Experience a World of Music in One City

Georgia's largest musical arts event and one of the most distinctive cross-genre music festivals in the world.

Schedule of Events:

4:30 pm – 6:40 pm & 8:00 pm – 10:10 pm: East Nash Grass / Bronwyn Keith-Hynes Band

East Nash Grass, a standout band from Nashville’s vibrant music scene, built its reputation on nightly performances around Music City’s East side. What began as a casual weekly bluegrass night at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge gradually evolved into a dedicated group, eventually becoming one of bluegrass’s top young bands. In 2024, they won the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) “New Artist of the Year” award, with members highly sought after as side musicians for genre stars. Whether playing bluegrass Mondays at Dee’s or on the Ryman Auditorium stage, East Nash Grass brings swagger, skill, and high energy to every performance.

Bronwyn Keith-Hynes is renowned as a prolific instrumentalist, earning two IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year awards and a Grammy for her work with Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway. Her new solo album, I Built a World, also showcases her impressive vocal abilities. As a child, she transitioned from music lessons to public performances, especially in Irish music, after her family moved to Charlottesville, Virginia. Her lifelong music education, including the American Roots Music program at Berklee and Savannah Music Festival’s Acoustic Music Seminar, continues to shape her work. She blends traditional bluegrass with personal expression, saying, “My favorite bluegrass musicians are rooted in tradition but don’t see boundaries.”

Location: Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden

Ticket: $47.00

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5:00 pm – 6:15 pm & 7:30 pm – 8:45 pm: Catherine Russell & Sean Mason

Esteemed Grammy-nominated vocalist Catherine Russell and celebrated pianist Sean Mason join forces for this opening Savannah Music Festival concert at District Live. Catherine Russell and Sean Mason share a profound connection that transcends their impressive individual talents. Both masters of jazz, their repertoires span the vast landscape of African-American and American popular music, from the blues and R&B to the Great American Songbook, Broadway, Hollywood, and Tin Pan Alley. This collaboration represents a unique convergence of experience and youthful virtuosity, offering a fresh yet timeless sound.

Location: District Live at Plant Riverside District

Ticket: $47.00

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5:00 pm – 6:20 pm & 8:00 pm – 9:20 pm: Latin Dance Party: Kiki Valera y su Son Cubano

Son cubano is one of the most popular musical styles in Cuba, and Kiki Valera is one of its foremost exponents. Over the last century, this style of traditional Cuban music has contributed to many other genres of music, including jazz, cha cha cha, mambo, salsa, songo and timba. Kiki Valera is the oldest son of the famous La Familia Valera Miranda septet, a multi-generational traditional music group from Santiago de Cuba. Since the 19th century, La Familia Valera Miranda has played a significant role in Cuban culture by collecting and preserving the deep-rooted traditions of the legendary Sierra Maestra mountain region. A multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and producer, he’s best known as one of the world’s greatest players of the Cuban cuatro, a mid-size guitar with 8 strings grouped in sets of 2. His current project features several other internationally acclaimed recording artists and is sure to keep audiences on their feet.

Location: Ships of the Sea

Ticket: $45.00

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8:00 pm – 9:30 pm: Angélique Kidjo

Five-time Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo is one of the greatest artists in international music today—a creative force with sixteen albums to her name. Time Magazine has called her “Africa’s premier diva” and named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2021. The BBC has included her in its list of the continent’s 50 most iconic figures, and in 2011 The Guardian listed her as one of their Top 100 Most Inspiring Women in the World. Forbes Magazine has ranked Kidjo as the first woman in their list of the Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa. She is the recipient of the prestigious 2015 Crystal Award given by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the 2016 Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience Award, the 2018 German Sustainability Award, the 2023 Vilcek Prize in Music, and the 2023 Polar Music Prize. As a polyglot performer, her striking voice, stage presence and fluency in multiple cultures and languages have won the respect of her peers and expanded her following across national borders. Kidjo has cross-pollinated the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin with elements of American R&B, funk and jazz, as well as influences from Europe and Latin America. Don’t miss this electrifying opening weekend concert and be prepared to get on your feet and dance!

Location: Lucas Theatre for the Arts

Tickets: $42 – $82

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