SEWE fills five downtown Charleston venues each February. The 2026 show ran Feb. 13-15; 2027 dates are not yet posted. Venues, tickets, what to know.

Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. Dates, venues and ticket details come from the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, the nonprofit that runs the show. This page is updated for each year’s show at the same address.

The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, known as SEWE, takes over downtown Charleston for one weekend each February. The 2026 show, the 44th, ran Friday, Feb. 13, to Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, according to SEWE. As of Oct. 16, 2026, SEWE had not posted dates for 2027 on the pages we could check; its site is already promoting a raffle for SEWE 2027. We will add the dates here as soon as they are published.

Know before you go

  • 2027 dates: not yet announced (2026: Feb. 13-15)
  • Where: five venues across the downtown peninsula
  • Tickets: general admission, VIP packages and special events at sewe.com
  • Running since: 1983
  • Organizer: Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

What SEWE is

SEWE describes itself as a celebration of wildlife and the outdoors through fine art, live entertainment and special events, and has run since 1983. The organizer calls it “the unofficial start of tourism season” in Charleston. The show brings together wildlife painters and sculptors, craftsmen, sporting and outdoor brands and conservation groups, with live animal shows and dog competitions for families.

Each year SEWE names a Featured Artist whose painting becomes the official poster. For 2026 that was Florida painter Henry Von Genk III, whose piece was sold at auction at the SEWE VIP Gala and Sale on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, the night before the show opened.

The five venues

SEWE’s venues page listed these for 2026. General admission covers all of them.

Venue What is there
Marion Square Conservation partners and exhibitors, cooking demos, birds of prey, disc dog demos and marine mammal educational shows
The Charleston Place, 205 Meeting St. The Fine Art Gallery, live art demonstrations, private previews and nearly 80 painters and sculptors
Gaillard Center Live performances and artisan and craftsman exhibitors; live animal shows
Charleston Marriott, Lockwood Boulevard The Sporting Showroom, expanded in 2026 into the courtyard, with the Ducks Unlimited auction
Brittlebank Park The sporting and marine village on the Ashley River

Returning features named by SEWE for 2026 included DockDogs competitions, Center for Birds of Prey demonstrations, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary live shows, herding and retrieving dog demonstrations and chef demos. Wildlife biologist Jeff Corwin presented animal shows at the Gaillard Center.

Tickets

SEWE sells three kinds of tickets on its website:

  • General admission: entry to all venues, live shows and exhibits.
  • VIP packages: limited; SEWE says members get perks, parties and lounges.
  • Special events: ticketed separately, such as the VIP Gala and Sale and the Lowcountry Lyrics songwriters’ round held Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.

Tickets for the 2026 show went on sale Sept. 30, 2025, the date of SEWE’s announcement. In January 2026 the site carried the notice “online sales end Feb. 1,” so buy ahead instead of counting on online sales in the final week. We do not list ticket prices here because SEWE had not published 2027 prices as of Oct. 16.

Getting there and getting around

The venues stretch from Marion Square and Meeting Street on the east side of the peninsula to Brittlebank Park and the Charleston Marriott on Lockwood Boulevard by the Ashley River. SEWE had not published 2027 parking or shuttle details as of Oct. 16. For downtown garages, see our getting around Charleston guide.

Questions people ask

Is SEWE for children? SEWE bills its general admission shows as entertainment “for all ages” and lists family-friendly programming alongside the birds of prey, DockDogs and live animal shows.

Can I buy art? Yes. SEWE invites visitors to find new work for their collections in the Fine Art Gallery at The Charleston Place, and Gallery by SEWE is inside The Charleston Place at 205 Meeting St.

Who runs it? The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Contact details are on sewe.com.

More events through the year: things to do in Charleston this month.

Frequently asked questions

When is SEWE 2027 in Charleston?

As of Oct. 16, 2026, the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition had not posted its 2027 dates on the pages we could check. The 2026 show ran Friday, Feb. 13, to Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.

Where is SEWE held?

Across five downtown Charleston venues: Marion Square, The Charleston Place, the Gaillard Center, the Charleston Marriott on Lockwood Boulevard and Brittlebank Park.

What does a SEWE general admission ticket include?

SEWE says general admission includes entry to all venues, live shows and exhibits. VIP packages and special events are sold separately.

When do SEWE tickets go on sale?

Tickets for the 2026 show went on sale Sept. 30, 2025, according to SEWE. Sales are at sewe.com.

How long has SEWE been running?

Since 1983. The 2026 show was the 44th annual exposition.