The 2026 Tribeca Festival is opening its 25th anniversary edition with music, memory, and one of the great American pop, R&B, and funk bands. The festival announced that Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s new HBO original documentary, “Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial VS That’s the Weight of the World),” will serve as the Opening Night selection, with its world premiere set for June 3 in New York.
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The screening will be followed by a live performance from Earth, Wind & Fire and The Roots at the Beacon Theatre, giving Tribeca the kind of film-and-music event it has increasingly made part of its identity over the years.
That pairing makes sense for Tribeca, which has long leaned into music-driven premieres and live events as part of its New York footprint. In announcing the selection, Tribeca co-founder and co-chair Jane Rosenthal tied the moment to the festival’s history and its original purpose. “Opening Night is always a magical moment! This year, as we celebrate 25 years of the Festival, it is especially meaningful,” she said. “Tribeca was born in the wake of 9/11 with a belief: that storytellers have the power to bring communities together.”
Questlove also described the film as the product of a long creative immersion in the band’s legacy. “The past two years of deep research and creative magic surrounding Earth, Wind & Fire have been nothing short of transformative,” he said, calling the group “one of the most culturally significant bands in history.”
Festival passes and ticket packages are on sale now, with single tickets set to go on sale April 28. The full 2026 Tribeca Festival runs June 3–14.
