By Jim Carchidi
April 16, 2026
More than 200 poets from 40 U.S. cities will gather in Orlando to compete in the 34th edition of the Southern Fried Poetry Slam. Presented by Literary Arts Council of Central Florida, events will be held June 9-13 at area venues including, Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando Public Library, CityArts, Tech Hub Orlando, and Callahan Community Center.
Sharing the spoken word
Founded in 1993, Southern Fried Poetry, Inc. has grown into an icon of the spoken word community, uniting poets and audiences through open mic events and activations across the country.
"Orlando has always had a vibrant literary and spoken word community,” said Shawn Welcome, President & Co-Founder of Literary Arts Council of Central Florida and former Poet Laureate for the City of Orlando. “Bringing Southern Fried to Central Florida will catalyze our literary arts scene into an even brighter future.”
Spirit of competition
This year’s tournament features more than 32 teams and 32 independent participants in five days of competition with nearly $20,000 in total cash prizes on the line and $5,000 going to the first place team.
The rules of a poetry slam are as follows:
- Poets get three minutes to deliver their piece.
- Point deduction for going over time.
- No props, costumes or music allowed.
- Poets advance through preliminary bouts to compete for the title on the championship stage.
“Southern Fried has always been about more than competition - it is about community, healing and the transformative power of poetry,” said Southern Fried Poetry, Inc. President Sarita Goods. “It is creating a space and platform that transcends our differences and welcomes us all home, no matter where we are.”
Tickets and info
A full schedule, list of event locations, ticketing and volunteer information are available at southernfriedpoetryslam.com.
Sponsor: The Orlando Real is sponsored by the Pozek Group — the #1 real estate team in Orlando and the Official Real Estate Team of the Orlando Magic.
About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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