World Fest

World Fest tours international musicians to Midwestern communities to foster an understanding of and appreciation for global uniqueness and differences.

Photo Credit: Jared Doran

About World Fest

World Fest is a performing arts residency program that tours world music ensembles to communities in the Midwest. For each World Fest season, we partner with one organization in each of the nine states we work in throughout the region, with a focus on rural communities.

Since World Fest’s inception in 2003, we have served more than 650,000 individuals, including 450,000 youth, through more than 280 public performances and 2,300+ educational events.

Present high-caliber, accessible international artists to small- or mid-sized Midwest communities;
Provide a multifaceted experience to community residents, particularly young people;
Integrate the artists and their music into a broader social, cultural, political, and historical framework;
Encourage young people to explore issues and understand concerns of diverse cultures; and
Create a lasting musical and cultural impact on participants.

By partnering with one organization in each of our nine states, Arts Midwest will bring international music ensembles to the following cities during our current cycle beginning in 2022:

Oskaloosa, IA – George Daily Auditorium
Freeport, IL – Freeport Art Museum
Sullivan, IN – City of Sullivan, Indiana
Albion, MI – Bohm Theatre
Minot, ND – Minot Area Council of the Arts
Portsmouth, OH – The Vern Riffe Center for the Arts
Custer, SD & Hot Springs, SD – Custer Area Arts Council & Chautauqua Craftsmen & Artisans of the Black Hills
Marinette, WI – Rusty Wolfe Studio
Fairmont, MN – Fairmont Opera House

A program of Arts Midwest, the 2022–2023 World Fest artist tours are generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

Arts Midwest is also generously supported by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Indiana Arts Commission, Iowa Arts Council, Michigan Arts and Culture Council, Minnesota State Arts Board, North Dakota Council on the Arts, Ohio Arts Council, South Dakota Arts Council, Wisconsin Arts Board, 3M, Crane Group, and individual donors and partners.

About our Partners

2022-23 World Fest Artists

Ensembles will spend one week in each community to share their music and culture through school workshops, masterclasses, and a public concert celebration at the end of the week

Past World Fest Artists

For nearly two decades, World Fest has brought internationally recognized musicians to the Midwest. These artists hail from Japan, Mexico, Israel, China, Somalia, Canada, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, Norway, and many places in between.

Explore Past Artists