April 18-22 2019
National Folk Festival
Canberra, Australia
www.folkfestival.org.au
Australian roots and international routes
Canberra might not be the first place you’d think of visiting when planning a trip in Australia, despite its position as the nation’s capital. Every autumn, however, the capital explodes with all sorts of roots music. The National Folk Festival stages folk music from Australia, the UK, Ireland and North America, blues, country and bluegrass music, as well as fulfilling its specific commitment to the promotion of music of Australia’s indigenous peoples.
April 24-28 2019
Festival International de Louisiane
Lafayette, Louisiana, US
www.festivalinternational.org
Get those bon temps rolling
This festival brings the music of Louisiana to the world and the music of the world to Louisiana. The focus is on the state’s international connections, especially to other Francophone cultures: they’ve boasted artists from Prince Edward Island to Haiti, and from Morocco to DR Congo, as well as including some of the best zydeco, blues and jazz to be heard today. The culture-sharing doesn’t stop at music either, with local and international arts, crafts and food high on the priority. It says a lot when a festival has an official brand of hot sauce!
May 18 2019
Azgo Festival
Maputo, Mozambique
www.azgofestival.com
Let’s go Luso!
Taking its name from the Maputo slang for ‘Let’s go!’, the Azgo Festival brings that enthusiasm for music in all its forms. The programme reflects the variety of Mozambique’s musical cultures, but as the country’s first annual international music festival, it’s also a celebration of its cultural links within Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Lusosphere. International stars appearing at the festival last year included Flávia Coelho from Brazil, Nathalie Natiembé from La Réunion and Sara Tavares from Cape Verde.
May 21-25 2019
Druga Godba
Ljubljana & Maribor, Slovenia
www.drugagodba.si/en
What a Ljubli festival!
Druga Godba has been a highlight of Central Europe’s musical calendar for a long time now, and they’re gearing up for their 35th edition for 2019. With a line-up featuring around 15 top-tier international artists from every continent, Druga Godba just can’t contain itself: the festival is usually held in the capital Ljubljana, but this year it will be spread over two cities, with concerts being held in venues across both Ljubljana and Maribor, the country’s second largest city – and a festival pass also grants you free transport between the two cities.
May 24-26 2019
MTN Bushfire
Malkerns, Eswatini
www.bush-fire.com
Burning passion in Eswatini
For three days a year, the population of the small town of Malkerns in Eswatini swells to three times its usual size as party-goers come for the world-class line-up of the MTN Bushfire festival. Already announced for 2019 are stars such as Oliver Mtukudzi and Dobet Gnahore and up-and-coming artists from around Africa and further abroad. It’s not about music and dancing though. Bushfire encourages all attendees to heed their call to ‘bring your fire’ – to participate in actions for social change in Eswatini and throughout southern Africa through sustainability, cultural exchange and creative expression.
May 30 - June 2 2019
Africa Festival
Würzburg, Germany
www.africafestival.org/en
African days in German ways
After its bonanza 30th edition last year, the Africa Festival is not letting up, with another impressive roster heading to the historic Bavarian city for 2019. The festival this year kicks off with an all-Caribbean affair with party music from Trinidad, Aruba and Curaçao before welcoming Haitian voodoo-blues priestess Moonlight Benjamin. The weekend continues with music from stars such as Femi Kuti, BCUC and Mokoomba. Aside from music, the festival also features cinema, a photography exhibition, a children’s programme and the presentation of awards to outstanding musicians and institutions who are helping the African continent in powerful ways.
June 7-9 2019
Sakifo Festival
Saint-Pierre, La Réunion
www.sakifo.com/festival
Musical bridges to the paradise island
An outrageously diverse music festival on the beach of a beautiful island in the middle of the Indian Ocean – it’s not hard to see why Sakifo is one of the most esteemed international music festivals of Africa. Over the past 15 years, they have welcomed the best of Réunionese music (Danyèl Waro, René Lecaille), world music royalty (Asian Dub Foundation, Calypso Rose, Salif Keita), and some of the biggest names around the world of any genre (M.I.A., Manu Chao, George Clinton). From the most traditional styles to the most cutting-edge contemporary musicians, the party lasts well into the night and on until the early morning.
