September 6-7 – Downtown Providence – FREE
Mayor Brett P. Smiley, the City’s Department of Art, Culture, Tourism and Producing Partner FirstWorks once again host PVDFest, Providence’s signature outdoor arts festival, September 6-7, 2024. This year’s festival returns to the beating heart of Downtown, animating the streets of the Creative Capital with astonishing international and local performances, art installations, parades, artisan markets, and world-class cuisine. Discover a vibrant, cultural experience unlike anything else in the region.
Check out some of our featured events:
FirstWorks Spectacle
Italy’s eVenti Verticali aerial dance
Friday and Saturday – times TBD
After spellbinding performances at PVDFest 2019, the gravity-defying Italian aerialists return with SPHERE, a thrilling new 30-minute spectacle delivered by five aerial dancers suspended from a crane some 60 feet above the ground. The performance begins with the “stage,” a transparent sphere, deflated and shapeless with one aerialist suspended inside. The sphere is raised high overhead by the crane, becoming a gigantic, fully inflated and stunning globe, transforming into a place where everything comes alive. Five aerialists take the audience on a journey reflecting on our miraculous lives here, on our planet earth.
Salsa Night with Lulada Club
New York’s All-Women Salsa Orchestra
9/6 Friday Night – Main Stage
Experience the captivating rhythms of Lulada Club, the electrifying all-women salsa band setting the New York City music scene ablaze. These accomplished and brilliant musicians are infused with an irresistible blend of vibrancy and skill. Bring your dancing shoes and join in with a lesson from Providence’s own instructor Rodney Eric Lopez as these remarkable women command the stage, welcoming salsa fans of all levels and ages.
New for 2024: Cultural Heritage Festivals
Cultural Heritage Festivals are what make Providence, Providence!
A cornerstone of City life, these festivals activate and engage public space in the City. Public celebration of culture continues to be an indelible feature of how we activate public space in the spring and summer. We are proud to platform this work at PVDFest and highlight the important work of these organizations in the landscape of our city. These varied organizations will be on the footprint of the festival curating participatory activities, market spaces, and are available to all to gain knowledge of these annual activations.
New for 2024: Maker Spaces
Makers are at the heart of Providence’s economy and identity. Historically, shipbuilders, jewelry makers, and the textile industry were the cornerstones of our economic foundation. Today, these makers and designers not only produce goods, but also lead the way in workforce development. This year, PVDFest will showcase this work with interactive demonstrations and opportunities for the public to create something with us!
Chip Douglas presents: “Stargazing at PVDFest”
Friday, September 6, Main Stage (5:30-7 PM)
An explosion of raw talent grown in Divine Providence. Get ready to witness a soulful blend of hip-hop, R&B and dance. Anchored by Providence’s own DJ Nyce Hitz along with Derrick Jones and band, the show will highlight various genres of music. Once the first beat starts, the audience will be on a captivating ride through sound, movement and verse. Renowned muralist Agonza will also be doing a live painting on stage while all the magic is happening. Pull up to City Hall Stage at 5:30pm and stargaze with us.
12th Annual Afrika Nyaga Drum & Dance Festival
Saturday, September 7, Main Stage
Sidy Maiga returns to PVDFest with the 12th annual Afrika Nyaga Drum & Dance Festival, a ground-shaking celebration of West African music and dance and its influence on the African diaspora.
Maiga envisions Afrika Nyaga as a sonic synthesis of African traditions and Rhode Island’s diverse communities. The festival nurtures artistic exchange through the universal language of music across cultures, ages, and nationalities. Local acts brew their beats alongside world-class contemporary artists, resulting in a fête that celebrates the vibrant variation of African rhythms.
New for 2024: SPREAD LOVE FUNCTION
Friday, September 6, 5:15 pm- 8:30 PM, Burnside Park
SPREAD LOVE FUNCTION will take place at the Burnside Park Stage on Friday, September 6 from 5:15 – 8:30 pm with exciting live music performances, DJs, and dancing. A full bar will be available, and food trucks will be in Kennedy Plaza serving a variety of exciting international and local cuisine. Attendees of all ages are welcome and encouraged to bring a chair or blanket for hours of fun and dancing at PVDFest on Friday evening.