Yardfest

Memorial Church with the large light-up Yardfest letters on memorial church steps.

Each April, the entire Harvard College community gathers in Tercentenary Theatre for a giant cookout and festival-style concert.

The winning student bands from Battle for Yardfest, held in February or March, are granted an amazing opportunity to open for the exciting professional headliner. Past performers include Kiiara, Bazzi, Lil Yachty, and Wale. This annual spring concert is sponsored by the Harvard College Events Board (CEB), Harvard's premier programming board.

Yardfest 2026 is scheduled for April 19, 2026!

 

Yardfest 2026 Event Details

Featured Artists

Featuring Ravyn Lenae

Yardfest 2026 flyer announcing Ravyn Lenae as the featured artist.

and student openers Weld 16, Yael Danon, The TGs

CEB headliner announcement on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Block Parties

Residential Community Block Parties 

 

Before the concert begins, we hope to see you at one of the Block Parties—an afternoon of fun with food, games, giveaways, and plenty of House spirit. It’s a great way to gather with friends and kick off the excitement before the show.
 

Block Parties will be held from 2:00 pm–4:00 pm at the following locations: 

  • Quad (Pforzheimer, Currier, Cabot, and Dudley): Pforzheimer Junior Common Room- 56 Linnaean Street
  • River East (Dunster, Leverett, Mather): Leverett Towers Courtyard- 28 Dewolfe Street
  • River West (Eliot, Kirkland, Winthrop): Winthrop Junior Common Room- 32 Mill Street
  • River Central (Adams, Lowell, Quincy): Quincy Junior Common Room- 58 Plympton Street

If you are a first-year student, you are encouraged to attend the block party associated with your future house! 

Once the Block Parties end at 4:00pm, we encourage you to go to the Yard for the concert following dinner at your House dining halls. 

Dinner Menu and Drinks

Yardfest 2026 Dining

The Yardfest Burger Bash will be served in dining halls from 4:30 to 7:30pm. Kosher and halal options will be available. Below are the hours for each dining location:

  • Annenberg Dining Hall: 4:30-6:30PM
  • Cabot, Pforzheimer, Dunster: 5:00-7:30PM
  • All other House dining halls: 5:00-6:30 PM 

 

Burger Bash Menu

Salads

  • Little Leaf Caesar w/ croutons & grated parmesan cheese
  • Red Bliss & scallion Potato salad
  • Coleslaw

Burger bar

  • Grilled Halal beef burger
  • Jack Burger (VGN)
  • Hot dogs
  • Three bean chilli
  • Soft Burger buns
  • Hot dog rolls

Topping Bar

  • Shredded lettuce
  • Sliced tomato
  • Sliced red onion
  • Sliced pickles
  • Sliced American
  • Individual Bags Chips

Bulk Dispensers

  • Ketchup
  • Relish
  • Mustard
  • Mayo
  • BBQ sauce

Dessert

  • Selection of prewrapped Ice Cream novelties

Beverages

  • Water dispensers

Bathrooms

  • Portable bathrooms will be available once you enter the concert area 
  • No access will be permitted to bathrooms in adjacent buildings 

Accessibility

Contact the Student Engagement team at studentengagement@fas.harvard.edu if you have accessibility needs. 

Frequently Asked Questions

All Yardfest FAQs

Yardfest 2026 Event Map

What can you expect at Yardfest?

Check out the video below for an inside look. 

Battle for Yardfest

Join CEB for a night of music. This annual battle of the bands is one of the coolest showdowns of musical talent on campus. Talented student performers compete for the chance to open for the Yardfest headliner! But wait there's more! The student audience gets the opportunity to decide the winners! If that is cool enough, sit back and enjoy the vibe as you're entertained by a professional comedian host. Most importantly, the big Yardfest headliner is revealed at the end of the show!