June 8-10 2019
International Music Meeting Festival
Nijmegen, The Netherlands
www.musicmeeting.nl
To-Whit To-world-music
They have built up a reputation over the past 35 years as one of the most globetrotting and culturally invigorating Whit weekends you can have – and it’s all in Nijmegen’s beautiful Park Brakkenstein to boot. Ever since their first audiences danced to Les Ambassadeurs in 1985, the International Music Meeting Festival has brought along some of the hottest artists from the world and jazz scenes. The festival is also known for its dedication to improvised music and one-off collaborations – so expect the very much unexpected!
June 13-16 2019
¡Rio Loco!
Toulouse, France
www.rio-loco.org
Rivers of music
Toulouse is the place to go to witness authentic Occitan culture and language in daily use, but in mid-June it also becomes the place to explore a world in music. ¡Rio Loco! is the biggest event in Toulouse’s musical calendar, attracting more than 100,000 visitors to the riverside meadow of La Prairie des Filtres. The musical line-up takes a different cultural or geographical focus every year – in the past, focuses have included international rumba, the islands of the Indian Ocean and the Celtic world – as well as inviting some of the hottest acts on the world music scene.
June 14-29 2019
Morgenland Festival
Osnabrück, Germany
www.morgenland-festival.com
Ancient traditions from tomorrow’s world
The Morgenland Festival presents all sorts of music from or inspired by the Near and Middle East and the historic Silk Road. This includes classical and folk music, jazz and avant-garde offerings, all bound by the highest artistic integrity. This year will be the 15th edition of the festival, with musical delicacies on offer including mugham master Alim Qasimov, Kurdish folk singer Aynur and Songlines Newcomer Award winner Maya Youssef. It doesn’t stop in Osnabrück either, with international projects happening throughout the year: in October, Morgenland will present special concerts in Almaty, Kazakhstan and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
June 20-23 2019
Essaouira Gnaoua & World Music Festival
Essaouira, Morocco
www.festival-gnaoua.net
Gnawa to the globe
As you might guess from its name, the Essaouira Festival started life as a gathering of the Moroccan Gnawa people and their unique musical traditions. Gnawa music is still the order of the day, but the festival’s 22 years have seen it open its line-up to world-renowned jazz and traditional musicians from around the world – a particular highlight is the festival’s specially commissioned genre-busting international collaborations. Expect plenty of gu imbri lutes, handclapping and a whole load of clattering qaraqab castanets!
June 21-29 2019
Mawazine Festival Rhythms of the World
Rabat, Morocco
www.festivalmawazine.ma
A royal feast
With the Essaouira, Fes and Mawazine Festivals all taking place in such a short space of time, Morocco is the place to be in June! Boasting the royal patronage of King Mohammed VI, the Mawazine Festival makes a particular point of bringing through young Maghrebi artists from all different spheres of music to share the bill alongside huge international stars in venues across the Moroccan capital. Big names from 2018 included Bruno Mars and Oumou Sangaré alongside Moroccan legends Nass el Ghiwane.
June 27-29 2019
Festival MED
Loulé, Portugal
www.festivalmed.pt/en
You’d be MED to miss it
The Algarve region of southern Portugal is known for its bustling and touristic beach resorts, but not too far from the city of Faro lies the traditional market town of Loulé, the perhaps surprising location for a world music festival of international renown. Festival MED was actually started as a fringe event to the Euro 2004 football competition, but the festival has long taken on a life of its own. Specialising in ‘different and unique’ music, the line-up is a feast of flavours from the Lusophone world and further afield: Asian Dub Foundation, Bonga and 47SOUL all played at last year’s edition.
