BRAVO Festival for Young Audiences

BRAVO: Festival for Young Audiences was Nova Scotia's newest children's festival, bringing four days of world-class live performance to the Bella Rose Arts Centre in Halifax from August 13 to 16, 2026. Designed especially for young viewers aged three to twelve, the inaugural summer edition celebrated the thrill of being part of an audience with a curated lineup of theatre, music, dance, comedy, cirque, magic, and storytelling. Every show was built from the ground up to welcome children — not as passive spectators, but as active participants invited into the art.

The 2026 lineup spanned the full spectrum of family performing arts. Highlights included The Three Questions, a theatrical journey blending contemporary dance and shadow puppetry; VENTASTIC, featuring America's Got Talent ventriloquist Michael Harrison; The Skeleton Dance, a tender Nova Scotia-made exploration of big questions through clowning and puppetry; and Bird Watch, an aerial circus adventure soaring through imagined Nova Scotia landscapes. Two performances — Lullabies From Around the World and Adventures of the Fairies — were offered free of charge, removing barriers so every family could take part. Shows ran daily at 10am, 2pm, and 6pm.

Hosted at the state-of-the-art Bella Rose Arts Centre on Thomas Raddall Drive in Halifax's Clayton Park West, BRAVO was the vision of Executive Director Amie Moore and the Bella Rose team, who believe that experiencing live performance is essential to how young people build creativity, confidence, and community. With professional sound, lighting, and a stage built to spark imaginations, the festival offered families an accessible, welcoming alternative to screen time — a chance to discover, together, the irreplaceable magic of live performance.

Make the most of your time in Halifax Metro - pair BRAVO Festival for Young Audiences with our Halifax Dining Guide, Family Travel Guide, and Best Day Trips from Halifax. They're each packed with itinerary ideas, local tips, and everything you need to extend your stay.