Everything you need to know about the 2024 Lotus Festival in Bloomington, Indiana

One of Bloomington's biggest and best music festivals is getting ready for its first performance next month, before four days full of musicians from around the world. Lotus World Music and Arts Festival brings artists from all over the globe to perform in several downtown Bloomington venues.

Here's what you need to know about this year's festival.

What is the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival?

The Lotus World Music and Arts Festival is in its 31st year and is now a four-day festival celebrating music and performing arts from artists that come from around the globe to Bloomington, Indiana.

When is the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival?

The 2024 Lotus World Music and Arts Festival will be Oct. 3-6 with pre-events on Sept. 17 and Oct. 1.

Who is playing this year at the Lotus festival?

Al-Farabi Ensemble: This trio from Israel performs Palestinian and Jewish classical Arabic music. (Oct. 4)

Andrew Small and Ashley Watkins: Bringing the sounds of Appalachia from Floyd, Virginia, this duo blends acoustic sounds of fiddle, mandolin, guitar and banjo with vocal harmonies that evoke old-time, bluegrass, country and folk music. (Oct. 5-6)

Bread and Puppet Theater: This traveling theater troupe delivers outdoor pageantry through puppets and is one of the oldest nonprofit political theaters in the U.S. Bread and Puppet Theater is based in Vermont and was founded in 1963. (Oct. 1)

Coolmule: This Bloomington-based quartet is known for making cloggers clog and dancers stomp to their old-time music played on fiddle, guitar, bass and banjo. (Oct. 3)

Corey Harris and Cedric Watson: From New Orleans street musician to performing around the world, Corey Harris channels his diverse ancestry into his music. Together with renowned Creole/blues musician Cedric Watson, the two present an exploration of the roots and soul of American blues. (Oct. 4-5)

Dan Kusaya: Kusaya is a one-man band from Zimbabwe who uses live looping of multiple instruments to create musical texture filled with traditional Zimbabwean songs, stories, and instrumentation. (Oct. 5)

DREAM: Bachata Academy: Music students from 15 to 20 years old join faculty from Bachata Academy to preserve and perform bachata, a music of the Dominican barrios that is a staple of dance halls and Latin radio. (Oct. 4-5)

Forgotten Tribe: Feel-good music for the soul, Forgotten Tribe blends Latin fusion, hip-hop, and reggae that will bring the crowd to its feet. (Oct. 5)

Karan Casey: Irish singer-songwriter Karan Casey will be joined by renowned singer and fiddle player, Niamh Dunne, and the amazing button accordion player, Sean Óg Graham for what is sure to be an emotional performance. (Oct. 4-5)

Keith Murphy & Yann Falquet: This duo is bringing folk music from Quebec and Newfoundland through dynamic guitar and intimate, joyful voices. (Oct. 5)

Kiran Ahluwalia: This Canadian singer/songwriter is a two-time winner of Canada's top music prize, the Juno. The latest album is about rising ethnic marginalization and political polarization. (Oct. 4-5)

La Salsoteca: Based in Bloomington, this new salsa band also performs other Latin music. (Oct. 5)

Las Guaracheras: This all-women salsa sextet from Cali, Columbia, bring the spice and soul of Afro-Latin dance music. (Oct. 4-5)

Luciane Dom: Dance, sing and free your body to Afrobeat, Urban Jazz, Reggae, and Ijexá (a Brazilian rhythm originating in Carnival) with this Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, performer. (Oct. 5-6)

Maryna Krut: Expect a compelling, soulful performance with with pop and jazz flourishes from this Ukrainian singer and bandura — a stringed instrument unique to Ukraine that looks and sounds like a hybrid of lute and harp — master. (Oct. 4-5)

Rahim AlHaj: This Iraqi American musician began playing the oud at age 9. He is considered one of the finest oud players in the world and has received many awards. (Oct. 4-5)

Telmary and HabanaSana: A street poet on the cutting edge of hip-hop and urban music from Havana, Cuba, who will show just what she can do with vocals as a percussive instrument. (Oct. 4)

Usted Noor Bakhsh: Groove and dance to the sounds of an electric benju, a Pakistani folk instrument, featuring Persian and Kurdish tunes. The village Noor Bakhsh hails from has no electricity so his small amp is powered by a motorcycle battery, which he will use for this performance. (Oct. 4)

Yacouba Sissoko & SIYA: Yacouba Sissoko was born in Kita, Mali, to a well-known djely family. Djelys have been the traditional musicians and keepers of factual history and fables. He blends his traditional music with other styles and will perform with his band SIYA. (Oct. 4-5)

Yungchen Lhamo Originally from Lhasa, Tibet, and having spent time in Dharamsala, India, Lhamo will evoke spirituality through her ethereal vocals. (Oct. 4)

How much are tickets and where can I get them for the Lotus festival in Bloomington?

Tickets range in price from $20 to $130, depending on the venue and amount of days the ticket is valid. All tickets can be purchased at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater box office, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., and online at buskirkchumley.org.

All inclusive tickets are $120 in advance/$130 standard; Thursday, Oct. 3, tickets are $25 in advance/$30 day of event; weekend (Oct. 4-5) tickets are $90 advance/$105; Friday (Oct. 4) or Saturday (Oct. 5) only are $50 advance/$55 day of; student and senior single-day weekend tickets are $40; children 12 and younger are admitted free but must have an arm band. Sunday (Oct. 6) only tickets are $20 and ticketholders get a free festival pin.

Are there any free events at the Lotus festival?

Beginning this year, all children age 12 and younger can attend without charge. Tickets are still needed, but are free.

Lotus in the Park, from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 5 at Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park, will provide free festival artist performances including interactive visual arts activities with an expanded artist camp. There will be local food trucks selling food.

The Lotus Festival Unwind Yoga at The FAR Center for Contemporary Arts will be offered 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 6. Presented by Bloomington Yoga Collective in partnership with Vibe Yoga, Nourishing Heart Yoga and Ekah Yoga, the sessions will be free but donations are suggested.

What's new this year?

There will be two events that happen before Oct. 3-6. The first is Lotus at the Cinema (IU Cinema that is) where Merrill Hatlen's Lotus festival documentary, "Around the World in 4 Days," will be shown at 7 p.m. Sept. 17.

On Oct. 1, the Bread and Puppet Theater will be at Loesch Farm, where cash donations of $10-$30 (sliding fee scale) are requested. Bring a blanket and picnic early — the gates open at 4:30 p.m. The show starts at 6 p.m. and there will be no late entry allowed.

This year the Lotus festival will be in four venues: First Christian Church, Buskirk-Chumley Theater and the John Waldron Arts Center, using the complete facilities there including the art galleries. The final concert will be at 3 p.m. Oct. 6 in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. This year the closing concert-goers must purchase tickets ($20 each) and will receive a free festival pin.

Lotus Dance workshops will begin at noon Oct. 5 at the John Waldron Arts Center auditorium. Features bands will play bachata from the Dominican Republic and salsa with guest instructors.

The Friday Gallery Walk will be happening on Oct. 4 and Lotus is partnering with the galleries to showcase their artwork throughout the weekend.

What will no longer be happening?

There will be no tent or stage along Sixth Street in the courthouse square area this year, so enjoy music outdoors at the Fourth Street stage.

For a complete look at what's happening, go to www.lotusfest.org/.

Contact Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Lotus World Music Arts Festival in Bloomington Indiana October 2024