[APRIL 22—26 2026]
The 14th Annual Tom Tom Festival transformed Charlottesville into a canvas of ideas, music, and connection. For five days, the city pulsed with energy—thousands of people stepping into conversations, onto stages, and into shared spaces with a sense of possibility. In light of the 250th Anniversary of the Nation’s founding, and the 50th anniversary of Charlottesville pedestrian Downtown Mall, this year’s theme, COURAGE, was a call to show up for brave conversations, brave actions, and to boldly bridge divides.
Festival
Attendees
25.8K
Events &
Sessions
205
Speakers
313
Community Partner Events
74
Artists & Performers
63
Community Powered & Co-Planned
100%
Sponsors
56
Free or Scholarship
93%
HIGHLIGHTS
John Grisham on Innocence, Justice and Courage
The Paramount Theater filled with citizens, advocates, and two dozen community nonprofits reforming the justice system to hear one of the world’s bestselling authors share insights from his work on wrongful conviction.
Launching Cville Innovates, a future forward coalition
Local leaders with Tom Tom and the United Way of Greater Charlottesville launched a new initiative at the Civic Futures Summit. This future-forward coalition was grown from seeds planted at the 2025 Summit to address the region’s most pressing challenges through a multi-sector approach.
Civic Futures Summit
The day-long conference featured 100 speakers and 400 participants from public, private and nonprofit sectors to address hyper-local issues such as affordable housing, urban planning, homelessness, and re-entry.
The Innovation Summit
The Summit gathered over 900 founders, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and innovators to network, test business concepts and exchange insights on how to build purpose-driven brands.
Over $4M of Prizes and Investment
56 startups showcased and pitched at Tom Tom events ranging from Innovation Showcases and Crowd-Funded Pitch Night to UVA’s Galant Challenge and E-Cup.
Celebrating FDA Approval for Luminoah
A father’s quest to provide better treatment for his son’s tumor reached a major milestone, announced at the Innovation Summit: FDA clearance for a medical device that improves nutrition delivery for children.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Agents in Style Boutique, Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, Bebedero, Bennett’s Village, Blue Green Dragon, Blue Mosaic, Blue Ridge Respite, Botanical Garden of the Piedmont, Breaking The Chains Foundation, Central Virginia Community Justice, Charlottesville Area Robotics, Charlottesville Ballet, Charlottesville Community Resilience Center, Charlottesville NOW, Charlottesville T’ai Chi, Charlottesville Waldorf School, Citizen’s Climate Lobby Charlottesville, Club Pilates Charlottesville, CoreAlign Financial LLC, Corner Juice, Cville Dance Coop, Dr. Dan Elash, Eastwood Farm and Winery, Energy Wellness, Georgia’s Friends, Greener Things, Haley Morrison, Hospice of the Piedmont, Thistlerock Mead, League of Women’s Voters, Light House Studio, Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville/Albemarle, Live Arts, Local Breast Cancer Support Group, Longevity Health Clinic, Lost Office Collaborative, Love No Ego, M2H equity - Blue Zone committee, McGuffey Art Center, Mudhouse Specialty Coffee Roasters, One Stop Shop, Open Circle Coaching, Pathfinders, Peabody Schools, Piedmont Family YMCA, Piedmont Va CC & Second Chancer Foundation, Private Practice - Life and Business Coaching, Prolyfyck Run Crew, Rapture, Scarlett Heinbuch, PhD, Cuddle Puddle Club, Sexual Assault Resource Agency, Simply Mindful, Sisu Space, Speak! Language Center, The Front Porch, The Jefferson Theater, The Southern Cafe & Music Hall, The Strength Initiative, The Ting Pavillion, UVA Thriving Youth in a Digital Environment, UVA College of Arts and Sciences, Virginia Discovery Museum, Zocalo
ABOVE AND BEYOND
Kate Byrne
David Touve
Rebecca Haydock
Debbie Irwin
David Deaton
Mark Hahn
Dana Mich
The Front Porch
John Oprandy
Joe Phillips
Michael Kochis
Reggie Lewis
Devyn Wildy
Ben Wilkes
Ravi Cooper
Javier Vidal
The United Way Team
The Humanitix Team
Charlottesville Parks & Recreation
Block By Block
4Z Marketing
HELPFUL SPIRITS
Monique Adams
Michael Allenby
Megan Barnett
Joe Benevento
Brian Breslin
Yvonnia Bryant
James Carter
Paul Cherukuri
Michelle Christian
Eliza Dandridge
Teira Farley
Alisa Foytik
Lt. Dwayne Jones
Charlie Henneman
Troy Hunt
Abby Fife Mandell
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