July 2019, dates tbc
EtnoKraków / Rozstaje
Kraków, Poland
www.etnokrakow.pl/en
I went down to the crossroads…
Crossroads have always had metaphorical meaning in cultures around the world – they represent a meeting place where differences can be confronted and examined and strangers can learn from each other. Rozstaje, the Polish word for crossroads, is a fitting name for this festival, where worldwide cultures meet in a whirl of music. Alongside an eclectic international line-up – last year including Alireza Ghorbani and Chico Trujillo – there is always sure to be an array of home-grown Polish artists exploring or revisiting their traditions in various exciting ways.
July 3-7 2019
Førde Traditional and World Music Festival
Førde, Norway
www.fordefestival.com
Festival sans frontiers
As its name would suggest, the Førde Festival’s offering always skew more towards the traditional – and often more acoustic – end of things, although intercultural collaboration is always encouraged. Every year, the festival has a motto that provides a broad artistic through-line to the programme; in honour of this year’s special anniversary edition, 2019’s motto is ‘30 years without borders!’. With 300 performers from 25 countries, including Kroke, The Garifuna Collective and Anandi Bhattacharya, the festival will be a real visa-free musical adventure.
July 4-7 2019
Rudolstadt Festival
Thuringia, Germany
www.rudolstadt-festival.de/en
Taking over the town
From its roots in a German folk dance festival in the 1950s, the Rudolstadt Festival has evolved into an all-encompassing event celebrating music and dance from all over the world. The festival’s 20 stages are dotted all around the small town of Rudolstadt, with the picturesque main arena set among the trees of Heinepark on the banks of the Saale river and watched over by the Heidecksburg castle. As well as regular programmed stages hosting top-class world music artists, the festival also welcomes buskers to contribute less formal – but no less accomplished – performances to the streets throughout the weekend.
July 4-7 2019
Sunfest
London, Ontario, Canada
www.sunfest.on.ca
Here comes the sun
When you’re heading to Sunfest, make sure you get the right Victoria Park in the right London… this one hosts Canada’s biggest world music festival! Sunfest expects to welcome over 220,000 visitors this year, and with free admission, you can see why. The tagline for this year’s milestone edition is ‘Celebrating 25 Years of world culture,’ but they’re not looking backwards in terms of line-up, which will feature of some the most exciting artists around today, including Gaye Su Akyol, Ladama and Tal National.
July 6-7, 2019
Afrika Festival Hertme
Hertme, The Netherlands
www.afrikafestivalhertme.nl/en
Hot summers and hotter music
In a Dutch meadow in a forest clearing, next to a lovely little kirk… where better for a spot of the hottest African music? You’re guaranteed to see some huge names at the Afrika Festival Hertme – past headliners have included Youssou N’dour, Oumou Sangaré and Hugh Masekela. Don’t only come for the big names, though; the rest of the line-up is a sprawling look at the music of the African continent as well as occasional guests from the Caribbean and South America. Be sure to check out the stalls too, offering food, arts and crafts from across Africa and the world.
July 8-14 2019
Les Suds à Arles
Arles, France
www.suds-arles.com
All-day sounds
Les Suds à Arles is a culmination of a year’s worth of cultural events in the city of Arles and the region of Camargue – an entire week of music, workshops and masterclasses from some of the world’s most well-respected artists. The programme runs for 18 hours a day – that’s 10am till 4am – so if you’re awake, there’s probably music to dance to or a new skill to learn. The first performance announced for 2019 is a collaboration between the Lebanese trumpet virtuoso Ibrahim Maalouf and French-based pan-Balkan brass band Haïdouti Orkestar that is sure to combine ferocity, intricacy and intensity.
July 10-14 2019
Riddu Riđđu
Gáivuotna-Kåfjord, Norway
www.riddu.no/en
A Sámi storm
Held around about the 69th parallel, is Riddu Riđđu the most northerly festival? It’s certainly up there. It’s a festival held to promote the culture and language of the Sámi people of northern Scandinavia. Sámi music is obviously high on the agenda, but the line-up also includes artists from oppressed cultures throughout the world, with a particular spotlight on female performers. This year’s highlight is sure to be the concert of three generations of badass female indigenous artists, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Tanya Tagaq and Maxida Märak representing Cree, Inuit and Sámi cultures respectively.
