34th Annual Concert of Colors 2025

July 16-20, 2025, and it’s all free
Global arts, music and dance festival with food trucks featuring cuisine across the world, vendors/shopping and nonprofit booths offering information to make change for a better world for all of us. The Midwest’s largest global music festival featuring the biggest names in their genres and it’s free! 
Wednesday, 16th
Thursday, 17th
Saturday, 19th
Friday, 18th
Sunday, 20th

Wednesday, July 16th  

Detroit Film Theatre (inside the Detroit Institute of Arts)

Niyaz - The Fourth Light Project

Detroit Historical Museum

8:00pm-9:30pm

An Immersive multi-media experience (Pakistan and Iran).

The newest program of this Persian/Turkish/Indian electroacoustic musical tour de force NIYAZ, with whirling from Turkey and incredible visuals and sound. A mesmerizing experience.

Two women perform on stage in black and white. The woman on the left has long braided hair, wearing a cap backwards and a dark t-shirt, looking down. The woman on the right has long dark hair, wearing dark lace clothing, holding a microphone and singing with an intense expression.

Nafada – An Audio Uprising

Film: 2 showings 11:30am & 2:00pm

An unforgettable social justice advocacy project between female hip-hop artists from the MENA region and musicians of industrial, dark-wave electro music from the West.

Thursday, July 17th  

Collage of three jazz musicians: a man with gray hair and beard holding a classical guitar, a man with dark hair playing an acoustic guitar, and a man with a shaved head playing a saxophone.

Victor Ghannam (Palestine) & Sean Blackman’s (Armenia) Hye Salam, featuring David McMurray (Eastern Jazz)

A woman dressed in a red traditional dress with jewelry and a flower in her hair sits on a yellow velvet sofa, while a man in a black beret and dark jacket plays a string instrument against a blue background.

5:30pm-6:15pm

Award-winning celebrated Detroit solo artists who perform worldwide are coming together for Arab, Armenian, Eastern jazz and Detroit music. Regular performers at Concert of Colors and highly anticipated as they take you around the world at this energetic and beautiful performance.

Four people posing in front of a vibrant, patterned background with yellow, blue, and red designs. They are dressed in eclectic styles, with some wearing sunglasses and unique clothing.

Bab L’ Bluz (Morocco) Moroccan-French power quartet reclaim the blues for North Africa

6:45pm-7:30pm

Moroccan-French power quartet reclaim the blues for North Africa. Fronted by an African-Moroccan woman in a traditionally male role, Bab L’ Bluz resonates a mixture of powerful Gnawa trance rhythms, Hassani songs from southern Morocco. Ancient-to-future music.

A man with long hair and a beard, wearing glasses and a patterned shirt, playing an electric guitar against a dark background with small lights.

Laith Al-Saadi (Blues afficiando)

8:00pm-8:45pm

Laith Al-Saadi won America’s hearts and a spot in the finale of NBC’s “The Voice”. He is a staple of Michigan’s music scene bringing his authentic blend of blues, soul and classic rock to audiences around the nation and the world.

Michigan Science Center

Third Man Records

International Dance Lessons: African, Latin

1:00pm-2:00pm: Shashu Amen-Ra, African dance class 

4:00pm-5:00 pm: Mambo Marci, Beginners salsa class

1:00-7:00pm: Arts & Scraps

A woman in traditional African attire, smiling and holding a microphone, participating in a group dance or celebration with children and adults in a gymnasium or community center.
A woman singing or speaking at a microphone during a musical performance, with an audience or band members visible in the background, accompanied by music stands and instruments.

 Nebula Sound Ensemble (21st-century experimental chamber music)

7:30pm Doors, 8-8:40pm Show

Nebula Ensemble is an award winning, experimental music group, pushing genre boundaries and advocating for living creators. Mesmerizing audiences at every show!

Woman wearing a halo with small lights, playing an electric guitar, illuminated with green light.
Group of five musicians standing together, one woman holding a cello, one man holding a saxophone, in a room with a wooden panel wall.

Beautiful Noise featuring Kash Killion, Scott Amendola, Ben Goldberg, Don Was, Gretchen Gonzales & Chris Peters (Detroit. Soundscape cosmic vibes)

A woman with long, brown hair, smiling, wearing a red top and pearl earrings, with a white background.

9:00pm-10:00pm

Indie-space-pop foundations, and a rock and roll legacy with major names in music for a powerful, unforgettable creative performance.

Sosnick Courtyard, outside the Detroit Symphony Orchestra

New Music Detroit, Virtuoso

New and experimental contemporary classical ensemble

7:30pm-9:30pm

Collective of musicians, New Music Detroit is dedicated to performing groundbreaking musical works from the late-20th century to present.

