FAI 2026: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
January 21-25, 2026
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Join us for FAI 2026 in New Orleans!
Register Now!Select an artist to hear their music and learn more about them!
3'Ain is a trio in which Yamen Martini (trumpet), Otto Kint (double bass) and Piet Maris (accordion) join forces: they play worldwide jazz with influences from the Middle East.
Abigail Lapell sings haunting, gorgeous modern folk songs. The Toronto singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has been nominated for a JUNO Award, won four Canadian Folk Music Awards, and reached over 60 million streams across online platforms.
A masterfull collaboration between Kora maestro Ablaye Cissoko and diatonic accordion ccordion French star, for a spiritual and intimate journey, a music to clear the mind and inspire the senses.
Brazil-based Argentine composer and accordionist Alejandro Brittes explores his chamamé heritage. Chamamé is a music and dance genre forged of Baroque and Indigenous Guaraní influences in the Jesuit Missions of southern South America.
Alex Wong is a Latin GRAMMY-nominated artist, producer and activist who creates music to empower marginalized communities to take up space with their stories. He founded The Quiet Voice non-profit, which has raised over $87k for underserved groups.
Amanda Pascali blends folk/Americana with global influences in her songs that speak to the experience of growing up “too foreign for here, too foreign for home, & never enough for both.”
Spicer’s songs have equal parts ache and grit, with topography that covers farmlands, quirky roadside stops, and an occasional turn down a dark alley with flickering neon. Amilia was awarded the LA Music Awards for Best Americana Artist and Album.
Amis du Teche (Friends of the Teche) is steeped in Louisiana Cajun music culture. With rich Cajun music repertoire and writing original French songs, the talent & cultural influences of Amis du Teche should have you feeling the music, first note in!
Ana Everling is a Moldovan-born vocalist and composer based in Chicago. Her project weaves Eastern European folk with improvisation and experimental sound, creating music that is both rooted in tradition and vividly contemporary.
Bilingual singer-songwriter Andrina Turenne blends folk, roots, and blues with powerful vocals and rich storytelling rooted in her homeland of Manitoba.
JUNO Award winning artist Angelique Francis and her band have been named by Folk Canada as the 2024 Performers of the Year. They are known for their eclectic mix of various genres (Blues, Folk, Soul, Jazz, Roots, Rock, Gospel & Americana).
Anna Moss' new found brand of sultry stripped-down-soul is steeped in Southern R&B, Americana, porch jazz; apocalyptic love songs, gritty hymns of humanity, abolition, and compassion busked to fruition in the historic French Quarter streets.
Singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist Anna Vogelzang believes in the power of songs. Her latest album, Afterglow, explores who we become in the wake of life’s cosmic shifts through indie folk anthems and beautifully visceral ballads.
Anthony Arya is an Americana rock artist from the SF Bay Area. His music brings the folk rock sound of California’s Laurel Canyon to a modern era. Since appearing on NBC the Voice at age 15, he has released 4 albums winning multiple national awards.
Apolline is a lively trio of young folkies combining fiddle, cello, double bass to bring a unique experience of genre-bending folk.
Songwriter Aybil debuted Jordan Poole, a stripped down haunting melody about war and addiction in 2020. She has since released several projects, all rooted in healing, driven by her folk, gospel, and 60s soul influences.
Aysanabee is an award winning, history making Oji-Cree singer-songwriter. He is known for his unique guitar style involving string tapping, harmonics and rhythmic percussion, while singing lyrics inspired by love, loss, dreams and lived experience.
A Brooklyn Based indie folk trio disguised as a whimsical crime ring and comprised of Roy Dodger (guitar), Bonanza Jellyfish (cello), and Clarissa (accordion)—bringing you the freshest in 3 part harmonies with a big dollop of whimsicality on top ;)
Banshee Tree (Denver) blurs the lines between jazz, indie, psych and electroswing. Their live performance showcases intricately composed, emotional songs with high energy, trance like grooves.
Beth’s diverse body of work spans seven #1 hits, 15 albums, 2 Grammy nominations, NAMMY'S 1999 Songwriter of the Year, & induction into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2016. Her music takes listeners on a journey through the humor and wonder of life
Winners of the 2024 JUNO Award for Blues Album of the Year, Blue Moon Marquee carve a path through blues, jazz, jump jive, folk, country, swing and Indigenous soul with an authentic spirit. Their sound does not idle easily in one certain category.
