Dear Community Builders, Visionaries, and Fun-fueled Future Catalysts,
Today we’re announcing the 13th Annual Tom Tom Festival, April 16-20, 2025. Our April celebration of music, art, and ideas connects us over a magical week to bridge divides, have fun, and innovate toward a brighter tomorrow.
This year our theme is EVOLVE.
EVOLVE is about transforming the way we think, live, and lead. It’s about adapting to change—whether as individuals, communities, businesses, or societies—and growing stronger in the process.
EVOLVE speaks to one of life’s fundamental realities, in order to thrive, we must adapt. It’s an optimistic theme, but not a simple one.
What we once were, is not who we must be. We can take a painful past, changing circumstances, and challenging realities, to become something stronger and more resilient. But change is unsettling, and it can be scary. Evolving demands real courage -- alongside bold dashes of humility, empathy, intelligence, discipline, and determination.
These values speak to the fact that as humans we have the unique privilege of actively contributing to and understanding our evolution. Examining our lives, our businesses, our community, or even our democracy, we may actually see where we are stuck, where we are fearful, and where change is needed. And if we have observed closely enough, we may see what’s next.
We believe the week of Tom Tom, when so many communities come together in joyful connection, is the perfect time to pose these questions about our shared future. It’s a moment in our civic imagination when we hit pause on the normal day-to-day, and start evolving; together.
Co-Create EVOLVE with us!
We will be exploring EVOLVE at the Festival through 200+ programs, sessions, and performances. A vast majority of those are co-created and co-curated during a year of planning that empowers hundreds of stakeholders to bring their vision forward.
This Co-Creation happens through official and unofficial means.
With the launch of EVOLVE -- we are opening up our Community Partner Program and our EVOLVE Conference Creator. These two crowd-sourced initiatives allow engaged leaders to craft the EVOLVE message directly.
The Community Partner Program is an opportunity for you to bring a new initiative you’d like to showcase, or a workshop, talk, concert, performance or open house you’d like to contribute. Or if you’d like to contribute a session at the conference and explore how EVOLVE is shaping technology, entrepreneurship, society or wellness, that invitation is open. Bring your passions to the table!
EVOLVE Starts now -- With YOU!
Choosing an annual theme has been a tradition since the pandemic. As we lean into the notion that Tom Tom is a Festival about the Future of Community, our Themes have helped us communicate with Charlottesville, Albemarle and communities beyond, about the intentions -- and possibilities! -- of the Festival.
Please consider this the first of many invitations to co-create the 13th Annual Tom Tom Festival.
Here’s four questions we hope you will consider with us over these next months:
How would you like to evolve?
How is your organization evolving?
Where should Charlottesville evolve?
What does it mean for our nation to evolve?
Until the Festival, we will have dozens of meeting, including Public Interest Meetings to spark conversations and get ideas brewing for the Festival. These sessions include a presentation on the Festival and Theme, but are primarily designed to connect attendees and start the process of co-creation.
So let’s start that conversation, please tell us what EVOLVE means to you.
Bring on TOMORROW!
Now the Festival is launched, we’re full speed ahead. Can’t wait to see what our community creates in the months for our biggest Tom Tom yet!
Sincerely,
THE TOM TOM TEAM