July 12-28 2019
Glatt & Verkehrt
Krems an der Donau, Austria
www.glattundverkehrt.at/en
On the beautiful blue Danube
The Austrian city of Krems is alive with the sounds of international music in July. Glatt & Verkehrt takes place over 16 days in castles, churches and even stables, with the stipulation that performing artists must in some way explore the roots of their music. As well as concerts, the festival hosts sessions of informal ‘table music’ along with speeches and discussions about the sounds on offer. To give you a flavour of what to expect, last year featured artists such as Trio Da Kali from Mali, Söndörgő from Hungary and Made Subandi from Indonesia.
July 12-14 2019
Rainforest World Music Festival
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
www.rwmf.net
Fun in the ‘forest
Held among the rainforest of Borneo in the Malaysian province of Sarawak, the aptly-named Rainforest World Music Festival must be a contender for the most stunning festival location in the world. Last year, the festival brought in artists from as far apart as the Comoros, the Solomon Islands and the Isle of Skye (as well as non-island-based musicians), together with a whole host of traditional and not-so-traditional music from Sarawak. The performances take place in the evening, meaning the day is left for you to explore the beautiful lakeside surroundings or attend one of the many workshops the festival provides.
July 17-20 2019
Colours of Ostrava
Ostrava, Czech Republic
www.colours.cz
A giant of a festival
Colours of Ostrava is BIG – as in more than 450 performances across 21 stages big – and all contained within the industrial charm of a former ironworks. World music has always been a major part of the line-up, and 2019 promises to be no different, with fado extraordinaire Mariza and open-eared string quartet Kronos Quartet heading up the bill alongside mainstream acts such as The Cure and Florence + The Machine. The main festival is immediately preceded by the Czech Music Crossroads showcase and conference, so arrive early to discover the next big things in Central European music.
July 18-27 2019
FMM Sines
Sines & Porto Covo, Portugal
en.fmmsines.pt
Boogie on the beach
For ten days in July, the beautiful coast of south-west Portugal becomes a haven of worldwide music. Festival Músicas do Mundo Sines is held in the old towns of two of the region’s most picturesque settlements: starting off with four days in the seaside village of Porto Covo, followed by six days in Sines, including stages in a castle and on a beach – who doesn’t love a stage on the beach? Sines boasts one of the most varied line-ups of a festival anywhere; there’s no announcements for 2019 just yet, but last year’s big hitters included Vieux Farka Touré, Sons of Kemet and BaBa ZuLa.
July 23 - August 4 2019
Okarina
Bled, Slovenia
www.festival-okarina.si
Great minds think a-lake
So many festivals in so many distinct environments… but the scenery of Okarina festival must surely take some beating. The festival’s main venue of Bled Castle looks down across the breathtaking vista of Lake Bled, the old town and the surrounding forests. There’s even a church on a little island – that’s just ridiculous levels of charm. And what better complement to an astounding landscape than an outstanding soundscape? There’s all sorts on offer: last year featured everything from Luso-club innovators Gato Preto, to hypnagogic string duo Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita, to Caribbean jazz phenomenon Bokanté.
August 2019, dates tbc
Mekudeshet
Jerusalem, Israel
en.mekudeshet.com
The sound of a city
Jerusalem is a city of many cultures, and aim of the Mekudeshet festival is to distil the atmosphere of the city and the potential it holds with the hope that art can bring about positive change to the city and its people. It is an event around all kinds of art, including performance art, sound instillations and, of course, music, with a particular focus on boundary breaking and spectacular new commissions and collaborations.
August 2019, dates tbc
O Sol de Caparica
Costa da Caparica, Portugal
www.osoldacaparica-festival.pt
Music of the urban world
If you had to pick the perfect party location, you could do much worse than a luscious park just a minute’s walk from the beach and a mere few kilometres from downtown Lisbon, in the heart of the Portuguese summer. There you’ll find O Sol de Caparica, a festival of party music and urban culture ideal for jumping around and sweating yourself silly. This is the music of the cities from across the Lusosphere, from hip-hop to kizomba, punk to samba and when you need to cool off, there’s also fado and morna to keep you in that heady mood.
