Free admission • Multiple locations

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

This free, city-wide festival features over 31 artists from 16 countries at 11 venues around Chicago including the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and Navy Pier, bringing even more diversity to Chicago’s already rich music festival schedule.

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.

World Music Festival lineup and schedule

The 2024 schedule included musical acts from a diverse array of global regions performing at some of the city’s more unique venues. Highlights included Ragamala, an all-night-long presentation of live Indian classical music, and the Global Peace Picnic, the grand finale event at the lakefront Navy Pier.

Friday, Sept. 20
  • Ragamala: A Celebration of Indian Classical Music
    Location: Chicago Cultural Center, Preston Bradley Hall 
Saturday, Sept. 21
  • La Sonora Mazuren (Colombia) and DJ Lápiz & Valanze (Cuba)
    Location: Martyrs’ 
Sunday, Sept. 22
  • Ustad Noor Bakhsh (Pakistan) and Bia Ferreira (Brazil)
    Location: Chicago Cultural Center, Preston Bradley Hall
  • Global Carnival presented by Old Town School of Folk Music
    Featuring Ilê Aiyê (Brazil), Flagboy Giz & The Wild Tchoupitoulas (New Orleans)
    Location: Millennium Park, Jay Pritzker Pavilion and parkwide
Monday, Sept. 23
  • La Muchacha(Colombia) and Vivian Garcia (Chicago)
    Location: Empty Bottle
Tuesday, September 24
  • Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino(Italy) and Ana Everling and Taraf de Chicago (Chicago)
    Location: Constellation

World Music Festival

Wednesday, September 25
  • Fränder (Sweden) and Maryna Krut (Ukraine)
    Location: Old Town School of Folk Music
Thursday, September 26
  • Sara Curruchich (Guatemala) and Menjunje (Chicago)
    Location: The Promontory
Friday, September 27
  • Ana Crisman (Spain) and Maracatu Atômico (Chicago)
    Location: The Rhapsody Theater
Saturday, September 28
  • Kavita Shah/Cape Verdean Blues Project (Cape Verde)
    Location: Hamilton Park Cultural Center
  • Yallah Yallah (New York) and La Tosca (Chicago) 
    Location: Chop Shop + 1st Ward Events
Sunday, September 29
  • Global Peace Party at Navy Pier
    La Dame Blanche (Cuba), Johnny Blas and the Afro Libre Orchestra (Chicago), Cloud Farmers (Chicago) and Surabhi Ensemble (Chicago)
    Location: Navy Pier Beer Garden

Explore the full Chicago World Music Festival schedule for more details.

Find details on artists, venues, and more at the official website and follow the festival on Facebook and Twitter @WMFChicago or with #WorldMusicFestChi.

Please note: The schedule is subject to change. For the latest on all Millennium Park events, visit millenniumpark.org.