Cebu in Full Color

From established names to emerging creatives, Tops ArtFest returns with four days of art and new perspectives from Cebu and beyond.

Words Mian Centeno
Art by Hiro Odamaki
September 22, 2026

Art by Hiro Odamaki

A new wave of color is set to splash across TOPS, Cebu’s iconic landmark, this October as Tops ArtFest returns for its third edition.

Carrying the theme “Building & Breaking Norms,” the four-day festival from October 22 to 25 invites audiences to look beyond familiar approaches to art while celebrating the creative community of Cebu and beyond.

This year’s Tops ArtFest, the theme reflects an openness to new techniques, perspectives, and ideas shaping the contemporary art scene, while continuing to recognize the culture and traditions that inform them. 

It also reinforces the festival’s aim to create a space where anyone curious and passionate about the arts can come together.

Rather than simply staying within convention, the festival seeks to connect people through art and encourage conversations between established practices and emerging ways of creating.

More than 300 artists and creatives will take part in this year’s edition, with featured names including Ronald Ventura, Romulo Galicano, Demi Padua, Nunelucio “Nune” Alvarado, Charlie Co, Randalf Dilla, Dino Gabito, and Junyee.

Alongside the featured artists, the Tops ArtFest Plein Air Painting Competition returns with professional and student categories, giving artists another platform to respond directly to their surroundings.

More than a showcase, Tops ArtFest opens the door to new ideas, perspectives, and possibilities, inviting everyone to see how art can build, break, and reshape norms.

Tops ArtFest 2026 runs from October 22 to 25 at the TOPS Events Space in Cebu City.