Newport News Announces Partnership to Launch Music Festival
Newport News, VA – During Tuesday’s Council Meeting, the City of Newport News approved a $3,030,000 grant to support the launch of a major, high-profile event coming Memorial Day Weekend 2026. Designed to ignite downtown and highlight a high-potential future for Newport News—where commerce and technology intersect culture and quality of life—the event will feature internationally recognized musical artists, notable thought leaders from the worlds of business and technology, and community leaders from across the 757. Attendees can expect conversations, performances, large-scale art installations, interactive community workshops, hands-on tech experiences, and vibrant cultural and business showcases. While the main festival will take place over Memorial Day Weekend, youth and community programming will begin weeks beforehand and continue afterward. It is positioned to become one of the region’s most significant, trajectory-shaping moments, bringing world-class talent and leadership to the heart of Newport News.
“This festival marks the next step in Newport News’ growth as we compete for regional tourism dollars,” said Mayor Phillip Jones. “By strategically investing in economic development, we are creating an event that highlights future projects in our city, with a goal of generating more than $3 million in economic impact. This investment, made possible through our year-end surplus, public-private marketing funds, and the reallocation of funds from existing city events, will help diversify revenue across our city. As we look to next year, we are eager to partner with corporate sponsors to help this festival grow, expand, and continue showcasing everything that makes Newport News an exceptional place to live, work, and explore.”
To help facilitate this effort, the city has partnered with the Port Warwick Foundation—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with experience producing public events in Newport News. The Foundation’s established processes, community relationships, and organizational infrastructure support the city’s ability to execute a festival of this magnitude.
The 2026 event will be produced in partnership with Global Music Touring, an experienced national promoter known for delivering large-scale cultural and music festivals, including the Cousinz Festival. Their track record of high-quality production, strong artist relationships, and successful community-centered programming will strengthen the artistic vision, logistical capacity, and regional reach of the Newport News festival.
“This event will pull in some of the sharpest minds in commerce, culture, and technology — and put them shoulder-to-shoulder with the next wave of leaders rising out of Newport News and the 757,” said Antonio Dowe, CEO of Global Music Touring. “Together, against a backdrop of creativity, culture, and real dialogue, we’ll shape the future and set a new direction for what’s possible. We know that Newport News is a city people will root for. This isn’t theory. This isn’t talk. Our aim is impact with velocity.”
“We’re proud to support the city’s vision and to play a role in bringing this festival to life for the people of Newport News,” said Laura Fisher, Executive Director of the Port Warwick Foundation. “Our goal is to help create a platform where residents, artists, and innovators can come together in meaningful ways. This festival is designed to open doors—for creativity, for connection, and for community pride.”
To ensure fiscal responsibility, the agreement between the city and the Foundation includes detailed accountability requirements, reporting timelines, insurance and risk-management controls, audit provisions, and a requirement to return unspent funds.
These measures ensure that taxpayer dollars are used transparently and effectively.
Further information about the festival and the establishment of a citizen advisory committee will be released as planning progresses.