About the Festival
The Phenomenal Womxn Poetry Festival is a three-day literary arts experience dedicated to celebrating, uplifting, and empowering women and femme-identifying poets from across the country. Rooted in the legacy of Las Vegas’ highest-selling poetry slam for the past four years, the festival was created to intentionally cultivate a powerful, joyful, and artist-centered space where women and femmes can thrive. In a world where their voices shape culture, spark change, and redefine possibility, the Phenomenal Womxn Festival exists to honor their brilliance, expand their visibility, and support poets committed to growing their craft, deepening their study, and advancing their careers in both academic and performance poetry.
Event Structure
Festival Schedule
Check back in Jan 2026 for the complete Festival Schedule
Poetry Slam Rules and Guidelines
Eligibility: This indie poetry slam is open exclusively to women and femme-identifying poets.
24 spots available – first come, first served!
Poems and Performance:
1) Poems can be on any subject and in any style.
2) Each poet must perform work that they have created.
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Three rounds, 3:10 time limit per poem. Poet's time starts as soon as they speak into the mic or engage with the audience.
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Time penalties: 0.5 points deducted for every 10 seconds over the time limit.
1 point deducted for every 20 sec over the time limit
Disqualified if over 3:30
The announcement of the time penalty and its consequent deduction will be made by the MC or scorekeeper after all the judges have reported their scores. The judges should not ever be told that a poet went overtime until it is too late for them to adjust their scores.
Finals Stage Time Limit: An additional 10 seconds is permitted in finals without penalty (up to and including 3:20.00). Starting at 3:20.01, a penalty is automatically deducted from each poet’s overall score. Poets are allowed to repeat ONE poem from their previous bouts for Finals Stage.
Judging: All efforts shall be made to select five judges who will be fair. Competing poets, coaches, and any persons who are associated with a specific poet or group of poets are not eligible to judge. Poets will be scored on a 0-10 scale, with 10 being the highest. Judges may use decimal points. Each round, the highest and lowest scores will be dropped, and the remaining three scores will be added together to determine the poet’s final score.
Attendance Policy: Bout check-in will happen 15 minutes before start of bout time. If they’re not there for bout check-in they pull the 1 for the bout. Poets may face elimination if they arrive after the scheduled start time of their bout (they will have a 10 min grace period if they make contact with the bout manager). If no show happens they will be cut from that bout.
Bouts:
3/26 & 3/27
2 bouts a day
6 poets per bout
Early Bout: 5:00p / Late Bout: 7:00p
Bout Draw:
Bout selection for the Phenomenal Womxn Slam will be conducted through a randomized draw to ensure fairness and transparency for all competing poets. The first official bout draw will take place on February 6th at 4:00 PM PST, streamed live on Spotlight Poetry’s Instagram Live. Poets are encouraged to tune in as bouts are announced in real time and the competition lineup officially takes shape.
Final Stage Elimination structure:
- Round 1: 8 poets compete → Top 6 advance.
- Round 2: 6 poets compete → Top 3 advance.
- Round 3: Final 3 poets compete → Winner is crowned.
Scoring: These competition rounds are cumulative. Total scores are added at the end to determine final winner. Five judges will be pre-selected from the audience. Poets will be scored on a 0-10 scale, with 10 being the highest. Judges may use decimal points. Each round, the highest and lowest scores will be dropped, and the remaining three scores will be added together to determine the poet’s final score.
No props, music, or costumes—your words and performance are all you need.
Register Your Spot Today
Phenomenal Womxn Poetry FestivalThu, Mar 26Las Vegas
Interested in facilitating a workshop or panel at this year's festival?
The Phenomenal Womxn Poetry Festival is seeking poets, writers, educators, and cultural workers to lead workshops and host panels that center womxn’s voices, lived experiences, and creative power. We welcome proposals from facilitators of all backgrounds, identities, and experience levels—especially BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled womxn.
Hotel Recommendations
The Phenomenal Womxn Festival is not working with a host hotel, but here are some hotel recommendations near the area of the festival.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Phenomenal Womxn Poetry Festival?
The Phenomenal Womxn Poetry Festival is a three-day celebration dedicated to uplifting and amplifying women and femme-identifying poets from across the country. The festival includes workshops, performances, community spaces, and a nationally recognized poetry slam.
When is the festival?
The festival will take place Thursday, March 26th - Saturday, March 28th.. A full schedule of workshops, bouts, and events will be released closer to the festival.
Where is the festival located?
The festival will be held in Las Vegas, NV, with events taking place in the Las Vegas Arts District.
What is included in my registration?
Registration includes access to all workshops, events, and the poetry slam. All attendees with receive a free Phenomenal Womxn Festival T-Shirt and a Festival Goodie Bag.
Who can register?
The festival is open to women and femme-identifying poets ages 18+. All levels—from first-time performers to seasoned slam poets—are welcome!
Do I need to qualify to compete?
No. Competitor Registration is open until slots are full. Once all competitor slots are filled, a waitlist will be created.
Will there be workshops?
Yes! Workshops led by award-winning poets and educators are included in registration.
Is there a prize for the slam winner?
Yes—cash prizes includes First Place: $3,000, Second Place: $1,500, Third Place: $500.
Will events be recorded?
Events may be photographed or recorded. By registering, you agree to the festival’s media policy.
Is lodging provided?
Lodging is not included but we will provide hotel recommendations on our website.
Is the event ADA accessible?
Yes. All festival venues are ADA accessible. Please contact us if you need accommodations.
Can men attend?
The poetry slam, workshops, and panels are reserved for women and femme-identifying performers, but general audience members of all genders are welcome to bouts and final stage. Men are allowed to register to volunteer for the festival.
Is there a refund policy?
Phenomenal Womxn Poetry Festival – Refund & Transfer Policy:
All ticket sales for the Phenomenal Womxn Poetry Festival are final, as proceeds immediately support artist fees, venue costs, and program expenses. However, we understand that plans may change, and we aim to provide flexible options where possible:
Cancellations & Refunds
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Refund requests made within 48 hours of purchase will be honored, minus a small processing fee.
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After 48 hours, no refunds will be issued.
Ticket Transfers
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Attendees may transfer their ticket to another person at no additional cost until March 20, 2026 (one week before the festival).
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To transfer your ticket, email our team at spotlightpoetrylv@gmail.com with the new attendee’s name and email.
Event Changes or Cancellations
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If Spotlight Poetry must cancel the festival due to unforeseen circumstances, all ticket holders will be offered a full refund.
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If specific workshops or events change, your festival pass remains valid for all available programming.
Competition Registration
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Slam competitor registration is non-refundable, but registrations may be transferred to another eligible woman or femme poet by March 10, 2026.
We appreciate your support in helping us create an empowering, sustainable festival experience for all women and femme poets.