Founded back in 2003, globalFEST was created during the dark and deeply xenophobic days between 9/11 and the start of the Iraq War. The event has been devoted to encouraging cultural awareness and exchange through musical discovery.
Since its founding, globalFEST has developed a reputation for being a trailblazing organization highlighting international and regional American music, while helping to launch the U.S. touring careers of acts like Angélique Kidjo, Antibalas, DakhaBrakha, Thandiswa Mazwai, Red Baarat, Bab L’Bluz, Meridian Brothers and many more.
Over the course of its 23-year history, the festival has presented over 300 artists from over 70 nations, and has been recognized for bridging cultural divides while proudly championing gender equity and LGBTQ+ voices, as well as advocacy for artists whose homelands face crises, natural disasters and other hardships.
Along with its dynamic, global music platforms, globalFEST has evolved from being a showcase festival into a non-profit service organization for curators, artists and the performing arts field that moves both international and regional American music into the center of the performing arts field. Their programs include the curation of notable festival stages and festivals, the creation and distribution of urgent grants, a partnership with NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concerts series, the gF Awards, and Wavelengths, an industry-focused conference.
globaFEST’s 501(3)C non-profit gF encourages networking and cultural diplomacy; deepens cultural understanding among its various constituencies; helps build audiences for international music and creates new opportunities for artists, leading to a more robust and sustainable ecosystem for world music here in the States
globalFEST’s 23rd edition will take place Sunday, January 11, 2026 at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts‘ David Geffen Hall with acts from four continents, performing across three stages. The 23rd edition will feature a lineup curated by co-directors Bill Bragin, Isabel Soffer, Shanta Thanke, Lincoln Center’s Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer and guest curator Lia Camille Crocket. The festival comes at time when borders — especially ours — feel like they’re closing, with this year’s edition specifically shinning a light on the importance of artist mobility, cross cultural solidarity while celebrating the diversity and commonality of the human spirit.
globalFEST 2026 will feature:
- Al-Qasar: psychedelic Arab Fuzz rock that combines North African trance with Arabic modes
- Dale Watson & His Lone Stars with Special Guest Celine Lee: legendary Outlaw Texas Honky-Tonk and country
- David Rivera y La Bámbula: soul-stirring tropical rhythms combined with Puerto Rican bomba, and Latin jazz;
- Insun Park & Generals: groundbreaking fusion of rock, Korean traditional music, and the vibrant rhythms of Gangnyeong mask dance;
- Maria Mazzotta: dynamic Southern Italian vocals meet the rhythms of the Balkans
- Nidia Góngora: famed singer and guardian of Afro-Colombian music reinterprets ancestral rhythms with contemporary sounds;
- Raiatea Helm: master of Hawaiian leo kiʻe kiʻe falsetto singing who brings to life a rare and refined vocal style
- Saami Brothers featuring Ustad Naseeruddin Saami: khayal and qawwali devotional music from Pakistan
- The Naghash Ensemble: mystical Armenian poetry combined with haunting vocals, ancient instruments, and modern classical music
- Vopli Vidopliassova: celebrating four decades as one of Ukraine’s most influential bands.
“globalFEST is about more than music. It’s about bringing diverse communities together for a celebration of creativity, resilience, and stories from around the world,” festival co-directors and co-curators Bill Bragin, Isabel Soffer, Shanta Thanke say. “At a time when connection across borders feels more important than ever, this year’s lineup reflects the joy and binding power of our distinct musical heritage and experiences. We can’t wait for audiences to take part in this full-theater takeover at David Geffen Hall, where every corner of the building will come alive with the sounds of the world.”
More information is available at LincolnCenter.org/globalFEST.
Tickets for globalFEST 2026 are on sale now. Because of Lincoln Center’s and globalFEST’s commitment to make the arts more accessible, tickets are amiable on a Chose-What-You-Pay basis. My understanding is that as of this publication, tickets are going fast. So don’t wait up, y’all.
You can visit the event page for more information.
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