Theater, puppetry, circus art, roller skating art, spoken word, film, dance, music, and visual art — MATCH Houston is building its most ambitious mixed arts festival yet and applications close in days.
If you make art in Houston — any kind of art — your window to be part of one of the city’s most exciting annual festivals closes May 31. The Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston, known as MATCH, is now accepting applications for the 4th Annual Mix-MATCH: A Mixed Arts Festival, taking place January 16, 2027. The deadline to apply is this Sunday.
What Is Mix-MATCH?
Mix-MATCH was launched in 2024 as a unique celebration of Houston’s vibrant creative spirit, with a focus on small to mid-sized arts organizations. The festival brings together captivating live performances, interactive experiences, and meaningful opportunities to connect with the local arts community. Theater, dance, film, visual arts, music, and more are showcased through a dynamic, full-day lineup of events.
In its inaugural year, Mix-MATCH featured contributions from over 32 arts organizations and numerous individual artists working across a wide spectrum of disciplines — including visual art, music, dance, theater, film, and puppetry. Building on that momentum, the 2025 edition received over 50 submissions and presented 28 performances, further solidifying Mix-MATCH as a cornerstone event in Houston’s arts calendar.
With 23 dynamic performances and art installations handpicked from over 70 submissions through a blind peer review, the 2026 festival showcased everything from performance art and dance to film, music, spoken word, comedy, poetry, and visual arts.
What They’re Looking For
The 2027 festival is open to Houston-area artists and arts organizations working in any discipline — and the list is genuinely wide open. Theater, puppetry, performance art, music, dance, film, circus art, visual art, spoken word poetry, and roller skating art are all specifically invited. If your work is original, interdisciplinary, and collaborative, Mix-MATCH was built for you.
Mix-MATCH is designed as a collaborative and inclusive platform — all applicants participate in the review process, helping to shape the final lineup. Ideal projects are original, interdisciplinary, and collaborative, reflecting the rich artistic diversity that defines Houston. Selected participants receive stipends to support the creation and premiere of new work for the festival. By centering equity and artistic innovation, Mix-MATCH provides a welcoming space for artists of all backgrounds and experience levels.
What It Means to Be Selected
Being part of Mix-MATCH is more than a performance slot. MATCH is celebrating ten years of creative expression, connection, and community. Since opening its doors, MATCH has hosted thousands of performances with this purpose at its core: to make it easier for everyone to create and experience art, and to foster opportunities for connection. Selected artists get a paid stipend, a platform in one of Houston’s premier arts venues, and an audience that comes specifically to discover new work.
Why Houston Artists Should Apply Now
Mix-MATCH fills up fast. In 2026, more than 70 submissions came in for 23 spots — meaning this year’s application pool will likely be just as competitive. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to pitch your project to a major Houston arts institution, May 31 is your deadline.
The festival’s blind peer review process means every application is considered on the merit of the work — not who you know, not how large your organization is, not how established your track record. It is one of the most genuinely equitable artist selection processes in the city.
Apply Before May 31
Applications are open now. The deadline is Sunday, May 31, 2026.
Event: 4th Annual Mix-MATCH: A Mixed Arts Festival Festival date: Saturday, January 16, 2027 Application deadline: Sunday, May 31, 2026 Who can apply: Houston-area artists and arts organizations, all disciplines Disciplines accepted: Theater, puppetry, performance art, music, dance, film, circus art, visual art, spoken word poetry, roller skating art, and more Stipends: Available for selected participants Apply and learn more: matchouston.org Location: MATCH — Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston, 3400 Main St., Houston, TX 77002 Phone: (713) 521-4533 Instagram: @matchhouston Facebook: MATCH Houston