August 1-3 2019
Urkult
Näsaker, Sweden
www.urkult.se/en
Dabble in the Urkult
Urkult has a mystical atmosphere about it thanks to its surroundings in the ancient forests of Sweden, and helped along by a programme of folk and folk-influenced music from every continent. There’s even a spectacular ‘night of fire’ on the Thursday night. In keeping with this ethos, the festival aims to be completely neutral in its environmental impact: all the food is sourced from local, low-impact farmers; all waste is composted or recycled on-site; the main stage is even a natural amphitheatre – a truly ‘leave no trace’ festival.
August 2-11 2019
Festival Interceltique Lorient
Lorient, France
www.festival-interceltique.bzh
A Global Celt Sound System
The region of Brittany is well-known for its Celtic heritage, and it’s an identity that’s held up high every August as part of the Festival Interceltique Lorient. It’s a giant celebration of all things Celtic, with delegations coming in from the Celtic nations and their diasporas in the Americas and Oceania. And it is giant: there are around 750,000 visitors every year. Music is always a huge part of the festivities, but so are food, sports and other traditional arts. The 2019 programme has a special focus on the culture of Galicia.
August 14-15 2019
MeYouZik
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
www.bit.ly/meyouzik
A big festival in a small country
In one of Europe’s smallest countries, one of its best festivals! The season-spanning Summer in the City programme sees Luxembourg City welcome artists and audiences from all over the place from June until September. For world music fans, the highlight will no doubt be the MeYouZik festival held in mid-August. In a city in which almost 70% of residents were born outside the country, cultural openness is obviously an important quality, which is reflected by the festival’s line-up: 2018 saw 25 free concerts by artists including Blitz the Ambassador, Bitori and Mokoomba.
August/September 2019, dates tbc
Ulsan World Music Festival (Cheoyong)
Ulsan, South Korea
www.ucityfesta.or.kr
Expanding the horizons
The original purpose of the Ulsan World Music Festival was to expose the Korean people to the multifarious sounds of traditions from around the world. Although the premise took some time to take off, it’s now an important and highly anticipated cultural event in the city of Ulsan. At least 65% of the line-up each year is made up of international artists, and the audience votes on their favourite artist of that edition – previous winners have included Gipsy.cz and Bajofondo Tango Club.
September 2019, dates tbc
Konya Mystic Music Festival
Konya, Turkey
www.mistikmuzik.gov.tr
Scintillating Sufis
The musical arts are key to the mystical Sufi branch of Islam. Sufism is responsible for huge swathes of the world’s most beautiful, intense and transcendental music, and the Konya Mystic Music Festival aims to showcase the breadth of Sufi traditions in one of its historic centres. The festival is held in Konya’s Mawlana Culture Centre, the home of the Mevlevi Sufi order famed for their ecstatic ‘whirling dervish’ ceremonies. Last year, artists were invited from as far apart as Morocco and Uzbekistan, with the biggest names being shashmaqam master Munadjat Yulchieva and kafi star Abida Parveen.
September 9-15 2019
Transform: Trondheim World Music Festival
Trondheim, Norway
www.transform.no
It’s time for change
The Transform festival takes its name to heart: it’s not a place where artists simply drop in, play their usual set and head off again, ready for the next artist to come on stage. Instead, Transform promotes newness and change. International musicians – some of whom are making their European debuts – are encouraged to collaborate with local Norwegian artists to create as-yet-unheard-of sounds throughout the festival and the annual programme of concerts. The concert programme also features seminars looking at the wider picture of global political collaboration.
September 13-29 2019
World Music Festival Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, US
www.worldmusicfestivalchicago.org
Musical breezes in the windy city
Chicago is a city with music in its blood – you can’t talk about the history of the city without mentioning its contributions to the world of music. It’s unsurprising, then, that Chicago would take world music to its heart. Huge crowds – more than 650,000 every year – turn out to see the great and the good of international music in venues across the city. 2018’s line-up included Jupiter / Okwess from DR Congo, Altan from Ireland and La Dame Blanche from Cuba and France.
