globalFEST is a world music showcase that runs twice a year.
- In January, globalFEST is a JanArtsNYC showcase for APAP, the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, the association of booking agents and presenting theaters.
- In August, globalFEST is part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City.
globalFEST 2026 Winter
globalFEST 2026, the world music showcase, is at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall on Sunday, January 11, 2026.
globalFEST 2025 Summer
globalFEST, the world music showcase, highlights women artists for Summer for the City at Lincoln Center; on Saturday, August 2, 205 with shows throughout the campus, starting at 4:30pm through 10pm. FREE. 🇺🇸 🇨🇱 🇬🇳 🇵🇷 🇿🇦 🇹🇷
- Thea Hopkins, Indigenous Aquinnah Wampanoag American, sings Americana; in Hearst Plaza (main plaza); on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 4:30pm. FREE. 🇺🇸
- Gaye Su Akyol sings Turkish psychedelic rock and folk in Hearst Plaza (main plaza); on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 5:15pm. FREE 🇹🇷
- Taína Asili, the Puerto Rican New Yorker, sings her unique fusion of soul, salsa, and reggae; in Hearst Plaza (main plaza); on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 5:45pm. FREE. 🇵🇷
- Natu Camara, the Guinean New Yorker, sings Guinean pop and American funk on The Dance Floor; on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 6:30pm. FREE. 🇬🇳
- Claudia Acuña, the Chilean jazz singer, sings jazz and Chilean folk at Hearst Plaza; on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 7:30pm. FREE. 🇨🇱
- BCUC (Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness) from Soweto, South Africa, sings Sowetan funk and soul at Damrosch Park; on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 7:30pm. FREE. 🇿🇦
- El Laberinto del Coco, Puerto Rico’s bomba fusion big band, plays bomba alternative on The Dance Floor; on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 8:45pm. FREE. 🇵🇷
- Haza, the NYC dance party, spins a silent disco of music of the Arab, Asian, and African diasporas on The Dance Floor; on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 10pm. FREE.
globalFEST 2024 Winter
globalFEST 2024 presents world music at various locations in David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center; on Sunday, January 14, 2024 at 7pm. $60. 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇩🇴 🇫🇷 🇮🇳 🇲🇽 🇲🇦 🇵🇷 🇿🇦 🇪🇸 🇺🇦
The bands set up at various locations in David Geffen Hall. Sets are around 50 minutes, but a new band starts every 30 minutes or so. It’s a pretty cool concept. Kudos to Lincoln Center for this very creative use of their facilities.
And it’s actually an appropriate way to present world music. In New York, we put music on stage, but in our native environments, music is at home, in the patio, on a field, in the street, or the town square. World music and Latin music live in informal settings.
We classify many of these artists as Latin alternative artists because they perform fusions of many different influences, both traditional and contemporary. You can call it world music if you want. Whatever you call it, there is some great music here.
globalFEST 2024 concert artists
This is a very eclectic group of artists. If you get to see them all, you can’t help but notice how similar we are around the world. Do North Africans and Ukrainians do the same stuff as Americans and Latins? You bet!
Morrocan Rock
Bab L’ Bluz, from France and Morroco, play psychedelic Gnawa rock for globalFEST, the world music showcase in the Leon and Norma Hess Grand Promenade at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center on Sunday, January 14, 2024. Concert starts at 7pm. Bab plays from 7:55-8:45pm. @bablbluz 🇫🇷 🇲🇦
“Gnawa” is spiritual poetry with music and dance of the Gnawa people of Morocco and Algeria. It uses the ghembri, a stringed instrument related to the banjo. This is cool because American blues and rock originate in North Africa. There are lots of droning sounds which is a Sufi tradition that helps achieve transcendence. You will hear the call to prayer which becomes melisma (warbling on a note) in gospel, blues, and jazz.
Ukrainian Alternative
Balaklava Blues, from Ukraine and the USA, plays electronic folk for globalFEST, the world music showcase in the Karen and Richard LeFrak Lobby at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center on Sunday, January 14, 2024. Concert starts at 7pm. Balaklava plays from 10:10-11pm. @balaklvablues 🇺🇦
Brazilian Alternative
Bia Ferreira, from Carangola, Minas Gerais, Brazil, sings Brazilian alternative or MPB for globalFEST, the world music showcase in the Leon and Norma Hess Grand Promenade at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center on Sunday, January 14, 2024. Concert starts at 7pm. Bia plays from 9:15-10:05pm. @igrejalesbiteriana 🇧🇷
Bia is a fierce Black Woman who plays some great Latin Alternative. Her lyrics are powerful, and she really rocks the room. She is a force of nature who sings to the saints, through Brazil’s Candomble tradition. Candomble is the root of Brazilian samba and bossa nova, and also Uruguayan candombe and Argentine milonga and tango.
Indian Alternative
Karsh Kale, from India and the USA plays Indo classical live electronic landscapes for globalFEST, the world music showcase in the Leon and Norma Hess Grand Promenade at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center on Sunday, January 14, 2024. Concert starts at 7pm. Karsh plays from 10:35-11:25pm. @karshkale 🇮🇳 🇺🇸
Puerto Rican Bomba Fusion
El Laberinto del Coco big band plays Puerto Rican bomba fusion for globalFEST, the world music showcase in the Wu Tsai Theater at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center on Sunday, January 14, 2024, from 11:05 – 11:55pm. They are closing the festival. They saved the best for last. (We’re biased. Coco is our bomba teacher in Puerto Rico.) $60. @ellaberintodelcoco 🇵🇷
Psychedelic R&B
Lonnie Holley + Mourning [A] BLKstar, from the USA, play psychedelic R&B for globalFEST, the world music showcase in the Wu Tsai Theater at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center on Sunday, January 14, 2024. Concert starts at 7pm. Holley and BLKstar play from 7-7:55pm. @lonnieholleyuniverse @mourningablkstar 🇺🇸
Spanish Electro Folk
Tarta Relena, from Spain, sing their Spanish folk-infused vocals over electronics for globalFEST, the world music showcase in the Wu Tsai Theater at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center on Sunday, January 14, 2024. Concert starts at 7pm. Tarta Relena perform from 9:45-10:35pm. @tartarelena 🇪🇸
South African Alternative
Thandiswa Mazwai, from South Africa, sings South African alternative with xhosa rhythms, mbaqanga, and more for globalFEST, the world music showcase in the Wu Tsai Theater at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center on Sunday, January 14, 2024. Concert starts at 7pm. Thandiswa performs from 8:25-9:15pm. @thandiswamazwai 🇿🇦
Xhosa is a Bantu language of South Africa’s second largest community. Mbaqanga is a fusion of Zulu music and European and American pop music. There is a lot of great music coming out of South Africa now. We are big fans of amapiano (South African house).
Mexican Alternative
Villalobos Brothers roll up Mexican folk, classical, and jazz into Mexican alternative, for the globalFEST world music showcase in the Karen and Richard LeFrak Lobby at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center; on Sunday, January 14, 2024. globalFEST starts at 7pm. Villalobos play from 7:30-8:20pm. $60. @villalobos_brothers 🇲🇽
Afro-Dominican Alternative
Yasser Tejeda plays Afro-Dominican alternative for globalFEST in the Karen and Richard LeFrak Lobby in David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center; on Sunday, January 14, 2024. globalFEST starts at 7pm. Tejeda plays from 8:50-9:40pm. $60. @yassertejeda 🇩🇴