INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indy Arts Council and Indiana Sports Corp on Wednesday announced the lineup for the Swish 2026 arts and culture festival.
The free festival was designed to feature a series of family-friendly immersive performances and exhibits — music, dance, visual art — and food from April 3-6 in downtown Indianapolis during the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball Final Four.
The musical component of the festival, produced by Forty5 Presents, features more than 175 artists across 68 different acts. Performances will be from noon-6 p.m. each day at five primary locations, including Monument Circle, 1 Virginia Ave., PNC Plaza, and the Starbucks located at 30 S. Meridian St.
Visual art activations will include the Sidewalk Galleries, consisting of 60 vinyl-wrapped murals and original poems installed at storefronts throughout the Mile Square and the Capitol Avenue underpass. More than 40 local artists and poets contributed to the works, which were designed to reflect the energy of the championship weekend. Additional installations are planned for traffic signal boxes and the Indianapolis International Airport.
From 11 a.m.-4 p.m. April 4, the Epicurean Market will at The Stutz business center, 1060 N. Capitol Ave., will features more than 50 vendors, including a specialty section for artisan coffee and chocolate.
Historical and theatrical programs are also included in the lineup. Sampson Levingston, the founder of Through2Eyes, will lead walking tours through the Mile Square.
The Asante Art Institute will present the play “A Touch of Glory” at The Basile Theatre from March 27 through April 4. The production dramatizes the story of the 1955 Crispus Attucks Tigers, the first all-Black team to win an integrated state championship.
Through a partnership with Project 44, Swish attendees at the performances can also sign up for the national bone marrow registry.
The festival also features a collaboration with five students from the Indiana University Herron School of Art + Design. These students have been commissioned to create original commemorative posters and postcards inspired by the basketball tournament. These items will be printed and provided to visitors at no cost during the weekend.
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