Friday, July 18th  

Aretha Franklin Amphitheater (Chene Park)

Mavis Staples, Blues/Gospel/R&B legend

9:00pm-10:00pm

Mavis Staples is a celebrated American rhythm & blues and gospel singer, and civil rights activist who rose to fame with songs by The Staples Singers such as “I’ll take you there.” Her powerful, celebratory sound -with the Detroit River as the stage backdrop - will have audiences on their dancing feet in the warm summer Detroit air.

Black and white close-up portrait of a smiling woman with short hair, wearing hoop earrings and a necklace.

5:00pm-6pm: Shashu Amen-Ra, African dance

7:15-8:15 pm: Bab L’ Bluz: (Morocco) Moroccan-French power quartet reclaim the blues for North Africa. 

The Luv Locz Experiment

6:00-6:45pm

A genre-defying collective from Dayton and Cincinnati, blending reggae, funk, hip-hop, and jazz into a signature sound they call Caribbean Funk. More than a band, they're a movement rooted in love, unity, and self-discovery.

A diverse group of people outdoors celebrating, some wearing colorful traditional African attire, holding a flag, and making joyful gestures.

Michigan Science Center

International Dance Lessons: African, Latin

1:00-2:00pm: Shashu Amen-Ra, African dance class 

4:00pm-5:00pm: Mambo Marci, Beginners salsa class

1:00pm-7:00pm: Arts & Scraps

A woman wearing a green headwrap and traditional African dress smiling and holding a microphone, surrounded by children dancing and participating in an event.
A smiling woman with long, light brown hair, wearing earrings, and a red top, posing against a plain white background.

Saturday, July 19th  

Spot Lite Detroit

Concert of Colors Forum by the Arab American National Museum: “The Homelands in Our Bodies: Embodying Artivism”

Detroit Film Theatre located inside the Detroit Institute of Arts

1:00pm-3:00pm

Moderator: Raed (founder of Yalla Punk)

Keynote Speaker: Ijeoma Oluo

Speakers & Performers: Firas Zreik, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Raymond ’SouFy’ Elwart Jr., Cyrah Dardas

A woman with curly black hair, wearing large hoop earrings and multiple necklaces, is playing an electric guitar against a turquoise abstract background.

Eljuri (Latin Reggae rock, Ecuador)

3:30pm-5:00pm

Eljuri is an award-winning Ecuadorian singer-songwriter/guitarist whose music is a mirror on this generation. Musical global fusion reflecting her Spanish and Lebanese heritage, the uplifting rhythms of her homeland, Ecuador, and the reggae, punk and rock & roll from her hometown, New York City create unique music.

A group of eleven diverse musicians and two women in dresses posing together indoors, some holding musical instruments, with a pink filter overlay.

Spanglish Fly (NY, Latin Boogaloo, celebratory, 11-piece band) 

A panel discussion at the Concert of Colors forum on community, culture, and race, titled "Until Everybody's Free: Artists for Liberation." Five panelists seated on stage, including women and men of diverse backgrounds, are engaged in conversation. A large screen behind them displays headshots and names of the panelists, along with the event title and theme.

6:00pm-7:30pm

New York’s only band reviving and renewing Latin Boogaloo that came from the clubs and streets of 1960s Spanish Harlem. Mix of soul, R&B, and Latin rhythms; expect a dance floor packed with happy listeners.

A man with long dreadlocks, wearing sunglasses, a beige hat, a gray suit jacket, and a patterned scarf, smiling outdoors with buildings in the background.

 Don Was Detroit Allstar Revue

9:00pm-10:30pm

with Thornetta Davis, Chris Canas, Herschel Boone, Tosha Owens, Laith Al-Saadi, Rev Robert Jones, Steffanie Christi’an, and Mitch Ryder. 

One of the festival’s most anticipated annual performances, multiple Grammy winner/Blue Note Records President/Producer/Musician/Detroit-raised superstar Don Was curates a show just for Concert of Colors audiences, bringing some of the city’s best musicians with him to perform the Blues. 

Detroit Institute of Arts: North Lawn Stage

A group of dancers performing on stage dressed in colorful costumes with feathers and fans, with a dark background and stage lights.

Mathangi Dance Company, Bollywood Dance-a-thon

3:00pm-4:30pm

What started off as a small-town dance crew has become one of the most recognized Indian performing arts companies in the Michigan area and beyond.

An elderly woman with blonde hair wearing a colorful, floral-patterned dress with ruffled cuffs, standing against a pink background.

Asha Puthli, (India. Spacy Avante Garde Disco Jazz)          

6:00pm-7:30pm

The Indian-born singer in the 70s, known for her sensuous, spacey jazz-disco fusions plus blues, pop, funk and rock. A wonderful must-see.