September 18-22 2019
Cross Culture Festival
Warsaw, Poland
www.festival.warszawa.pl
Palatial sounds from across the continents
The Polish capital’s annual festival of worldwide musical stories returns for its 15th edition this year. Five gala concerts take place in the grounds of Warsaw’s Palace of Culture and Science, and each concert has its specific theme – last year there were evenings of jump-up-and-down music, pan-European collaborations, and a Polish showcase. 2018 had a particularly African-heavy line-up, with start turns coming from Mulatu Astatke, Orchestra Baobab and Nneka. The festival also features a special children’s programme of music, dance and play during the mornings before the concerts take over for the rest of the day.
September 26-29 2019
Lotus World Music and Arts Festival
Bloomington, Indiana, US
www.lotusfest.org/festival
Learning and Lotuses Since it started in 1994, the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival has welcomed artists from more than 120 countries to venues across the famous college city of Bloomington, Indiana. Musical offerings in 2018 included Anandi Bhattacharya of India, Delgres of Guadeloupe, Kaumakaiwa Kanaka'ole of Hawaii and Aar Maanta of Somalia. It’s the only world music festival in Indiana, and it’s part of the wider Lotus Education & Arts Foundation, using music and art to create opportunities for cultural understanding and exchange. As such, the programme includes many free events including workshops, an arts village and outreach into local schools.
September 27-29 2019
World Music Festival Bratislava
Bratislava, Slovakia
www.worldmusicfestival.sk
The young festival with a timeless line-up
Although this festival is rather new – this will only be its fourth edition – it has already built up a solid reputation with previous events inviting artists such as King Ayisoba, Marco Marković and Kalàscima. As well as international artists, WMFB is also an excellent place to discover the relatively unknown Slovakian folk music – the programme is roughly divided into half each. With the concerts taking place in the evening, the daytime also offers a conference, where you can learn about a whole host of musical traditions and meet the movers and shakers of Slovakian music.
September/November 2019, dates tbc
MIMO Brasil
Various locations, Brazil
www.mimo.art.br
Four festie fun
When is a festival not a festival? When it’s a whole bunch of them! All throughout the spring months, there are MIMO Festivals throughout Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraty and the mother event of them all in the beautiful northern city of Olinda. The festival’s raison d'être is to promote lesser-known Brazilian musical styles alongside an adventurous international line-up and a series of musically oriented films. International concerts last year came from Songhoy Blues, Noura Mint Seymali and 47SOUL.
October 2019, dates tbc
Jeonju Sori International Festival
Jeonju, South Korea
www.sorifestival.com
A sound for sori ears
Pansori is the epic storytelling song of Korea. Traditionally performed by one singer and one drummer, performances of pansori can last up to eight hours. The Jeonju Sori International Festival presents the whole range of pansori as it is performed today, from traditional master musicians to hardcore innovators. The stages are also open to art music from around the world – in 2018, the festival welcomed ensembles from Senegal to Indonesia and Turkey to Spain – and workshops introduce each musical style for those wanting to learn more.
October 2019, dates tbc
World Creole Music Festival
Roseau, Dominica
www.dominicafestivals.com/about-wcmf
In-Creole-dable
We all know that the Caribbean is the home of some of the hottest music in the world – the World Creole Music Festival in Dominica is there to prove it! It’s one of the oldest of a growing number of festivals on the island, and it’s really just one big party. The international sports stadium in the capital Roseau becomes a temple for dance music from all over the Caribbean as well as special guests from Africa and North America – the highlight of last year’s festivities was the legendary zouk band Kassav’.
