Patti Smith to play rare one-off show at Dodge Poetry Festival in her home state of New Jersey
Patti Smith will perform a special evening of music, poetry, and storytelling at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on 16 October, as part of the 2026 Dodge Poetry Festival. The appearance marks a home-state return for the New Jersey-raised artist.
The performance, billed as “a night of songs and stories,” sits within the wider three-day festival running from 15 to 17 October. The Dodge Poetry Festival, widely considered the largest event of its kind in the United States, transforms downtown Newark into a walkable hub of readings, conversations, workshops and live sets. This year’s line-up features poets including Elizabeth Acevedo, Tyehimba Jess, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Aja Monet, Danez Smith, Jive Poetic, Mayda del Valle, and José Olivarez.
Smith’s cross-disciplinary career has taken in more than a dozen books - among them the National Book Award-winning memoir Just Kids - alongside a catalogue of recordings that began with her 1975 debut Horses, an album later inducted into both the GRAMMY Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry. Her work has been recognised with honours including France’s Legion d’Honneur, Sweden’s Polar Music Prize, and the PEN Literary Service Award.
No specific setlist or spoken-word programme has been announced, but the framing - a standalone ticketed event within the festival - suggests a full-band or at least musically accompanied set alongside the stories that have become a staple of her live appearances.
Festival passes and individual tickets for the Patti Smith performance are available now via the NJPAC website or in person at the venue’s box office in Newark.
Sign up to Best Fit's Substack for regular dispatches from the world of pop culture