Group of musicians playing guitars outdoors on a rainy night in an urban area, with wet pavement and city buildings in the background.

Tilted Axes Electric Guitar (processional)

7:30pm-8:30pm

Music for Mobile Electric Guitars, an ensemble created and led by composer Patrick Grant. A procession of electric guitarists who wear mini-amps.

Three people standing on a city street at night, with parked cars and buildings in the background. The scene is in black and white.

Yo La Tengo (American Indie, Hoboken)

9:00pm-10:00pm

Despite achieving some mainstream success, Yo La Tengo has been called "the quintessential critics' band" and enjoys a strong cult following. Mostly original material, the band also performs a wide repertoire of cover songs.

Detroit Film Theatre located inside the Detroit Institute of Arts

Sunday, July 20th

An elderly man with a gray beard playing a saxophone, eyes closed in concentration, wearing a colorful shirt, against a vibrant background.

Wendell Harrison tribute to Pharoah Sanders

2:00pm-3:30pm

American jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist. Tenor saxophonist, record producer and educator is a living legend in jazz. Popular in the New York jazz scene in the 1960s before returning home to Detroit to help found Tribe — a record label and magazine that became a hub for Black experimental music, publishing and platform to discuss social politics.

Man wearing a gray fedora hat, black T-shirt, gold necklace, wristwatch, and holding a microphone.

AfroFlow: Detroit to Ethiopia w Mike-E. (Ethiopia)

5:00pm-6:30pm

Ellison is an acclaimed, virtuoso musician and performer. Born in Ethiopia and based in Detroit, Michigan. He is working with musicians from throughout Ethiopia for this special performance bridges Detroit to the country of Ethiopia for its beautiful, inspirational sounds.

A man holding a gold saxophone, wearing a green and white patterned shirt, smiling, standing indoors.

 Femi Kuti and the Postive Force, (Nigeria)

8:00pm-9:30pm

Global superstar. Raised in Lagos. He is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Femi Kuti began his musical career playing in his father's band, Egypt 80. In 1986, Femi started his own band, Positive Force, establishing himself as an artist independent of his father's legacy with shows that powerful, story-telling, heart-breaking, energetic, inspiring and highly acclaimed worldwide. Don’t miss this incredible show by a living legend!

Detroit Institute of Arts, South Lawn Stage Children’s Stage & Tent

Youth Celebration

1:00-7:00pm

YOUTH MAZE - TOTS PLAY AREA - HANDS ON  DISCOVERY TENT - MUSICAL MAZE - LIVE STAGE PERFORMANCES                                 

BALLET FOLKLORICO DETROIT Mexican dance 

CLAIR ACADMY OF MUSIC Chinese Erhu youth musician and martial artists  

DIA STUDIO HANDS ON ARTS PROJECTS 

IDY CISSE -West African Dance Demo & interactive 

JESSICA CARE MOORE- Book reading and writing work shop by Detroit Poet Laureate 

DREAMS ARTS COMPANY Youth theater company 

HERITAGE WORKS DRUM  ROLL hands on African drumming 

MOSAIC YOUTH THEATER Performing Arts Ensemble   

RHONDA GREENE Book reading and writing workshop 

NANOU DJIAPO African Drum & Dance Ensemble 

Wolverine Stage - Sosnick Court University of Michigan Detroit

A woman resting her head on her hand, leaning on a reflective surface outdoors with trees in the background.

Carmen Jackson

12:05pm

Carmen Jackson is a Detroit soul and jazz singer with deep musical roots. Niece of jazz great Milt Jackson and daughter of percussionist Manley Jackson, she’s a longtime figure on the local scene. Her single “Where Do We Go From Here” reflects her powerful, personal storytelling.

A woman with brown hair, red lipstick, and a red flower in her hair, wearing a cherry-patterned dress and a pearl necklace, holding a red electric guitar with a black pickguard and strings, standing against a plain gray wall.

Jo Serrapere (Detroit)

1:15pm

Roots, folk, alt-country, blues and rock. Performing on national stages for decades, releasing albums and collaborating with other folk, roots and alt-country musicians. This singer/songwriter is a must-see!

A group of twelve musicians posing on a staircase with their instruments, including saxophones, trumpets, and a sousaphone, dressed in formal and semi-formal attire, smiling and celebrating together.

 U of M Flint Jazz

2:30pm

U of M Flint Jazz is the University of Michigan-Flint’s premier jazz ensemble, showcasing talented student musicians and honoring the rich tradition of jazz through dynamic performances and community engagement.

Musician playing an electric guitar during a live performance, with another musician in the background, both wearing sunglasses.

