Lowell Folk Festival adds global traditional artists for July 24-26 return

The Lowell Folk Festival has added more performers to its 39th edition, set for July 24-26 in downtown Lowell, Massachusetts. The free festival will span four stages and feature artists from North America, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and Haiti, plus family activities, food and a marketplace.

Why it matters: - The Lowell Folk Festival remains one of the country’s most popular free summer music events. - The 39th edition highlights traditional music and dance from multiple regions, turning downtown Lowell into a broad showcase of living cultural traditions. - Lowell is celebrating its bicentennial this year, adding local significance to the festival’s opening weekend.

What happened: - The Lowell Folk Festival announced additional artists for its July 24-26 run in downtown Lowell, Massachusetts. - The lineup now includes performers from Tuva, Peru, New Hampshire, Louisiana, India, Sicily, Kentucky, Haiti, Mexico and Massachusetts. - Previously announced artists for the 2026 festival include Elida Almeida, Melissa Carper & Emily Gimble, Dat Mighty 9, John Doyle & Friends, Fabiola Mendez and Super Chikan & the Fighting Cocks.

The details: - Alash will bring xöömei, or Tuvan throat singing, from Central Asia. - Authentic Unlimited carries forward a bluegrass legacy built by former members of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and has released five albums, earned one Grammy nomination and won multiple IBMA awards. - Catherine Russell will perform with a catalog built on eight solo albums, including Send for Me from 2022. - The Chankas of Perú will present the danza de las tijeras, the scissors dance, a UNESCO-recognized Intangible Cultural Heritage practice. - Eastern Sound Orchestra will bring East Coast Polish polka from New Hampshire, where the band has played for more than 50 years. - Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie will deliver zydeco led by the Eunice, Louisiana, musician known as “The Creole Cowboy.” - Kunal Gunjal and Amit Kavthekar will pair santoor and tabla in a Boston-based Indian classical collaboration built over two decades. - Michela Musolino & Rosa Tatuata will perform Sicilian and southern Italian folk songs rooted in participatory music-making. - The Middlesex County Volunteer Fife & Drum Band will lead the Friday night opening parade. - The Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers will bring unaccompanied gospel harmony singing. - Peniel Guerrier will present Haitian dance and drumming centered on Voudou traditions. - Tres en Punto will perform trío romántico from Mission, Texas. - The Wampanoag Nation Singers & Dancers will share songs and dances tied to the land and tribal culture of southeastern New England.

Between the lines: - The festival is leaning hard into preservation, not nostalgia. The lineup emphasizes traditions that are still practiced, taught and adapted across generations. - Several acts connect heritage to migration and urban life, including Peruvian scissors dance in Westchester County, Sicilian folk songs shaped by diaspora communities and Polish polka in New England. - The mix of music, dance, youth programming, food and arts booths suggests the festival is positioning itself as a full cultural event, not just a concert series.

What’s next: - The festival will run over three days on four stages in downtown Lowell. - Discovery Lowell Playspace will offer interactive activities for children. - Global Foods will operate at three locations downtown through local nonprofits representing different cultures in New England. - Experience Lowell Marketplace, in partnership with Mosaic Lowell, will feature local artists, craft makers and arts organizations. - The Lowell Festival Foundation, City of Lowell, Greater Lowell Community Foundation, Lowell National Historical Park, National Council for the Traditional Arts and Revolutionary Valley are producing the event. - More information is available through the festival’s social channels, including Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

The bottom line: - Lowell’s free folk festival is doubling as a global tour of traditional music, while grounding the event in local history, family programming and community culture.