The 15th annual Forward Festival will take place Aug. 19-23 at various locations across the Madison area. 

This year’s five-day program features more than 50 events related to technology, entrepreneurship and other topics. Forty-two events will be in-person, the most since before the pandemic.

“It’s exciting to see an increasing number of in-person events at Forward Festival,” Laura Strong, festival board member and strategy advisor at Archeus Technologies, said in a statement. “We are providing attendees with information on advances in technology, yet we still have core sessions on how to build a business. There is something for everyone.”

Events surrounding artificial intelligence lead the festival, with eight dedicated to the topic. This year will also feature new events about art investing (Aug. 22), musician brand identity (Aug. 22) and consumer demographics (Aug. 21). 

Classics like the Badger Startup Summit (Aug. 19) and Pressure Chamber (Aug. 20) will return. The festival ends with a Tribute to Tech (Aug. 23) at The Red Zone/Annex, celebrating Wisconsin’s video game industry.