re:Naissance has announced that Omari Newton and Amy Lee Lavoie’s “Inferno: A Hip Hop Opera” will take place at its 2025 IndieFest.

“Inferno: A Hip Hop Opera” fits perfectly into this year’s theme, “Colliding Art Forms.” The work reimagines of Dante’s “Inferno” and centers on the resilience and ingenuity of communities whose work is often appropriated. In its setting, Hell is reimagined as a Spotify-esque headquarters with protagonists Vie (a music producer) and Mo (an artist turned security guard) embarking on an epic journey to take back the rights to their work. Pairing opera’s emotional richness with hip-hop’s text driven, poetic aesthetics, this production features music that will eventually be released in an album for audiences to stream beyond the festival.

“In Vancouver, we often see artistic communities working in silos,” says Debi Wong, founding artistic director of re:Naissance in a press release. “Our festival is designed to disrupt that. We believe the future of the performing arts depends on this kind of collision — not just for novelty’s sake, but as a response to the moment we’re in. The world is shifting rapidly, and artists have the opportunity to explore how different technologies and perspectives can reshape how we experience storytelling and connection. By facilitating and celebrating emerging technologies and immersive practices, we’re not only expanding the creative toolkit, but also building bridges between communities who may not otherwise intersect.”

IndieFest runs Nov. 20–29, 2025 in Vancouver. “Inferno” will be presented on Nov. 28 and 29.

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