Prepare for artistic greatness: the citywide Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) returns in 2016 from April 8 to 23 to showcase this city’s phenomenal performing and visual arts scene.

PIFA kicks off next month, but now is the time to get psyched for the bonanza of arts and cultural events coming our way.

PIFA Fast Facts

PIFA arrives citywide April 8-23

The 16-day festival includes 60+ performances at dozens of venues

Two huge free spectacles bookend the festival

Shows range in price from free to $140+ for an all-access pass

Curated by the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia stages and places will host more than 60 performances of dance, theater and visual arts throughout 16 days, amounting to one huge international celebration of the arts and the arts community in Philly.

Dynamic troupe PHILADANCO will premiere a new work during PIFA. (Photo courtesy Kimmel Center) PIFA brings more than 60 performances of dance, theater and visual arts to Philadelphia for a 16-day celebration of the arts and the arts community.

PIFA 2016: “We Are What We Make”

For this third installment of PIFA, an overarching concept of “We Are What We Make” drives the artistic programming and the festival’s shows will express the theme in innumerable ways via diverse genres and art forms.

At the heart of the festival, the Kimmel Center’s soaring Commonwealth Plaza atrium will be home to an enormous installation of an ever-changing Kinetic Tree by Mimi Lien, recipient of a 2015 MacArthur Genius Award.

Additionally, the 16-day fest will be bookended by two huge events: At the festival’s start, the huge and free fire and sand installation Article 13 will serve as the grand opening for the festival, running April 8-10 at Penn’s Landing.

Using sand, fire and water to tell the story of immigration around the world, Article 13 is a grand multimedia spectacle that takes up a space the size of two football fields. The U.S. premiere performances will take at Penn’s Landing April 8, 9 and 10 at 9 p.m.

To close out the festival, the PIFA Street Fair will return to take over Broad Street for a massive and free day-long party.

In between, Cirkus Cirkor presents Knitting Peace April 8-10, Paper Planet brings the interactive family fun April 9-23, Amir El Saffar presents sounds from North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia on April 9, and PHILADANCO premieres Global Artistry April 15-17 — and that’s just a few of the highlights.

(Photo courtesy Compagnie Carabosse & Teatro Linea de Sombra ) Don’t miss the U.S. premiere of the free sand-and-fire spectacle Article 13 during opening weekend of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts.

Free First Access Passes For Opening Weekend Available March 18

On opening weekend of the festival, thousands are expected to arrive at Penn’s Landing on the Delaware River Waterfront to see the grand first performances of the fest: the sand-and-fire spectacle Article 13.

Want to gain priority access? On Friday, March 18, go online to register for first access passes to see Article 13 on April 8, 9 or 10. Entrance is “first-come, first-served” for the performance and passes do not guarantee entrance, but patrons who do have first access passes can queue up early.

Note that free first access passes are limited to four per person.

Be sure to check back as the festival approaches for much more on this citywide festival of art. For tickets and a full list of PIFA events, check right here.

Paper Planet, a cardboard tree forest, will take over the Kimmel's Hamilton Garden. (Photo by Martin Reddy) Many PIFA events and shows are completely free and open to the public, and festival passes are on sale for shows requiring tickets. Make plans now!

Tickets On Sale

Single tickets for PIFA events are now on sale and available to the public. Plus, festival passes are available, too, and range from a three-show package (starting around $53) all the way up to an all-access festival pass (starting around $143).

For more ticketing information and a calendar of events, check right here.

Stay tuned for much, much more as what promises to be this spring’s most anticipated festival approaches, but don’t sleep on making plans to be in Philadelphia for the epic event.

Let the countdown begin.