WOW Festival — Women of the World (San Diego)

La Jolla Playhouse’s WOW Festival opens Thursday, April 23, and turns the University of California San Diego campus into a four-day stage for immersive theater, dance, music and installations. (lajollaplayhouse.org) The 2026 festival runs through Sunday, April 26, at venues across UC San Diego in La Jolla, with more than 20 works by local, national and international artists. UC San Diego’s event calendar lists opening day hours from 4 p.m. to 9:40 p.m. at Price Center, with additional dates through the weekend. (lajollaplayhouse.org) (calendar.ucsd.edu) La Jolla Playhouse says admission to the festival is free, while most productions are also free and a smaller group of shows are ticketed. A Playhouse programming release says those paid performances range from $10 to $29. (lajollaplayhouse.org 1) (lajollaplayhouse.org 2) WOW stands for Without Walls, La Jolla Playhouse’s performance program for work staged outside a conventional theater. The Playhouse says that can mean art placed in spaces “from a car to a bar, from a beach to a basement,” with audiences moving through the piece or taking part in it. (lajollaplayhouse.org) That format shapes this year’s layout. The official map spreads events across Warren Mall, Qualcomm Institute, Price Center, Epstein Family Amphitheater, South Lab, The Loft and other campus sites instead of a single auditorium. (lajollaplayhouse.org 1) (lajollaplayhouse.org 2) The lineup mixes walk-up shows with timed reservations and ticketed performances. The festival’s planning guide says visitors can “just show up” for most events, while some free programs require a reservation and ticketed events recommend arrival at least 10 minutes early. (lajollaplayhouse.org) (lajollaplayhouse.org) Examples this year include “Handle with Care,” a one-on-one Belgian performance built around a box; “Karaoke Dreams,” an immersive musical from San Diego’s Blindspot Collective; and “Project: Stardust,” an interactive work by University of California San Diego Theatre and Dance students. KPBS also highlights free outdoor acts on Warren Mall, including the South Korean company FORCE and Chicago’s Mucca Pazza. (lajollaplayhouse.org) (kpbs.org) The practical challenge is navigation, not just ticketing. The festival FAQ tells visitors to leave 15 minutes between events in different buildings, and KPBS notes that parking on campus can be difficult, with public transit offered as another option. (lajollaplayhouse.org) (kpbs.org) WOW has become one of La Jolla Playhouse’s signature spring events, and the 2026 edition again uses UC San Diego as both venue and backdrop. For visitors, the pitch is simple: pick a day, map a route, and expect the performance to start before you reach a seat. (lajollaplayhouse.org) (lajollaplayhouse.org)