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“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.

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.

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. 

Dom Flemons, The American Songster, invites you to experience the captivating history of Black Cowboys and the roots of American music through an innovative concert experience. “Dom Flemons is on a mission to uncover, preserve and push forward America’s musical past—particularly Black musical traditions.” - WBEZ Chicago

With a ship’s-horn power voice & irresistible stage presence, Eurovision winner Nani Vazana breathes life into the endangered Ladino Language. Nani’s heard Ladino from her Moroccan grandmother in hiding, as her father forbade the language at home. Her songwriting fuses Sephardic fairytales with contemporary storytelling and the sounds of the marketplace with Flamenco drama. 

Minneapolis' DRONE NOT DRONES is part benefit concert, part art project, part community event, benefitting Doctors Without Borders.

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.

As the rising voice of America’s most ethnically diverse generation of young people, singer-songwriter Amanda Pascali writes music that speaks to the experience of growing up as a first-generation American. Blending folk/American influences with Mediterranean, Balkan, and Latin rhythms, Pascali’s songs are powerful tales of America told through the eyes of immigrants and those who have always felt like the “other.” 

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.

“After a few listens to the record it becomes apparent that Chicago Farmer has a refreshingly firm grip on where he comes from. The songs are covered to the elbows in dirt from the fields and smell of the sweaty factory floors. If the Midwest is looking for a voice, the search is over.” - No Depression 

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.

One of Africa’s most popular and recognized musicians, Habib Koité is a modern troubadour with extraordinary appeal due to his musicianship, wit, and wisdom. Koité’s history with The Cedar runs deep – he’s performed here 6 times, dating back to 2008, and we are excited to welcome these world-class artists back to our stage.

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.

Yasmin Williams is one of the most innovative voices in guitar playing today, crafting rich instrumental compositions that sway from traditional folk to atmospheric soundscapes, experimenting with rich tapestries of sound. Her performance at The Cedar this Spring is sure to be a highlight of our 2026 calendar. 

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. 

Canadian folk singer Garnet Rogers joins us for a night of “literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful” songwriting.