Folk Alliance International (FAI) has unveiled the Official Showcase lineup for its 38th annual conference, January 21–25, 2026, in New Orleans, LA. More than 150 artists representing 34 countries will perform. The 2026 theme is Rise Up.
Highlights
Two-time GRAMMY winners Lost Bayou Ramblers (progressive Louisiana French/Cajun).
Bruce Sudano, songwriter for Donna Summer, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, and Michael Jackson.
Two-time GRAMMY winners Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience (heard in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog).
Chuck Prophet (NPR: “electrifying”), newly in remission from stage four lymphoma.
Pieta Brown (BBC: “seductive simplicity and lyrical grace”).
Ramy Essam, Egyptian revolutionary artist and human-rights defender now in exile.
Emily Scott Robinson (Oh Boy Records; year-end lists from NPR, Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, No Depression).
Beth Nielsen Chapman (seven #1 hits; songs recorded by Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, and more).
The Steel Wheels (NPR: boundary-smearing blues/bluegrass/gospel).
Rainbow Girls (YouTube favorites; IFMA nominees).
Tray Wellington (Steve Martin Banjo Prize; 2019 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year; SNL 50th with Mumford & Sons).
Mamadou Diabate & Percussion Mania (kora master; Austrian World Music Award; Burkina Faso National Order).
Las Cafeteras (LA Times: “uniquely Angeleno mishmash” of punk/hip-hop/cumbia/rock).
Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas (GRAMMY-nominated).
Emma Swift (Blonde on the Tracks: Best of 2020 lists in Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and more).
Feng E (Taiwanese ukulele phenom).
Great Lake Swimmers (“stark, atmospheric… ambient folk”—Pitchfork).
Sean Ardoin (five-time GRAMMY nominee).
Jim White (performances on Conan and Letterman; music in Breaking Bad).
Cary Morin Duo (NPR: “one of the best pickers on the scene today”).
Jason Ricci & Damon Fowler (New Orleans-based; Billboard-topping blues releases).
Ordinary Elephant (“beautiful, soulful, exquisitely simple”—Bandcamp Daily).
Corey Ledet Zydeco & Black Magic (GRAMMY-nominated; Jazz Fest favorites).
Doug MacLeod (multiple Blues Music Awards; praised by Jorma Kaukonen).
OKAN (IFMA winners; Afro-Cuban duo; two JUNOs; NPR Tiny Desk).
Angelique Francis (2023 JUNO-winning blues artist).
Las Guaracheras (all-women Colombian salsa sextet; Lincoln Center).
Luke Winslow-King (NYT: blends Delta blues, gospel, jazz).
Aysanabee (two-time JUNO winner; multi-instrumentalist/producer/songwriter).
Quote
“We are proud to see so many incredible artists in so many different varieties of folk music, some living right down the street in New Orleans and some coming from halfway around the world,” said FAI Executive Director Jennifer Roe. “The conference will be a focal point for this community to send a powerful message of hope to the world.”
Theme: Rise Up
RISE UP invites artists, activists, and allies to gather in New Orleans—where music marches through the streets—to celebrate folk traditions and spark collective action.
Impact
According to the NEA/BEA Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account, the U.S. arts sector contributed $1.2 trillion to the economy in 2023 (4.2% of GDP) and employs nearly 5.4 million Americans.
Mike Seeger Traditional Fellowship
FAI will honor Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes—bandleader, accordionist, singer, harmonica player, songwriter, actor, and ethnographic and environmental photographer. Leader of Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots (100+ songs in Louisiana Creole and English), co-author of Talk That Music Talk and Le Kèr Creole, and Big Chief of the Northside Skull and Bone Gang, Sunpie has “masked skeleton” at 5 a.m. on Mardi Gras for 26 years. In addition to his Official Showcase, he will present traditional practices and perspectives as part of the fellowship.
Conference at a Glance
Five days of professional development, networking, and music for artists and industry.
Keynote address (TBA).
Summits on legal issues, Black American music, and international Indigenous music.
Official Showcases: over 160 jury-selected artists on the conference’s largest stages for venue bookers, agents, labels, DJs, and media.
Late-night Private Showcases in hotel rooms, hosted by organizations across the community.
Opening-night International Folk Music Awards (IFMAs).
About Folk Alliance International
Founded in 1989, FAI is the world’s largest membership organization for the folk music community. Its mission is to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk community through preservation, presentation, and promotion. FAI values diversity, equity, inclusion, and access; is committed to gender parity; celebrates multiple languages and cultures; and actively welcomes marginalized and underrepresented communities. FAI defines folk broadly as “the music of the people,” spanning Appalachian, Americana, Blues, Bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, Global Roots, Hip-Hop, Old-Time, Singer-Songwriter, Spoken Word, Traditional, Zydeco, and more. FAI also provides information, advocacy, education, and professional development to a community of 19,000+ and oversees an IRS Group Exemption program supporting 50+ U.S. nonprofits.