October 10-14 2019
Jodhpur RIFF (Rajasthan International Folk Festival)
Jodhpur, India
www.jodhpurriff.org
Jodhpur jewels
The 15th century Mehrangarh Fort that looks down on the city of Jodhpur is transformed into a temple of music under the Sharad Purnima – the brightest full moon of the year. This is place to be if you want to hear the intoxicating music of the Manganiyar and the Langa – hereditary Rajasthani folk musicians – alongside folk and classical musicians from throughout India, and international guests too. For their efforts in promoting the traditional music of Rajasthan, the Jodhpur RIFF has been recognised by UNESCO as ‘a people's platform for creativity and sustainable development. ’
October 11-19 2019
Celtic Colours International Festival
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada
www.celtic-colours.com
Colourful trees, colourful Celts
The Celtic culture has played a huge role in the life of Nova Scotia since its settlement by European colonisers, and it’s still home to the biggest number of Scottish Gaelic speakers outside of Scotland. It’s also home to the Celtic Colours International Festival, which hosts about 50 concerts all over Cape Breton Island. The line-up will be announced in June, but expect artists from across the Celtic world and the local First Nations and Métis communities performing among the stunning autumnal surroundings.
October 29 - November 3 2019
Oslo World
Oslo, Norway
www.osloworld.no/en
Music and much more
Oslo World dropped the word ‘music’ from their name a couple of years ago, highlighting their increasing focus on programme elements such as design, architecture, theatre, seminars and film – but that doesn’t mean that music is any less integral to the party. Fatoumata Diawara, Ibeyi and Gaye Su Akyol all graced the Oslo stages last year, and a similarly eclectic line-up will no doubt make its way to the Norwegian capital again this year.
November 7-10 2019
Le Guess Who?
Utrecht, The Netherlands
www.leguesswho.nl
A who’s-who of jazz and world
Set across the medieval city of Utrecht, Le Guess Who? festival takes over orthodox and unorthodox venues including museums, churches and factories – perfect for orthodox and unorthodox performances from (mostly) jazz and jazz-adjacent musicians from across the globe. With star curators from across the arts, there will always be an unexpected gem or ten. The 2018 edition presented world offerings from Anoushka Shankar, Yonatan Gat & the Eastern Medicine Singers and the Meridian Brothers alongside jazz names such as Hailu Mergia, the Art Ensemble of Chicago and Sons of Kemet.
November 21-30 2019
Jerusalem International Oud Festival
Jerusalem, Israel
www.confederationhouse.org
Oud and above
If you love the sound of the Arabic fretless lute, the oud, then this festival is surely a must for you – it is a celebration of the instrument wherever it occurs in the world, and it holds a special place in the musical history of Jerusalem. The oud isn’t all that’s on offer at this festival, though: last year’s festival featured performances of Indian and Azeri classical music, Spanish flamenco and Greek folk alongside traditions from across the Arab and Jewish worlds.
December 12-15 2019
NoBorder
Brest, Brittany, France
www.festivalnoborder.com
A festival of free movement
The NoBorder festival challenges the perceptions of popular music of the world and its place among traditional styles, with a programme that juxtaposes worldwide music from across that spectrum over six days of concerts in the Quartz concert centre and DJs through the night across the city of Brest. As well as all the live music, NoBorder also do their bit to keep recoded music alive: there is a special presentation by Brest’s famous Bad Seeds independent record shop.
December 27 2019 - January 1 2020
Woodford Folk Festival
Queensland, Australia
www.woodfordfolkfestival.com
See in the new year with 2020 vision
Why would you welcome in the new year – and new decade – anywhere other than at a world music festival? The Woodford Folk Festival is held in a world ever-so-slightly parallel to our own in a land called Woodfordia, an old dairy farm that has been transformed into an idyllic forest and a haven for wildlife and artists alike. The programme is built in a way to allow guests to map their own adventure through music, poetry, dance, storytelling and physical art from across the world before the culmination of a fire ceremony on New Year’s Day.
January 31 - February 2 & 5-7 2020
Sur Jahan
Kolkata & Goa, India
www.banglanatak.com
A tale of two cities
Sur Jahan is the ‘world peace music festival,’ aiming to promote pluralism and poverty alleviation through music. This festival spans a subcontinent: it’s held across two weekends in two different cities on either sides of India – first Kolkata, then Goa – to spread its message far and wide. The programme includes musicians of many cultures from across India as well as six international artists (confirmed names for 2020 include Ale Möller from Sweden and Ibuyambo from South Africa), but the biggest highlight has to be the grand finale, where members from each performing group take to the stage together.