Darol Anger & Bruce Molsky have been musical explorers, sharing a creative universe resulting in epic collaborations like the Grammy nominated Fiddlers 4, crashing each other's concerts & recordings, and finding big joy playing together.
In his early career, Bruce wrote for Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Donna Summer, and Michael & Jermaine Jackson, while also in 2 successful bands: Alive N Kickin’ & Brooklyn Dreams. Now his journey consists of writing, recording & touring for himself.
Bruce Sunpie Barnes is a New Orleans musician, playing a genera defining blend of what he calls Afro-Louisiana music. He mixes Blues, Zydeco, Creole, Jazz, Spirtuals, Jure, Skull and Bone Gang, with rhythms, Secondline, Caribbean and African music.
Blues singer and guitarist Buddy Red has lit up stages from SXSW and The Shaderoom to NuBlu NYC with The Roots’ Ray Angry. He’s played Tutti Frutti Fest with Little Richard’s band and will perform at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre in Nov 2025.
Buggy Jive is an acoustic soul rocker from Albany, NY – a punk funk folkie with literary leanings whose lyrics blend cultural critique, personal vulnerability, historical consciousness, and biting wit.
\melded blues, rock, roots, soul and country into an infectious, powerful, enveloping sound. Live, they take these sweet vibes to an electrifying, intoxicating level… The band play with confidence and unshakeable enjoyment\ Get Ready to Rock, UK
CAOIMHÍN is a producer, singer and multi-instrumentalist who tastefully blends elements from the Irish tradition with electronica, sampling and live looping.
Lauded for blending satire with sincerity, Cannon is described by fans as “one ballsy chick” yet excels in introspective storytelling. Her emotionally versatile songs explore themes of loss, addiction, self-worth and social injustice.
Calvin Arsenia is a harpist and vocalist whose soaring voice and magnetic stage presence bring new life to folk, soul, and classical traditions. His performances are immersive, emotionally charged, and unforgettable for audiences of all kinds.
Internationally acclaimed as a mesmerizing live performer, Cary Morin’s soul-stirring voice and jaw-dropping fingerstyle guitar playing have captivated audiences for decades.
Casii Stephan is a Tulsa-based singer-songwriter blending soul, rock, and folk-pop. With a powerful, emotive voice, she tackles themes of love, loss, and defiance against societal norms like sexism and ageism in her honest, heartfelt songs.
JUNO-winning Indigenous singer-songwriter Celeigh Cardinal delivers soul-drenched songs of grief, growth, and grit. With powerhouse vocals and raw honesty, she crafts music that resonates across cultures and continents.
GuriNgai sisters Charlie and Miri from live looping act Charlie Needs Braces have drawn in audiences across Australia, their energetic musical landscapes weaving together stories and language.
Based in Minnesota, but with roots in Tennessee, Chastity Brown grew up surrounded by country and soul music. In the full gospel church of her childhood, she played saxophone and drums and found her singing voice and a passion for music.
Growing up in Dakar, Cheikh Ibra Fam sang spiritual songs in the Baye Fall tradition. Later, he released 3 hip hop albums and sang with the legendary Orchestra Baobab. He launched his solo-career in 2022 with an appealing blend of Afropop, funk, jazz
In a genre full of tall tales and marketable lies, New Orleans’ Chris Acker crafts candid songs – weaving his wit and woes into a body of work that exposes the stale plight of the American Songster to the honest, and sometimes hilarious, light of day
Over nearly 4 decades, Chuck Prophet remains one of America's finest musical troubadours & songwriters. His work covered by Bruce Springsteen, Solomon Burke, and Heart, among others, Chuck's latest album is a Cumbia inspired collab w/ ¿Qiensave?
Singer, songwriter and self-proclaimed optimist, Claire Kelly, is on a mission to brighten every corner she steps in with the music she makes. She’s spent the last 8 years honing her songwriting craft in Nashville and touring across the globe.
Nearly a decade after their first long-distance co-writing collaborations, Clay Parker and Jodi James continue to carve a deep and lasting path through the Americana musical landscape with their minimalist yet uniquely expressive sound.
