Article Contributed by 23 PR
Published on 2026-10-21
New York’s celebrated globalFEST is back for its 24th year on Sunday, January 17, 2027 at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. As the festival transforms David Geffen Hall into a vibrant celebration of music, this year’s event brings acts from four continents, performing across three stages on one unforgettable evening. See the full lineup below, and find more information at LincolnCenter.org/globalFEST.
For over 20 years, the organization’s eponymous festival has been the premier event introducing audiences and performing arts professionals to the world’s most exciting musical traditions and innovative sounds that are ready to tour across the country and around the world. At a time of talk of borders closing, globalFEST shines a light on the importance of artist mobility, cross cultural solidarity, and celebrating the diversity and commonality of the human spirit.
The January festival sells out every year and takes place during the annual Association of Performing Arts Professionals Conference and adjoining events. The lineup was curated by co-directors Bill Bragin (executive artistic director of The Arts Center at New York University Abu Dhabi), Isabel Soffer (co-founder and director The Local Saugerties/Hudson Valley Live Presents), and Shanta Thake (Lincoln Center Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer), plus this year’s guest curator Roshni Lavelle (Director of Programs, Brooklyn Bridge Park):
Alash Ensemble – The trio of master spiritual Tuvan throat singers from the Central Asian Steppe, who are grounded in this tradition while expanding its musical vocabulary.
Dogo du Togo & The Alagaa Beat Band – Guitar-driven Togolese music from West Africa blending psychedelic rock, traditional Alagaa rhythms and afrobeat.
Either/Orchestra – Swinging Ethiopiques big band from Boston with Ethiopian singers Munit Mesfin & Bruck Tefaye.
Gamelan Dharma Swara – Shimmering Balinese percussion and dance from traditional to experimental.
Mariposas Galácticas – Kumbia-Klezmer-Punk rebels from Philadelphia who honor their South American and Jewish roots with a mashup of Indigenous Andean and punkified ancient Jewish melodies.
Mehrnam Rastegari – Persian folk meets psych-rock mixing microtonal music of Iran with modern elements.
Melissa Carper – Singer and bassist Melissa Carper threads old-time, bluegrass, western swing, jazz, and blues that intertwined to form American country music before the recording industry drew artificial lines and slapped on race-based genre labels.
Tabou Combo – Haitian Konpa legends celebrating 50 years as one of the most enduring Caribbean bands in the world.
Tanyaradzwa Tawengwa – Stunning mbira and vocals bridge Zimbabwe’s past and future, exploring that layered inheritance through sound, image, and memory.
Yeison Landero – The irresistible heir to Colombian cumbia who delivers electrifying, high-energy performances that honor tradition with authenticity and charisma.
Of this year’s fest, Bragin, Soffer, and Thake said: “It has never been more important for us to champion artists, musical traditions, and cultures from around the globe and to challenge the idea of a world defined by division and isolation. globalFEST offers an alternative narrative, one which expands horizons, challenges assumptions, and reminds us that our differences are what make us stronger and bind us together. Our annual festival and other programs like the Wavelengths Conference and the globalFEST Touring Fund support our mission to move international and regional American music to the center of the performing arts field and to highlight the importance of cultural mobility.”
Since its founding in 2003, globalFEST has been a trailblazing organization highlighting international and regional American music, helping launch the U.S. touring careers of hundreds of artists like Angélique Kidjo, Antibalas, DakhaBrakha, Thandiswa Mazwai, Red Baraat, Bab L’Bluz, Meridian Brothers, and hundreds more. Created in response to the dark days between 9/11 and the start of the Iraq War, globalFEST is devoted to encouraging cultural awareness through musical discovery. Over its 23-year history, the festival has presented over 300 artists from more than 70 countries and nations and is recognized for bridging cultural divides while championing gender equity, LGBTQ+ voices, and advocacy for artists whose homelands face crises, natural disasters, and hardships.
Tickets for globalFEST 2027 are on sale now at LincolnCenter.org/globalFEST. To make the arts more accessible, tickets are available on a Choose-What-You-Pay basis. Visit the event page for more information.