Chris Canas Band

3:45pm

Detroit’s Prince Of The Blues”. A well-blended set of classic covers and clever, roller coaster-like originals that keep the audience coming back for more. Diverse mix of Blues, Funk, and Soul they are always well equipped to bring the party wherever they go -and have the dance moves to boot!

Three musicians playing percussion instruments on a dark stage with vertical backlighting.

U of M Percussions

5:00pm

The GRAMMY-nominated University of Michigan Percussion Ensemble has commissioned, performed, and recorded works from a global array of musical cultures. Many of the compositions it has premiered have gone on to enter the standard percussion canon.

Group of six people, five women and one man, holding musical instruments, dressed in blue and black, outdoors at night.

Mariachi Femenil Detroit

6:15pm

An all-female based mariachi power ensemble located in the metro-Detroit area.These five musicians gained great popularity and press for their beautiful, skilled music that breaks boundaries. Bring your own little girl to the show, so she can see “that can be me someday, too!”

Scarab Club Farnsworth St, Detroit., behind the DIA

Kassan Belgrave & Allen Dennard w DJ Melo (Acid Jazz Trio, Tribute to Detroit House and Techno)

6:00pm-7:30pm

Belgrave - Detroit born and raised multi-reedist bearing a name with an incredible legacy, Kassan lives up to it! He joins Dennard, a celebrated mega talented Detroit-based trumpeter and recording artist with popular DJ Melo for a vibey acid jazz trio in this special intimate Historic art gallery space.

A man with a beard and sunglasses playing a saxophone in front of a colorful graffiti mural.
A man playing a trumpet in a dimly lit room.
A woman with gray hair, wearing a pink tank top, standing behind DJ equipment with headphones around her neck, in front of a black curtain.

College for Creative Studies (CCS) 

CCS Ford Campus Sculpture Garden Stage

Detroit’s Divine Five

Come to this dance party at the beautiful sculpture garden of CCS! Hear underground and modern sounds emerge at the sculpture garden from these top groundbreaking artists, a collective of top madam DJs. - you’re either here for it - or you will miss it!

Detroit’s Divine Five Are:

2:00pm-3:00pm: DJ Auset 

3:00pm-4:00pm: DJ Taylor Monai

4:00pm-5:00pm: DJ Lady Monix 

5:00pm-6:00pm: DJ Jenny La Femme

6:00pm-7pm: DJ Stacey Hotwaxx

A group of musicians playing guitars on a rainy city street at night, with tall buildings and streetlights in the background.

Detroit Institute of Arts: North Lawn Stage

A woman lies on the carpeted floor, holding a vinyl record album featuring a photograph of a female vocalist performing on stage. She is smiling and looking at the camera. Around her are other vinyl records, one with an illustration of sports or gaming characters and text reading "Oh, no! it's DEVO," and a red record sleeve with white text.

Liz Warner & Shigeto

9:30pm-11:00pm

WDET DJ & Dance Night, Detroit progressive DJ sounds. An award-winning audio journalist and DJ. She began her career on WDET in 1995 and now hosts Alternate Take on the same station. A lifelong explorer of sound, Liz has worked as a host, curator, writer, and DJ in both Detroit and LA, She’s been recognized for her contributions to music and media by national journalism organizations and continues to spotlight Detroit’s creative community.

Seven men outdoors standing on grassy ground with trees in the background, one sitting in front. They are dressed casually, some smiling, in a sunny setting.

War (California, Street Band)

7:00pm-8:30pm

Experience the electrifying sounds of the original street band performing your favorite hits including Low Rider, Spill the Wine, The Cisco Kid, and many more!

Three women with colorful clothing and accessories sitting together at a carnival or fair, one holding a rainbow lollipop, with a roller coaster in the background.

Shadow Show (Detroit)

4:30pm-6:00pm

Power trio 60's garage-psychedelia into a 21st century modern pop-art incarnation! Shadow Show is making headlines in Detroit and around the country. See them here first!

Tilted Axes Electric Guitar (processional)

6:00-7:00pm

Music for Mobile Electric Guitars, an ensemble created and led by composer Patrick Grant. A procession of electric guitarists who wear mini-amps.

A woman with black hair wearing a leopard print shirt, standing behind DJ equipment in front of a shelf filled with vinyl records.
A young man with curly hair, wearing a gray hoodie and headphones, smiling while DJing with a Pioneer DJ controller in a dimly lit room.
A woman standing indoors against a wall with a sign that reads 'LOVE FROM NEAROUT.' She is wearing a black jacket, light-colored jeans, and black boots, and holding a bag.
Woman with long dreadlocks wearing sunglasses, black graphic T-shirt, and ripped jeans sitting in a recording studio with music equipment and gold records on the wall.