World Music Festival 2024 | Chicago

The annual World Music Festival is your passport to musical acts from around the globe.

This free city-wide festival features over 30 artists from 22 countries at venues around Chicago including the Chicago Cultural Center Millennium Park and Navy Pier bringing even more diversity to Chicago’s already rich music festival line-up.

This festival which has been held in Chicago for more than 20 years embraces well-known stars and emerging artists in genres that range from traditional to contemporary. You can hear everything at the World Music Festival — from Indian classical music to Bulgarian bagpipes and Congolese funk.

Now in its 24th year of programming World Music Festival Chicago will include performances in 11 indoor and outdoor venues across the city. Throughout the 10-day festival, globally curious music enthusiasts can experience the sounds of a wide variety of musical genres from diverse geographical regions, including Colombia, Italy, Pakistan, Sweden, and more.

Festival Line-up:

• Friday, September 20, 2024: The festival kicks off with "Ragamala: A Celebration of Indian Classical Music" at the Chicago Cultural Center's Preston Bradley Hall, featuring performances from 6:00 PM to 8:00 AM the following morning.
• Saturday, September 21, 2024: Performances continue at various venues, including a late-night show at Martyrs' featuring La Sonora Mazuren from Colombia and DJ Lápiz & Valanze from Cuba starting at 9:00 PM.
• Sunday, September 22, 2024: A series of performances at the Chicago Cultural Center and a "Global Carnival" at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, featuring acts like Ilê Aiyê from Brazil and Flagboy Giz & The Wild Tchoupitoulas from New Orleans.
• Monday, September 23, 2024: Starting at 9:00 PM, more shows continue at the Empty Bottle, with artists like La Muchacha from Colombia and Vivian Garcia from Chicago.
• Tuesday, September 24, 2024: You will have Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (Italy), Ana Everling, and Taraf de Chicago (Chicago) this day with joy and sparkles.
• Wednesday, September 25, 2024: On this day, you will have Fränder (Sweden) and Maryna Krut (Ukraine).
• Thursday, September 26, 2024: Sara Curruchich (Guatemala) and Menjunje (Chicago) will perform with a bang at the 7 p.m. show.
• Friday, September 27, 2024: Ana Crisman (Spain) and Maracatu Atômico (Chicago) at 7 p.m. show.
• Saturday, September 28, 2024: Kavita Shah/Cape Verdean Blues Project (Cape Verde), Yallah Yallah (New York), and La Tosca (Chicago) will be performing from 3 pm.
• Sunday, September 29, 2024: La Dame Blanche (Cuba), Megitza (Poland), Johnny Blas and the Afro Libre Orchestra (Chicago), and Cloud Farmers (Chicago) are in the limelight from 2-8 pm.

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