2022 Cedar Commissions artist Carlisle Evans Peck returns to The Cedar stage to celebrate the release of their new album, with support from McKain Lackey and Proper-T.

Black Market Brass is back again to showcase their continuing collaboration with Minnesota’s own Obi Original. Following a sold out night celebrating the initial release, ‘Battle Ready,’ they’re returning just as hard-hitting as they’ve started it. It’s going to be a dance-heavy evening making sure to turn the heat up on a cold MN night.

"Rules of art were made to be shattered. When broken by accident, that's gaucheness. When broken on purpose, well, that's style. John Gorka's technique breaks free from the rules of modern music". - Huffington Post

Cascades is a live audiovisual project inspired by the concept of waterfalls, here represented by flows of pixels whose movements are generative, meaning never the same. For the music, this same concept is used as inspiration to compose music using electronic instruments, a sort of continuum reminding of surge and immutability… Fruit of a decade-long collaboration between two artists, Cascades represent both infinite movement and stability, but where catastrophes can happen: a synesthetic artwork, both contemplative, reflexive, and a physical experience.

Red Thread and Ponyfolk are two Minnesota-based ensembles devoted to building community around Midwestern European roots music. The two bands team up to present an “alternative” holiday celebration, sharing new and old songs of winter, luck, and family from Scandinavian, Yiddish/Klezmer, Slavic, English, and Irish roots. 

Come out and celebrate the release of Lake Davi’s debut album, Bloody Mary. The local indie Americana band will be playing the entire album in full for the first time, supported by Spaceport and Second Spring. 

Celebrated singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and long-lost Christmas elf Ben Cook-Feltz hosts his 5th annual Holiday Shindig on December 14, a family-friendly event benefiting Rein In Sarcoma.

December is a joyous holiday season for all. Though the best music so far has been Christmas music... NOT ANYMORE!! This show will celebrate Hanukkah music! 

“Festive Beats of Afrika” is a 120-minute live concert at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis that celebrates Africa’s vibrant rhythms, unity, and cultural brilliance through music, dance, and storytelling. The show features Carolyne Naomi performing Afrobeat and Holiday fusion songs, Diatoti delivering energetic Congolese music, and Afrocontigbo, a dynamic dance team blending traditional and contemporary African styles. Backed by a full live band, the concert unfolds in three acts — from the rhythmic roots of the drum to the colorful expressions of regional sounds, culminating in a modern celebration ……… dance dance dance.

Celebrate the longest night in soothing, rich vibrations and the warm glow of joyous community. Sound artists Marc Anderson and Natalie Nowytski weave in real time the dream song of our collective heart.

Join us as we celebrate two new musical releases, an album by Saint Paul-based Americana artist Emmy Woods and a new single by Emmy, Dakotah Faye, and LowJam. The three collaborating artists will be joined by local Americana songwriter, Laura Hugo, for a night of heartfelt performances at the Cedar Cultural Center on January 10 in Minneapolis, MN, celebrating both the new album and the single. Tickets are available on the venue's events page.

After their packed 2025 Minneapolis debut, Ukraine’s legendary Vopli Vidopliassova return on January 15, 2026 for an unforgettable Malanka Night at The Cedar Cultural Center!

Join {Trés} and special guest Miguel Zenón for a night of electrifying chamber music that blurs the lines between classical, jazz, and folkloric traditions. Featuring selections from Pedacito de Tierra—a bold, genre-defying work blending chamber music, electronics, and oral histories from the Puerto Rican diaspora, plus vibrant works by Puerto Rican composers and music rooted in the rhythms of the Caribbean and the Americas, this concert explores improvisation, memory, and movement. An intimate, expressive experience that invites audiences into a soundscape of cultural depth and musical innovation.