Clover County is the music of A.G. Schiano, who mixes themes of modern love with playful chord structures to define a new but familiar sound that is all her own. Currently based in Athens, Georgia where she is a senior at the University of Georgia.
Colin Cutler is a North Carolina folksinger and songwriter toting a banjo and guitar. Solo or with his band, he’s “wickedly funny,” “devastating,” weaving a “magnificent tapestry of roots music” with a “juke joint energy” (No Depression and Paste).
Grammy-nominated Zydeco innovator Corey Ledet Zydeco is a world traveler, having performed in 15 countries. He’s done numerous tours across North America, including countless festivals, private parties, major company corporate events, and weddings.
A troubadour of truth, Nashville resident Crys Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. She is made for these times.
Crystal Shawanda is one of the most successful Indigenous Blues performers today. As a chart-topping, gold-selling, self-managed and self-directed female Indigenous artist, Crystal has trail-blazed new ground for artists across genres.
DUG is the new musical venture of songwriter Conor Lorkin O'Reilly and California banjo player Jonny Pickett. Having spent the past decade in Upstate NY, releasing albums and touring extensively, Conor (Lorkin O'Reilly) moved to Dublin in 2022 to st
Dallahan is a genre-blending folk ensemble that infuses traditional Celtic melodies with innovative arrangements and international influences. Their music features a rich tapestry of accordion, fiddle, guitar, banjo and song.
Dan Navarro can't slow down, thru 19 albums, 5000 gigs, Oscar winning films (Encanto, Coco, Happy Feet), hit TV (Invincible, Family Guy), hit songs (We Belong), and hosting Cantina Navarro. He says art is life, music is love, and sleep is for babies.
Gaspesian duo Dans l'Shed share an incredible musical complicity. They perform folk-country-blues accents and colorful improvised sections! Inspired by Americana folk, they tell rather rural stories through characters in whom everyone can identify.
Award-winning Nova Scotian folk singer-songwriter Dave Gunning blends heartfelt storytelling with humor. With 14 albums to date, he’s working on his next, to be recorded in Australia and released in 2026, continuing his legacy of authentic, soulful m
Glorious, brass infused sound with electric guitar, trumpet and double bass, and Dean’s searingly soulful voice upfront. A unique blend of Scottish roots and Americana connecting the lush Italian hills, US desert states and post industrial Scotland.
A perennial Blues Music Award nominee and an eight time Blues Music Award winner. MacLeod is known for his superb songwriting, guitar wizardry, warm soulful vocals, story-telling, wit, and unforgettable live performances.
Internationally-touring songwriter Emily Scott Robinson is signed to Oh Boy Records (founded by John Prine), and is critically acclaimed by NPR, Rolling Stone and Billboard for her stunning voice, songwriting and storytelling.
Emma Swift is an Australian-born songwriter, currently residing in Nashville, TN. A gifted singer inspired by Sandy Denny, Joni Mitchell, Marianne Faithfull and a plethora of dead poets, her sound is a blend of classic folk, Americana and indie rock.
A concert about borders, made by musicians without borders. Sin Fronteras unites Mireya Ramos, Los Texmaniacs, and Ensemble Ibérica in a powerful blend of conjunto, ranchera, and Americana—music rooted on both sides of the U.S.–Mexico border.
Ernest Aines is an award-winning Australian artist known for soulful vocals, intricate guitar work, and emotive songs. He’s toured the UK multiple times, selling out venues and playing Cambridge Folk Festival and Celtic Connections.
Ezekiel's Wheels is one of the world's favorite klezmer bands. Soaring vocals and roaring melodies. Endless virtuosity. Rowdy as an old country wedding. See why audiences from Atlanta to Ålborg can't get enough of Ezekiel's Wheels Klezmer Band.
Teenage Taiwanese Ukulele Sensation Feng E has been featured on the Ellen Show and has been a finalist in America's Got Talent and Asia's got talent. He has performed live on stage with Tommy Emmanuel as well as numerous Asian performers.
