BorderLight Theatre Festival returns for another spectacular variety of local, national, and international performances on 20 stages in the Playhouse Square District from Wednesday, July 24 through Saturday, July 27.

Tickets are now on sale for this year’s diverse lineup that includes acts representing seven U.S. states  and five countries. There will be 43 Fringe shows, five international shows, and eight workshops. Many of 40 the events are produced by local artists.

Founded in 2015 by Dale Heinen and Jeffrey Pence, the first biennial BorderLight Festival in Cleveland made its debut in July 2019 with a mission to present visionary international theatre and build cross-cultural understanding.

Paper CutThe festival went virtual in 2021, returned in 2022, and in 2023 became a yearly event. Over the past five years, BorderLight has welcomed thousands of arts enthusiasts to downtown Cleveland and showcased hundreds of international and domestic performances. Organizers are ready to make BorderLight Theatre Festival bigger and beer than ever in 2024.

One of the performances in the International lineup includes Indigenous Enterprise, an acclaimed Phoenix-based Native American collective that shares the positive aspects of indigenous culture through film, fashion, and dance.

At US Bank Plaza on all four days of BorderLight, founder and champion Fancy Dancer Kenneth Shirley leads the intertribal group in Indigenous Liberation, a performance that highlights traditional pow wow categories—including Jingle Dress, Hoop, Chicken Dance, Flute, and Grass Dance.

Building on the company’s mission to share their culture and increase the understanding of Native identity, Indigenous Liberation is meant to be a celebration of the power that lies at the heart of tradition. This show is free to attend.

Tickets cost $12 to $35 for most shows, with 13 shows free. Tickets can also be purchased in-person during the festival at the Playhouse Square Box Office located in the KeyBank State Theatre lobby or at BorderLight’s main box office in The City Club of Cleveland, and at various festival performance stages one hour before showtime.

Beginning Monday, June 17, the festival guide can be accessed on the BorderLight website, and the guides will be available by Monday, July 1 at coffee houses, restaurants, and businesses throughout downtown Cleveland and surrounding neighborhoods.