TEDNext is 3 weeks away — join Event Director Anna Bulbrook for a look behind the curtain

The countdown is on, speakers are rehearsing and we’re getting ready to welcome a community of builders to TEDNext — our brand new, three-day ideas festival in Atlanta, GA.

Hi! I’m Anna Bulbrook , TED’s music and performance curator and the event director for TEDNext. I’m taking over this edition of Spark to give you a backstage tour of the conversations, talent and performances that we are about to experience together in Atlanta in a few short weeks.

TEDNext looks a little different from other TED events. That’s because TEDNext is dedicated to the person you are actively becoming. Over three days, we’ll explore the magic and sense of cosmic discovery that is core to TED, interlaced with the daily stuff of living, working and simply being a person on this planet.

First up on our tour …

Our sandbox?

I hope you are as inspired as I am by our new venue in Atlanta: Pullman Yards. It’s a former rail yard turned creative campus with colorful murals by Atlanta artists, well-loved bricks and beams, and ample indoor + outdoor spaces for conversation and exploration. From the moment we first visited, we were inspired by the venue’s raw, artistic energy, its massive vertical spaces and, of course, the pickleball courts.

New platforms for dialogue

As we move inside the venue on our tour, let’s talk about stages. Yes, with an “s.” We’re experimenting with new formats for sharing ideas on and off the TED stage, centering fresh voices and debuting new opportunities for speakers and audiences to engage in dynamic dialogue together.

With that in mind — drumroll, please — we are introducing another stage. The Next Stage is the intimate sandbox for adventurous conversations, experimental formats and challenging dialogue. Audience and speakers will come together within an abstracted TED red circle surrounded by brick walls and polished concrete floors to discuss ideas and interact with speakers — and each other. (I’m looking forward to the good-natured debate on AI.)

The Next Stage accompanies our classic TED Theater, where we film the TED Talks you know and love. Here, in a railyard warehouse with an airy roof and an industrial patina, our famous TED red circle will float off the floor in a surprising twist. (If you want to find out what that means, you’ll just have to join us.)

Both stages are designed in collaboration with the one and only Tino Schaedler , who worked on films such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and with notable artists including Kanye West, Andre3000 and Sault.

An iconic lineup

Whether you’re looking for perspective of sublime proportion, a jolt of professional wisdom or a quietly profound reframe to carry into your daily life, I can confirm that this program will be unmissable. Here are a few people I’m excited to see:

• Bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell on his new book, Revenge of the Tipping Point
• A live Q&A with White Lotus actor Natasha Rothwell
• The one and only Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter, on overcoming adversity
• Coachtopia's Joon Silverstein on transforming waste into fashion
• Light artist Leo Villareal on how light and code can transform a city
• Queen of YouTube Shorts Jenny Hoyos on how to tell a story in under 60 seconds
• Work/life expert Simone Stolzoff on how to reclaim your life from work
• AG1 's Kat Cole on how to give yourself confidence at work

And, of course, there’s the music. In my role as the music/performance curator, I am always seeking the perfect balance of beauty and challenge, comfort and disruption, traditional techniques and new technologies. It’s my greatest pleasure to experience a transcendent performance alongside our community as they encounter something or someone outside their normal field of view.

With beautiful jazz-influenced sonics to choreography that faces our fear of falling, TEDNext’s performances look twice at parts of the human experience we take for granted. Highlights include:

• Inimitable artist and saxophonist Masego merging musical and cultural influences
• Siberian “Arctic beatboxer” Snow Raven showing us how to listen with imagination
• Adventurous dance theater HEAVY BOOTS using gravity to explore the human condition

I also could not be more excited to tell you that the creator of Club Quarantine, D-Nice , will be at the Wednesday night celebration to provide the most impeccable vibes on the dance floor.

Let’s be real — it’s a challenge to choose highlights when the entire program is incredible. Stay tuned for the full lineup, including new speakers still to be announced.

Your journey is yours alone?

While we love TED Talks, a TED conference is about so much more. Our incredible team has crafted an intentional offstage experience designed to shift your vantage point, as well.

TEDNext offers everything from hands-on workshops to cultural tours and skill-building lessons to guide who you are and who you will become. Chart your own path through Discovery Sessions, Braindates, dinners, workshops, moments of relaxation and, yes, play.

Whether you explore your purpose best by building your civic power or tufting your own rug (or both), you’ll be able to weave Leadership, Creativity, Performance, Sustainability, Innovation and Resilience into your personal learning journey.

Next stop: Atlanta

This is only a tiny taste of what’s coming up at TEDNext. There’s quite a bit more in the works I can’t tell you about (yet) ... But hopefully I will meet you at TEDNext so you can see for yourself!

Thank you for joining me on a little behind-the-scenes look at all things TEDNext. And great news: There’s still time for you to apply to attend this NEXT-level program (see what I did there?).

See you in Atlanta,

Anna

PS. We'll be coming at you live from TEDNext with daily editions of Spark; let us know in the comments what you'd like to hear about most.