GRAMMY Award winning American Roots artists Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer join with Chinese classical hammered dulcimer player Chao Tian combining music from China to Appalachia and beyond. Instrumentation includes yangqin, siboa, gourd banjo, five-strin
Gadan blends the energy of Irish and American folk with an Italian twist. With banjos, fiddle, and guitar, they deliver a powerful acoustic sound—mixing tradition and innovation into a vibrant live experience that’s fresh, rootsy, and danceable.
Goblin Band formed organically from intimate sessions of the same name run out of Hobgoblin Music, a folk instrument shop in Central London, and organised by a group of queer folk obsessive friends and shop employees.
Great Lake Swimmers are a critically acclaimed indie-folk group led by songwriter/vocalist Tony Dekker. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the group features a blend of acoustic instruments, rural soundscapes, and wistful vocals.
A queer, nu-folk, singer-songwriter with a voice like complex coffee,Gráinne Hunt is a standout among Ireland’s most enthralling vocalists and songwriters, blending raw emotion with a quiet, commanding power. ‘The Irish Joni’ ‘No crowd can resist’
With two decades behind them, the Henhouse Prowlers blend tradition with innovation, touring 30 countries and using music to build cultural bridges. Through their nonprofit, Bluegrass Ambassadors, they foster global connection and compassion.
Dynamic brass band from Barcelona that blends traditional brass music with contemporary styles. Known for their energetic performances, the group, From hip hop, funk to jazz, and Latin music, creating a unique and modern sound.
Whether they’re ripping through a set of original tunes, adding lush three-part harmonies into folk ballads, or cracking up an audience with stories from the road, House of Hamill puts on a show that captivates audiences from the very first note.
Embracing a genre-fluid approach, Hunter weaves together elements of acoustic rock, folk, and grunge. His songwriting has evolved from lyric-centric to a music-first methodology, creating immersive compositions rich in both meaning and emotion.
A psychedelic display of dance music the colour of the middle of the night and the texture of winding city streets. Fiddle and flute power a massive and fiercely danceable sound that sits at the unreal intersection of folk music, EDM, and jazz fusion
I Draw Slow has been consistently redefining acoustic roots music for over 15 years. The Dublin Ireland, award winning band are siblings and songwriters Dave and Louise Holden, Adrian Hart on fiddle, Ryan Mc Caughley on banjo, Konrad Liddy on bass.
Nashville-based, Australian-born artist Imogen Clark has earned the respect of her heroes and peers alike, through her deeply personal storytelling, roof-raising voice and leave it all out on the field live energy.
Jack Barksdale is a singer/songwriter from Texas. American Songwriter wrote “Jack Barksdale has insights and awareness far beyond people twice his age, and he’s able to put them into songs that touch listeners.\
One of Canada's best songwriters, James Keelaghan has over 50 years been celebrated for his skills as a performer and musician. He is a JUNO and Canadian Folk Music Award winner, with an international audience thanks to his relentless tour schedule.
Janie Price aka “Bird” is an award winning composer, cellist, UK/Irish songwriter. \Impressing with her strong, heartfelt vocals, Bird touches the listener effortlessly through storytelling lyrics, enveloped by a folk-pop meets Americana sound.\
Damon Fowler - Tampa’s Damon Fowler is a masterful singer, guitar player and songwriter and BMA nominee. Jason Ricci - Four time Blues Music Foundation award winner for \Best Instrumentalist - Harmonica.\
Jenny Owen Youngs is an American singer-songwriter and producer known for her evocative indie pop and folk music. In 2023, she released Avalanche, her debut album for Yep Roc Records, which explores themes of loss and resilience.
Jim White is a multidisciplinary outsider artist discovered by David Byrne. His album Wrong-Eyed Jesus is considered a minor classic in the Americana genre, and his songs have appeared in film and television, such as El Camino, the Breaking Bad movie
England's one and only John Smith has been at the pioneering forefront of British Folk Guitar Music for twenty years. He has amassed over 120 million Spotify streams and played his songs all over the world.
From parental epiphanies and questionable lavatory visits, scathing political commentary and hitchhiking cross country, satirical talking blues to love, loss, grief hope, and even pickles — Jordan Smart aims to have a song for every occasion.
From the back boggy woods of Louisiana, Jourdan Thibodeaux is one of the small number of young people speaking Cajun French today, and his soulful singing and fiddling are the perfect medium for his repertoire of original Louisiana French songs.
