High school Poetry Out Loud State Champions will share prepared readings of selected poetry and represent their state in the 2026 National Poetry Out Loud Finals. Students from all U.S. territories will gather in Washington, D.C., and compete over a span of two days while sharing prepared readings of selected poetry. Venue details to be confirmed.

The Poetry Out Loud National Finals will be held in Washington, D.C., from April 27-29, 2026. The National Semifinals will be held on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, from 9 a.m.–8 p.m. ET. Champions from each state will perform in one of three semifinal groups, and the top three students from each semifinal group will move on to the Poetry Out Loud National Finals on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET.

9 a.m. ET— Champions from Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

1 p.m. ET— Champions from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

5 p.m. ET— Champions from Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.