Sept. 26 – Oct. 5, 2025
Free admission • Multiple locations

The annual World Music Festival is your passport to musical acts from across the globe.

This free, city-wide festival features artists from around the world at iconic venues around Chicago including the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and Navy Pier, bringing even more diversity to Chicago’s already rich music festival schedule.

This festival, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, embraces well-known stars and emerging artists in genres that range from traditional to contemporary. You can hear everything at the World Music Festival — from Indian classical music to Bulgarian bagpipes and Congolese funk.

World Music Festival lineup and schedule

Ragamala during the Chicago World Music Festival
World Music Festival Chicago; Photo credit Walter S. Mitchell III, City of Chicago

Check out the full 2025 schedule for the 25th annual Chicago World Music Festival, showcasing musicians from 15 countries and regions. Highlights included Ragamala, an all-night-long presentation of live Indian classical music, and the Global Peace Picnic, the grand finale event at the lakefront Navy Pier.

Friday, Sept. 26

Ragamala: A Celebration of Indian Classical Music

  • Shahid Parvez, sitar; Amit Kavthekar, tabla
  • Charumathi Raghuraman, violin; Anantha R. Krishnan, Mridangam; Giridhar Udupa, Ghatam
  • Yogesh Samsi, tabla solo; Pratyush Goberdhan, sarangi (Tribute to Zakir Hussain) 
  • U. Rajesh, mandolin; Swaminathan Selvaganesh, kanjira 
  • Rakesh Chaurasia, bansuri flute; Amit Kavthekar, tabla
  • Mahadevan Sankaranarayanan, vocal; V.S. Gokul, violin; Sai Raghavan, mridangam
  • Flute J. A. Jayant, bansuri flute; K.V. Prasad, mridangam; Praveen Narayan, tabla
  • Rachna Bodas, vocal; Nitin Mitta, table; Praneet Marathe, harmonium

Chicago Cultural Center, Preston Bradley Hall

Saturday, Sept. 27

IndigiFest: Celebrating Indigenous Culture at Jackson Park
Jackson Park, Grove B at Science Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive
All ages

Yeison Landero (Colombia)
Funkeria (Brazil/Chicago)
Martyrs’, 3855 N. Lincoln Ave.
21+

Sunday, Sept. 28

Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ & Blood Moon Orchestra (Vietnam/California)
Symbio (Sweden)
Sleeping Village,3734 W. Belmont Ave.
21+

Monday, Sept. 29

Zar Electrik (North Africa/France)
Do The Needful (South Asia/Chicago)
Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave.
21+

Tuesday, Sept. 30

Damir Imamovic (Bosnia)
Wanees Zarour Trio
(Middle East/Chicago)
Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave.
18+ 

Wednesday, Oct. 1

Nidia Góngora (Colombia)
Bomberxs D’Cora (Puerto Rico/Chicago)
Old Town School of Folk Music, Mauer Hall, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave.
All ages

Thursday, Oct. 2

Alioune Guissé (Sénégal/USA)
Abdoulaye Conde (Chicago)
The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. W
All ages

World Music Festival
World Music Festival

Friday, Oct. 3

Alex E. Chávez “Sonorous Present” (Mexico/Chicago)
Olin
The Rhapsody Theater, 1328 W. Morse Ave.
All ages

Saturday, Oct. 4

Mohamed Abozekry Sextet (Egypt)
Diwan al-Han (Middle East/Chicago)
Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St.
All ages

Loboko (DR Congo/New York)
Ode (Bosnia/Chicago)
Chop Shop + 1st Ward Events, 2033 W. North Ave.
21+

Sunday, Oct. 5

Global Peace Party at Navy Pier

  • Hosted by Sonal Aggarwal
  • The Harmony of Korean Music (South Korea/Chicago)
  • Joaquin Garcia II’s “Eddie Palmieri Vive” Ensemble (Latin American/Chicago)
  • Rogê (Brazil)
  • Buyepongo (Latin American/California)

Navy Pier Beer Garden, 600 E. Grand Ave.
All ages 

Check out more top music festivals happening in Chicago throughout the year.