February 2020, dates tbc
Festival on the Niger
Ségou, Mali
www.festivalsegou.org
Mali brings it on home
Music, just like the waters of the Niger River itself, is the lifeblood of Mali, and so the meeting of the two is the most natural thing in the world. Since 2005, the Festival on the Niger has gathered Malian artists with local and international followings and top names from the surrounding countries and across the continent: previous line-ups have featured world-beaters Salif Keita and Oumou Sangaré as well as the stars of Mali today such as Sidiki Diabaté and Master Soumi. Alongside the music are films, arts and traditional markets that provide a unique experience all their own.
February 2020, dates tbc
Udaipur World Music Festival
Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
www.udaipurworldmusicfestival.com
Wonders of Rajasthan
The Udaipur World Music Festival shows of the great variety of music from across India, as well as introducing some world-renowned international artists, many of whom are performing in India for the very first time… and what a place to make your debut. Udaipur is one of India’s most romantic cities, and the festival’s venues take in everything from an island garden on the tranquil Lake Pichola to the Gandhi Ground sports stadium with a capacity of tens of thousands, allowing for all manner of emotional responses. Artists in previous years have included Kailash Kher, Flavia Coelhofindia and Txarango.
February 13-16 2020
Sauti za Busara
Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania
www.busaramusic.org
The wise sounds of Stone Town
Zanzibar has witnessed many cultural influences in its history, from East Africa, Arabia, South Asia and Europe, all of which can be seen in the art and architecture of the capital city, Stone Town. Sauti za Busara is held right in the middle of all that history, in venues across the old town and with the main stage sited in the magnificent Old Fort. With the aim to showcase the diverse cultures of the continent, the line-up is exclusively made up of African and Afro-diasporic artists, with half the programme dedicated to Zanzibari and Tanzanian professional and community musical groups.
February 14-16, 2020
GroundUP Music Festival
Miami Beach, Florida, US
www.groundupmusicfestival.com
All that jazz
The GroundUP Music Festival is the passion project of Snarky Puppy, the world-shaking collective that helped bring jazz back into the mainstream. With fewer than 2,000 tickets available, the festival creates an intimate setting to hear forerunners and innovators of jazz, soul, funk and world music. 2019’s artists included Susana Baca, Innov Gnawa and the New York Gypsy All-Stars, as well as Snarky Puppy playing their usual three sets throughout the event, each with a different line-up and myriad guest musicians.
Feburary 14-16, 2020
Rupununi Music & Arts Festival
Manari, Guyana
www.rupununifestival.com
Amazing Amazonian arts
If camping in the grasslands at the very edge of the Amazon basin, just miles from the Brazilian border doesn’t sound tempting enough, how about a festival of beautiful music, indigenous arts and delicious food at the same time? The focus of the Rupununi Festival is to work in harmony with the wonderful nature around it, and its eco-friendly ethos is complemented by the festival’s chilled-out atmosphere. The musical line-up hosts the best of Guyanese and Brazilian music, as well as hosting traditional music and arts from local Amerindian artists.
March 26 - April 11 2020
Savannah Music Festival
Savannah, Georgia, USA
www.savannahmusicfestival.org
Springtime in Savannah
For over 30 years, the Savannah Music Festival has presented one of the most all-embracing programmes anywhere. There are pop and traditional artists from every continent, and there’s always sure to have a good showing of blues, jazz and classical music on offer too. Over 17 days, 500 artists will perform across the city of Savannah, making the festival the largest musical event in the state of Georgia. The fantastic array of concerts in 2019 included Anda Union, Maceo Parker, a double header of Fatoumata Diawara and Noura Mint Seymali and a performance by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Photos from top: Okarina, by Ervin Crnovic; Rainforest World Music Festival; Riddu Riđđu, by Eirin Roseneng; Sauti za Busara, by Markus Meissl.