Celebrating the release of Zaq Baker’s new album, Don’t Worry About Me, Zaq Baker Team and the Cedar Cultural Center are thrilled to present afters — aerial, expansive, moody, lyric-driven, emotionally stirring indie rock — and Pullstring, whose catchy melodies and airtight guitars harken to the most delicious pop/rock of the 90’s and 2000’s. The night will close with Zaq Baker Team, a pop-punk (ish) quintet whose energizing performances incorporate piano rock, musical theatre, and synthpop, all into something fast and evocative... interpolated with powerful ballads on love and mental health.

Maria Mazzotta spent 15 years with the Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, performing the Pizzica music of Southern Italy at global music festivals and theaters around the globe. Maria is one of the most acclaimed voices on the Mediterranean music scene today. Her voice is memorable and her performances intensely passionate. This show will be a highlight of our 2026 concert calendar. 

Get ready for Funny Shades of Chocolate - a stand-up comedy show that blends different cultures, experiences, and comedic styles into one unforgettable night. Featuring Atul Patel, Rene Humberto Valdiviezo, and KJ The Comedian, with headliner Ray Lau (featured on Netflix Is a Joke’s “Introducing…”, Don’t Tell Comedy, and The Locals with Iliza Schlesinger), it’s proof that the funniest comedy comes from the most diverse perspectives. Each comic will bring their own flavor and point of view to the stage for a night full of laughter, relatability, and fresh comedic energy that will keep you smiling long after the show ends. 

FRÄNDER plays modern acoustic folk music forged in the deep forests of the northern Europe, blending Swedish and Estonian traditions. With seductive harmonies, heavy grooves, and mesmerizing energy, the band creates a unique musical landscape filled with mystery and charm. FRÄNDER returns to the Cedar after headlining our Global Roots Festival in 2024.

Ondara returns to The Cedar stage with his new band The Jet Stone Conspiracy, which he describes as, “the culmination of my rebirth- It’s a surrender to the currents of free expression- an invitation to explore new realms of sound, movement, and poetry.”

Brothers Brian and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn play harmony-rich folk music influenced by traditional Irish music. Performing as Ye Vagabonds, the duo is part of an emerging scene of Irish folk musicians, alongside Lankum, John Francis Flynn, and Landless. This is the brothers’ first time performing at The Cedar.

Multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul (Black Belt Eagle Scout) returns to The Cedar with friends Mato Wayhui (composer for the award-winning series Reservation Dogs) and Ailani. 

The Cedar Cultural Center presents the fifteenth annual Cedar Commissions on February 20 and February 21, 2025.

Each evening, three artists of the 2025-26 cohort will present their commissioned work on The Cedar stage:

Night 1 - Deeq Abdi, Creekbed Carter Hogan, Trick Locket (Bryn Battani) 

The Cedar Cultural Center presents the fifteenth annual Cedar Commissions, on February 20 and February 21, 2025.

Each evening, three artists of the 2025-26 cohort will present their commissioned work on The Cedar stage:

Night 2 - Gregory Bess, Mikey Marget, Valentine Lowry-Ortega

Apes of the State are fiercely independent and practice a DIY ethos, hoping to serve as an example that you can achieve success outside of the traditional music industry framework. The band joins us at the Cedar in February to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of their debut release, This City Isn’t Big Enough, with support from Rent Strike.

Insun Park & Generals present a groundbreaking fusion of rock, Korean traditional music, and mask dance rhythms. Frontwoman Insun Park stands out as one of the few female masters of the Gangnyeong Mask Dance, a tradition historically dominated by men. This ensemble pushes creative boundaries, offering a fresh perspective on Korea’s cultural heritage while making traditional mask dance more accessible to today’s audiences.

Cutting-edge fiddle and cello explorations of Scottish and global music.

Louis Michot is best known as the fiddle player and lead singer for the Grammy award-winning Lost Bayou Ramblers, but his passion for Louisiana French and local folklore, and sustainability in the fastest disappearing landmass in the world, are what fuel his career as a musician. With two Grammy awards, six film scores, and over 20 LPs under his belt, his music career continues to push the boundaries of the Louisiana French music traditions.

The Cedar is proud to welcome back folk songwriter Dar Williams, described as "one of America's very best singer-songwriters" by the New Yorker. Her new album is out this September on Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe Records. 

