North America’s Premier Fulldome Festival Returns April 23-26 in Boulder, Colorado
BOULDER, CO, UNITED STATES, February 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Dome Fest West (DFW), North America’s leading festival dedicated exclusively to fulldome cinema, proudly announces the official selections for its 2026 edition. Taking place April 23–26, 2026, at the renowned Fiske Planetarium on the University of Colorado Boulder campus, the festival will present 38 curated films and live programs spanning science, music, immersive art, cultural storytelling, and experimental dome innovation.
Now in its fifth year, Dome Fest West continues to serve as a central gathering point for planetarium directors, immersive media creators, science institutions, and technology innovators shaping the future of dome storytelling. Since 2023 the move to Boulder places the festival in one of the nation’s leading hubs for aerospace research, space science, and immersive education.
“This year’s selections reflect a remarkable convergence of scientific excellence, artistic experimentation, and music-driven immersive cinema,” said Ryan Moore, Festival Director. “Hosting Dome Fest West at Fiske Planetarium, one of the country’s most respected university planetariums, elevates the experience even further. The 2026 lineup demonstrates the extraordinary creative momentum driving the fulldome medium forward.”
Among the 2026 highlights is Encounters in the Milky Way, the newest fulldome production from the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), developed in partnership with NASA and powered by the European Space Agency’s Gaia “billion-star” survey. Narrated by Pedro Pascal, the film offers a sweeping time-traveling exploration of our galaxy’s past and future, including the first visualization of the Milky Way’s ongoing merger with a satellite galaxy.
Music-driven immersive experiences are strongly represented this year. Resolution: A Cinephonic Rhapsody for the Soul transforms the emotionally resonant album Salvage Enterprise by The Polyphonic Spree into a fully immersive dome and VR experience. Created by an Oscar- and Emmy-winning creative team, the film envelops audiences in choral sound and cinematic spectacle, reaffirming the dome as a powerful venue for album-driven storytelling.
Similarly, James Hood’s Astronomica delivers a 58-minute orchestral visual journey created specifically for fulldome venues, while Kael Alden’s Space and Time channels the spirit of classic laser shows into a psychedelic synth-soul dome album designed to captivate late-night festival audiences.
Expanding the cultural scope of science storytelling, REMIXED: The Unexpected Side of Science, produced by the Museum of Science, Boston in collaboration with the Dope Labs podcast, reimagines who belongs in STEM through high-energy, culturally relevant narratives connecting science with art, sports, music, and everyday life.
In a more contemplative register, Qualia by sound artist Laura Inserra blends ancient ceremonial instruments, immersive visuals, and scientific inspiration into a transformational dome experience exploring perception and consciousness, highlighting the dome as both a scientific and experiential art space.
Additional notable selections include productions from Brno Observatory and Planetarium, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and NSC Creative, reflecting the growing global collaboration across science institutions, creative studios, and immersive production houses.
The 2026 lineup spans cosmic exploration, Earth science, environmental awareness, historical astronomy, and family-focused storytelling. Space exploration remains a central theme with selections including One Step Beyond: A Journey to Mars, spotlighting NASA’s Artemis program and humanity’s push toward the Red Planet; Space: The New Frontier, examining the rise of commercial space stations, lunar infrastructure, and the dawn of a second golden age of exploration; and The Last Symphony of Light, produced by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, envisioning humanity’s far future across cosmic timescales.
Earth-focused and environmental storytelling are equally prominent. Unseen Earth, produced by the Brno Observatory and Planetarium, reveals how satellite technologies have transformed our understanding of our planet. H2O: The Cosmic States of Water turns the water cycle into a visually dynamic dome adventure, while Voyage of the Stars connects marine ecosystems with planetary science in a family-friendly underwater journey.
Historical and biographical storytelling is represented by She Whom the Moon Ruled, which re-centers pioneering astronomer Caroline Herschel within the history of discovery, and Dinosaurs Under the Northern Lights, a visually spectacular family film set 70 million years ago beneath the auroras of prehistoric Alaska.
The program also includes poetic and experimental works such as Weaving Plasma, a mythic visual ritual by visionary digital artist Simon Haiduk; The Journey: From Formlessness to Form, a music-driven meditation on transformation; and Rapunzel’s Dome Dream, a lyrical fairytale blending hand-painted illustration with emerging AI-assisted techniques.
Dome Fest West 2026 organizes its 38 selections into nine thematic blocks, spanning four days of immersive programming. Each block is designed to showcase the versatility of the dome format — from large-scale scientific visualization and institutional premieres to boundary-pushing audiovisual art.
Located in one of the nation’s most active aerospace and research communities, Fiske Planetarium provides a powerful new home for Dome Fest West. Its advanced projection technology and immersive dome environment allow filmmakers’ work to be experienced at the highest level of fidelity.
“Bringing Dome Fest West to Boulder places the festival at the heart of one of the most dynamic science and space communities in the country,” Moore added. “Fiske Planetarium offers an extraordinary venue for showcasing the next generation of fulldome storytelling.”
All-Access Passes, providing entry to all nine programming blocks, are now available at [domefestwest.com](http://domefestwest.com). Individual block tickets will also be offered for select programs. Early registration is encouraged, as several high-profile blocks are expected to reach capacity.
About Dome Fest West: Now in its fifth year, Dome Fest West has established itself as North America’s premier festival dedicated exclusively to fulldome cinema and planetarium films. The festival serves as a vital gathering point for the immersive dome community, showcasing exceptional storytelling while advancing technical innovation and fostering professional collaboration. Through curated programming, institutional partnerships, and global participation, Dome Fest West celebrates the unique artistic and educational possibilities of the dome format.
Ryan Moore
Dome Fest West
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