NT Connections National Festival 2026

This year’s Connections Festival will take place at the Lowry in Salford from 25–28 June, the first time the festival has been held outside London. Eight youth groups from across the UK will perform their own interpretations of new plays specially commissioned for young performers.

Connections is the National Theatre’s annual nationwide youth theatre festival that champions the talent of young people across the UK celebrating the power of youth theatre. For the past three months, over 5,000 young people from more than 250 companies and schools have performed at home venues and on one of 33 professional stages across the country.

The Connections Festival at the Lowry in Salford is the culmination of the nationwide programme with representation of the voices and creativity of young people from across the UK. By offering opportunities to work with professional directors and to perform on a professional stage, Connections offers young people a feeling of belonging, the chance to explore and develop their own voices as well as develop key skills for their future careers.

Tickets for Connections are £5 per performance or £8 for two performances in an evening and will be on sale via the Lowry website on 22 May.

Festival Programme

Thursday 25th June 

7pm: Macbeth Macbeth Macbeth Macbeth Macbeth - Cockburn John Charles Academy (Leeds)

8:30pm: Sycamore Gap - The Egg Young Company (Bath)

Friday 26th June 

7pm: Wildfire Road - Pendleton School of Theatre (Salford)

8:30pm - Cloud Busting - Cardiff High School (Cardiff)

Saturday 27th June 

7pm: Fishville - Westacre Theatre Company (King's Lynn)

8:30pm - Britney's Lock - Guild of Players Youth Theatre (Dumfries)

Sunday 28th June 

7pm: The Animals - Wyke College (Hull)

8:30pm: Ride or Die - Jigsaw Arts Balham (London)


A Lowry Partner Company.