The 2026 Tribeca Film Festival will kick off with the world premiere of the documentary Earth, Wind, and Fire (To Be Celestial vs. This Is the Weight of the World)directed by Red “Questlove” Thompson.
The world premiere at New York’s Beacon Theater on June 3, kicking off the festival’s 25th edition, will be followed by a live performance by Earth, Wind & Fire and The Roots. Earth, Wind & Fire was previously part of the 2017 Opening Night Festival celebration.
The HBO original film explores the band’s legacy, cultural influence, and body of work focusing on founder Maurice White’s vision through rare access to archival materials.
The doc, which will premiere on HBO this year, is produced by Questlove, Dave Sirulnick and
Samantha Grogin, K.B. White and Aaron Sacks. The film is executive produced by John Kamen, Chiu Hodari Coker, Carla Zambrano, Zara Zuhlman, Shawn Gee, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Amos.
Newman.
“It is a great honor to screen this project at the Tribeca Film Festival,” said Questlove, who won the Best Documentary Award. Summer of the soul In 2022, in a statement. “In the past two years of deep research and creative magic surrounding Earth, wind and fire It was nothing short of transformative. They remain one of the most important bands in history, and this project finally shows why their legacy matters.”
The selection of a music documentary, followed by a live performance, on the opening night of the historic 25th edition of the Tribeca Festival reflects a number of hallmarks of the festival’s programming in recent years. The past several editions of the festival have begun with a world premiere documentary, and music, including live performances and talks with well-known artists, has been an increasingly important part of the festival.
Last year’s festival opened with the world premiere of the first part of the Billy Joel documentary And that’s how it goeswhich followed screenings of documentaries on opening night Diane von Furstenberg: The Woman in Charge In 2024; Kiss the futurewhich follows underground musicians and creatives during the Siege of Sarajevo and U2’s 1997 concert celebrating the liberation of the Bosnian capital, due in 2023; And Jennifer Lopez movie First half In 2022.
“We are thrilled to welcome Questlove to the festival to premiere a film that represents just that
Everything Tribeca stands for: creative leaders at the top of their game front and back
“Camera, showcases the joy and community that great art demonstrates,” said Cara Cusumano, Tribeca Festival Director and Senior Vice President of Programming, in a statement. “Opening Night, paired with rare live performances from Earth, Wind & Fire and The Roots, will be a once-in-a-lifetime New York event that reflects the energy, creativity and collective expertise that has defined Tribeca for 25 years.”
“Opening night is always a magical moment! This year, as we celebrate the festival’s 25th anniversary, it is especially meaningful,” added Jane Rosenthal, co-founder and co-president of the Tribeca Festival. “Tribeca was born in the wake of 9/11 with a belief: that storytellers have the power to bring communities together. For 25 years, we’ve seen artists, filmmakers, musicians, and audiences come together in New York City in ways that inspire, surprise, and profoundly. We’re humbled by what’s been achieved.” And excited for the upcoming stories.
The 25th anniversary edition of the Tribeca Festival is scheduled to take place June 3-14 in New York.
