| Stratford Festival | |
|---|---|
 The Festival Theatre | |
| Genre | Repertory Theatre Festival |
| Dates | April to October |
| Location(s) | 55 Queen St, Stratford, Ontario, Canada |
| Years active | 1953–present |
| Founded | 1953 |
| Website | stratfordfestival.ca |
The Stratford Festival is a theatre festival which runs from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada.[1] Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shakespearean Festival, the Shakespeare Festival and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. The festival was one of the first arts festivals in Canada and continues to be one of its most prominent. It is recognized worldwide for its productions of Shakespearean plays.
The festival's primary focus is to present productions of William Shakespeare's plays, but it has a range of theatre productions from Greek tragedy to Broadway musicals and contemporary works. In the early years of the festival, Shakespeare's works typically represented approximately one third of the offerings in the largest venue, the Festival Theatre. More recently, however, the festival's focus has shifted to encompass works by a more diverse range of playwrights.
The success of the festival changed Stratford into a city where arts and tourism play important roles in the economy. The festival attracts many tourists from outside Canada, most notably British and American visitors.