere successful 2015, Come From Away has been the most-requested amusement by Islanders and we are truthful excited to yet contiguous it astatine the festival."

Anne of Green Gables — The Musical is based connected the classical 1908 caller by Island writer L.M. Montgomery, and was archetypal staged successful Charlottetown backmost successful 1965. After a hiatus owed to the COVID-19 pandemic, the amusement returned successful 2022 with the festival saying it would beryllium presented lone each 2nd twelvemonth from then. 

Come From Away is based connected the true communicative astir what took spot successful the cardinal Newfoundland municipality of Gander connected Sept. 11, 2001, and the days instantly after.  

People from the municipality and surrounding communities opened their hearts and homes to about 7,000 passengers from 38 flights that were diverted from U.S. airspace to Gander's planetary airport, built successful the days erstwhile overseas flights needed to halt for refueling earlier and aft crossing the Atlantic. 

The musical's Broadway mentation was nominated for 7 Tony Awards and won one, with aboriginal productions staged successful Toronto and around the world.

"At a clip of expanding divisiveness, this amusement resonates much than ever," Brazier was quoted arsenic saying successful the quality release. "It is simply a communicative that reminds Canadians who we are successful the satellite and what it means to beryllium a bully neighbour."

Jeremy Webb is the creator manager astatine Neptune Theatre.

"It has agelong been a imagination of excavation to person Neptune Theatre and the Charlottetown Festival to articulation originative forces connected a show, and I can't deliberation of a amended rubric to spot that happen," Webb was quoted arsenic saying.

"It's an honour to enactment with Adam and his squad connected creating an East Coast accumulation of this theatrical phenomenon. I cannot hold to bring the full amusement crossed the Confederation Bridge and spot the festival audiences experience Come From Away, created present successful Atlantic Canada."

Tickets volition spell connected merchantability successful June, with centre members capable to summation aboriginal entree to tickets to the festival.