FAI 2027: Chicago, Illinois, United States
January 27-31, 2026
Post-Conference Report:
38th Annual Folk Alliance International Conference
January 21 -25, 2026
Thank you for an incredible year in New Orleans. This year’s conference was rich with professional opportunity, collaboration, and connection. Throughout the week, we repeatedly heard from attendees that the experience felt deeply communal and full of energy. FAI is grateful to bring people together in a space where careers are advanced, ideas are exchanged, and the global folk community grows stronger.
2,628 Attendees
The Steel Wheels
39 Countries
Ablaye Cissoko
An International Community
This year featured artists and industry representation from Australia, Austria, Belize, Burkina Faso, Canada, Catalonia, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Guam, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United States, Wales.
Kizaba (Congo)
Nigel Wearne & The Spectres (Australia)
Angelique Francis (Canada)
RISE UP
A Second Line of Song
For our 38th annual conference, Folk Alliance International invited you to RISE UP —to rise, respond, and resonate with purpose in the heart of New Orleans. In a city where music marches through the streets and history dances in every note, we gather for a Second Line of Song—a celebration of folk tradition and a call to transformative action.
From porch songs to protest anthems, we recognize the folk artist’s role in preserving roots and pushing boundaries—amplifying stories that demand to be heard. In this moment of social, cultural, and ecological urgency, we are called to rise up—as artists, activists, and allies—to keep the flame of folk music burning bright.
Whether through quiet storytelling or collective shout, this is our second line: our time to follow, lead, and lift each other up. Amplify your voice. March with tradition. Let the rhythms of resistance lead us forward.
Keynote:
Big Freedia & Tank
An intimate, fireside-style conversation with Big Freedia and Tank (of Tank and the Bangas) hosted by Gwen Thompkins focused on personal stories of growing up in New Orleans, the cultural forces that shaped their artistry, and the role of music as a frontline tool for social justice. This format concludes with a collective call to rise up in solidarity.
Watch on youtube162 Official Showcases
Leyla McCalla
We were encouraged by the diverse talent of the Official Showcase lineup, featuring 162 artists from 39 countries showcasing the music of various genres including bluegrass, blues, Americana, Celtic, global roots, and more...
..like Leyla McCalla!
Hear it all on our Official Showcase Artist Playlist!
Listen to the official FAI playlist from Spotify to hear all the Official Showcase Artists from 2026:
Yasmin Williams
From China to Appalachia: Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer, Chao Tian
Great Lake Swimmers
2,391 Private Showcases
Banshee Tree
Navigating the labyrinth of hotel rooms that hosts the private Showcases is always a joyous way for attendees to discover new talents from around the globe. This year continued this time honored portion of conference programming with 83 private showcases hosts, 766 private showcase artists, and 2,391 private showcases.
530
Agent/Presenter Networking Meetings
247
Scholarships Awarded to First-Time Attendees
(includes Artist, Industry, and Indigenous Scholarships)
71
Panels and Premiere Presentations
Attendee Breakdown
Artists
50%
Industry
27%
Associate
11%
Presenter
9%
Media
3%
Presenter Breakdown
Festival
38%
Concert Series
23%
House Concert
21%
Venue
18%
This year’s International Folk Music Awards highlighted the achievements of our international folk music community ranging from recognition for folk legends, emerging stars, and industry leaders. Some of the special guest performances included The Rumble ft. Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr., and a tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Taj Mahal, with Kyshona, Yasmin Williams, and Taj himself!
Watch on youtube
Song of the Year
“Sleeves Up” written by Crys Matthews
Album of the Year
Wild and Clear and Blue
I'm With Her
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Black American Music Summit
The third annual Black American Music Summit – which connects FAI 2026 attendees who identified as black, mixed, or of African ancestry – held space for intentional conversation and community building, featuring four days of discussion around challenging narratives, emphasizing inclusion, breaking out of narrow definitions, and sharing best practices for growth and success.
Affinity Groups
Marking their eighth year, our Affinity Groups program continue to be an essential community-building aspect of the conference. Folks with shared identities came together to support each other and meet new people in the community. This year, groups included activists, folks with disabilities or chronic illness, caregivers, parents, folks coping with loss, 55+, pan-asian folks, Latine' and hispanic folks, women, and LGBTQ2IA+.
House Concerts Unlocked
sponsored by Side Door
House Concerts Unlocked have become one of the most popular activities of the conference. Participants are given two minutes each to get on stage and pitch as to why they are either the perfect artist for a house concert audience, or the perfect house concert for a performer to play. This year as anticipated was two days of standing room only.
Rise Up (and Laugh About It): A Conversation with The Milk Carton Kids
With sharp wit, tender harmonies, and an uncanny ability to find light in the darkness, The Milk Carton Kids embody the spirit of “rising up” — one laugh, one lyric at a time. In this candid conversation, Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan will take a deep dive into the art of humor, harmony, and resilience. Together they explore how authenticity, irony, and songcraft can become quiet acts of rebellion — and how laughter might just be folk music’s most underrated form of protest.
WATCH ON youtube
Legal Summit
FAI partnered with the American Bar Association to present our second legal summit. The full day of panels covered topics such as ethics, equitable contracts, visas, AI & the law and more. It was available to attorneys seeking CLE credits as well as all conference registrants.
Peer Sessions
Peer Sessions are highly anticipated breakout sessions of specific industry roles. Attendees connect over specific topics and sharing resources and ideas with one another. This years session were available to managers, house concerts, agents, festivals, folk radio djs and programmers, media, publicity, large venues, pacs, theatres, small venues, concert series, record labels, radio promoters, and artists.
Learn More
Mike Seeger Fellowship Masterclass with Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Folk Alliance International awarded this year’s Mike Seeger Traditional Fellowship to fiddler and multi-instrumentalist Gilles Losier, one of the world’s great carriers of French Canadian Fiddle traditions. Acadian by birth, Gilles Losier grew up immersed in the traditional music of the region. In this special masterclass, Gilles (now 88 years old) performed some of his original songs and those taught to him by their carriers, and he reflected on the people, songs, and stories that bring traditional music to life.
Come to the next one!
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