The Emberlight Festival

THE HEART OF THE FESTIVAL STARTS HERE

ART IN THE PARK 2026

Art in the Park 2026 applications are now open.
$3,000 in prizes · June 27–August 22

Become an Emberlight Artist

Art in the Park

EIFF Submissions

Art For All

Monthly Donor Club

FROM OUR SCREEN TO THE OSCARS

We were honored to showcase Jane Austen’s Period Drama at EIFF 2025. This year, the film has been nominated for a 2026 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film — a testament to the bold, inventive storytelling we strive to bring to our audiences each summer.

Congratulations to Julia Aks, Steve Pinder, and the entire creative team!

who we are

Where else can you spend your afternoon hiking waterfalls off Lake Superior, enjoy a concert in the evening with world-renowned musicians, and catch the Aurora Borealis around a campfire before bed? Only at Emberlight.

Emberlight fuses small town charm with dynamic artistic experiences. The variety of our programming means we can bring you surprises and unforgettable events every summer. No two seasons are alike! At the heart of every festival are the high-caliber, professional, and charismatic artists who bring their work to our stages and screens.

Since 2021, we’ve welcomed audiences from 42 states across the country, in addition to visitors from Finland, Canada, Spain, and Mexico. The Film Festival has received over 2,600 films from 83 countries across the globe. Our performers come directly from Broadway, the Royal Opera House, and Carnegie Hall.

The National Endowment for the Arts figures Emberlight makes a $400,000-700,000 impact on the local economy every July and August. That means by the end of 2026 we will have generated $3.5+ Million dollars for our local businesses, hotels, restaurants, and attractions.

Simply put: We are bringing the world’s stages to Ironwood, Michigan and Hurley, Wisconsin while establishing Emberlight as a destination for tourists from across the country.

Give A gift

Making a donation is the most direct way to support Emberlight and ensure we continue to produce art for years to come

Donate Online Now

What we do

Concerts

Chamber music, cabarets and plays featuring world-class performers from Broadway and The Metropolitan Opera

International Film Festival

Featuring the top independent films submitted from 80+ countries every year, including documentaries, narratives, animations, micros, and feature length films

Performance Infusions

Unique presentations about what makes artists love and pursue their work

Art Shows

Art in the Park and Emberlight Photographers bring a stunning variety of work by local and regional artists

MILES MYKKANEN _ EMBERLIGHT FESTIVAL (PHOTO_ PAMELA MORELLO)

“The people of the western Upper Peninsula have been with me since day one — from my very first performances at Theatre North and the Historic Ironwood Theatre, to Carnegie Hall and The Metropolitan Opera. I carry them in my heart every time I step on stage. The Emberlight Festival is my love letter to the people who call this region home, and to the art lovers who’ve always wanted to visit.”

– Miles Mykkanen, Emberlight Artistic Director