Storied Canadian songwriters James Keelaghan and David Woodhead come together for a night of award-winning folk music. 

Malibu’s music is deeply meditative and serene. Drone, neoclassical, and dance intertwine to take listeners on a contemplative journey. The French composer’s latest single, “So Sweet & Willing” is one of 2025’s best, previewing her long-awaited debut album Vanities.

The Fanoos Ensemble features four brilliant Afghan musicians who are unable to perform inside Afghanistan today, as the Taliban has banned all music. Now living in the US, the ensemble performs a revue of Afghan culture through music.

Dálava sources Moravian (Czech) folk songs that were collected by lead vocalist Julia Ulehla’s great-grandfather in his village, and renders them in an improvisatory, cinematic musical language. The duo has received critical acclaim for the unique ways in which they blend folk tradition and avant-garde and experimental elements.

Drone Not Drone veterans composer/cellist Clarice Jensen and composer/multi-instrumentalist Chuck Johnson team up for a shared bill, performing separately and in a brand new collaboration.

Ukrainian-Canadian pianist Lubomyr Melnyk is best known for his groundbreaking “continuous music” performances, blending four historic elements: classical piano, minimalist drumming, martial arts, and Transcendental Meditation. With these 4 elements, Lubomyr does what no other pianist could. His extraordinary virtuosity enables him to create dream-like effects on the piano. Melnyk composes, as he plays, at the piano, feeling out lines and individual rhythmic cells that bubble, undulate, and gradually expand into vast, interlinked frameworks. He is a one-of-a-kind performer who we are thrilled to present to audiences at The Cedar.

Mei Semones' sweetly evocative blend of jazz, bossa nova and math-y indie rock is not only a way for her to find solace in her favorite genres, but is an intuitive means of catharsis. "Blending everything that I like together and trying to make something new — that's what feels most natural to me," says the 23-year-old Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and guitarist. "It's what feels most true to who I am as an artist." On her newest EP and Bayonet Records debut Kabutomushi, Mei's diverse sonic palette adds depth to her experiences of the complexities of love. Through the EP's five songs, she chronicles infatuation, devotion, vulnerability, and saying goodbye in some of her closest relationships, complete with sweeping strings, virtuosic guitar-playing and heartfelt lyrics sung in both English and Japanese.

Two songwriting legends return to The Cedar stage. Two careers that span 50+ years performing together for one incredible night. Do not miss Loudon Wainwright III and Chris Smither.

Fantastic Negrito is carrying the mantle for all the soulful bluesmen who came before him. The singer’s 2024 album Son of a Broken Man is gritty, raw, and full of fire and brimstone.

The masters of traditional Tuvan instruments, as well as the ancient art of throat singing, ALASH return to The Cedar stage for the 7th time in their history.

Believing that traditional music must constantly evolve, the musicians of Alash subtly infuse their songs with Western elements, citing influences from otherworldly artists like Sun Ra and Jimi Hendrix, creating their own unique style that is fresh and new, yet true to their Tuvan musical heritage.

The Cedar welcomes English indie rockers The Wedding Present for the first time, performing their Steve Albini-produced album Seamonsters in its entirety.  

Della Mae is a GRAMMY-nominated all-woman string band playing bluegrass, Americana, and folk music steeped in rich harmonies and soul-stirring melodies. 

As a majority queer, fiercely feminist five-piece acoustic outfit, [Della Mae] sing fearlessly on topics that might rile the genre’s traditionally conservative audiences. Recent albums have covered everything from domestic violence and fertility issues to the separation of families at the US border with Mexico. They also play barnstorming numbers about motorbikes and bourbon. - The Guardian, 2022. 

Philadelphia pop-folk songwriter Carsie Blanton takes her cues from legends like Nina Simone, Cleo Brown, Joni Mitchell and John Prine. She’s a ferocious wordsmith who pulls no punches on her 2024 full-length After the Revolution. This is Carsie’s second time performing at The Cedar, and we welcome her back in time when her words are more poignant than ever.