You can’t help but smile when you experience Joy Clark. Daughter of a minister, she's a master storyteller and incredible guitarist with a smile that draws you in. Joy's life affirming lyrics cut through the noise and go straight to the heart.
KINNFOLK — a Celtic folk duo from Virginia, blends Irish tradition with Appalachian charm using vocals, bodhrán, and mandolin. Their heartfelt songs and lively shows create a kitchen-party feel.
REGGAEMERICANA vanguard Kelly Love Jones joins Caribbean rhythms with a skillfully wholesome body of lyrics that celebrate kindness, growth and the sweetness of connection. This New Orleans musician’s flair fuses World, Reggae, Hip Hop, and Soul.
KIZABA, Montreal-based pioneer of Afro-Congolese electro music, blends ancestral rhythms, Afrofuturist visuals, and multilingual vocals to create immersive shows, touring internationally and earning major award nominations
East of the Los Angeles River, Las Cafeteras are a sonic explosion of Afro-Mexican rhythms, electronic beats and powerful rhymes that document stories of a community seeking to‘build a world where many world fit.’
Las Guaracheras is an all-women salsa sextet born in the city of Cali, Colombia in 2017. The ensemble´s cultural and artistic objective is to uplift a female voice within Afro-Latin music and build a more inclusive, diverse cultural space for all.
Canadian songwriter Lennie Gallant has released 16 albums, the most recent being Sheltered From the Storms, and is praised for his authenticity and 'poet's flair'. His song Peter's Dream has been inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Four voices rooted in rhythm, Ley Line takes listeners on a musical journey. Their music is inspired by a deep appreciation for folk music and the way it travels and evolves across borders and generations.
Award-winning artist Lily Henley fuses American roots and Sephardi traditions in bold, original Ladino songs. With bell-like vocals and gifted fiddling, she brings an endangered language into focus through powerful cross-cultural storytelling.
Now is the time to embrace harmony, heart, and conviction that only one soulful country, folk, and blues duo, singer-songwriters, can deliver – Lisa Sanders and Brown Sugar They seamlessly weave folk, pop, gospel, jazz, and rock into heartfelt songs.
Liz Barnez is a daughter of New Orleans with her roots on both sides going back several generations. Her music is the eclectic blend of her life as a New Orleanian and later a Coloradan. Expect musical spontaneity and humor!
For over 25 years, Los Enmascarados have been cranking out some of the best Conjunto around. Known for their colorful luchador masks, high-energy stage shows, and deep catalog full of originals, this Kingsville, Texas-based band is the real deal.
The two-time Grammy award winning Lost Bayou Ramblers’ evolution as a progressive Louisiana French band rooted in Cajun traditions continues to excite, challenge, and redefine both genre expectations as well as cultural preconceptions.
Luke Winslow-King is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter known for blending delta blues, roots, rock, and folk. Whether it’s an intimate venue or a large festival stage, Luke’s live shows are known for their powerful energy and emotional depth.
Mamadou Diabate was born into a traditional musician family (Sambla people) in Burkina Faso (West Africa), with a long tradition of practising the profession of story telling and music making.
Simien crafts a sonic experience that is both timeless and uniquely her own. Drawing from the rich cultural heritage of her lineage, she bridges tradition and innovation with powerful authenticity and heart.
Mason Via is an Appalachian troubadour who was born and bred in the Blue Ridge Mountains. An alumnus of Old Crow Medicine Show, he put a self titled album in April that debuted at #12 on Billboard Bluegrass Album Chart.
A fiddler-turned-songwriter with a voice that glides effortlessly between tenderness and strength, Maya de Vitry blurs genre with performances that radiate presence, spontaneity, and soul.
A true storyteller, Meredith Moon is a renowned clawhammer banjoist, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist with deep roots in the folk music which shapes her sound and songwriting.
Mia Borders is a singer-songwriter who has captivated audiences with her soulful performances. Her catalog showcases powerful vocals and thoughtful songwriting. Off stage, she runs the Borders Foundation, founded to support underrepresented artists.
Michael Jerome Browne is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and living encyclopedia of roots music. “Gettin’ Together,” features numerous guests like Eric Bibb and John Sebastian, and reached #1 in the FAI charts in May 2023.