BOOM Charlotte, the eclectic arts festival created by artists to showcase innovative work and emerging artists is back at it again, this year at Camp North End (1824 Statesville Ave.) for a three-day run beginning Friday, April 21 (5 p.m. to 10 p.m.), continuing Saturday, April 22, (12 p.m. to 10 p.m.) and wrapping up Sunday, April 23, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Last year BOOM relocated to Camp North End from the Plaza Midwood neighborhood.
”We forged great partnerships in Plaza Midwood, but the festival was growing, we needed more space and Camp North End was very gracious to offer us the whole campus for the weekend,” explains BOOM Charlotte Executive Director Manoj Kesavan,
With the relocation came a reduced schedule from the usual three days down to two days. Coming off of pandemic cancellations in 2020 and 2021, BOOM wanted to proceed cautiously with the return to in-person events and felt two days was more manageable for last year.
Now they’re back to three days with more artists and organizations than they’ve ever had before and over 118 performances and installations at this year’s event. See the list of artists here.
As in previous years, artists are divided into two categories BOOM Fringe and BOOM Intersection.
BOOM Fringe is the original, edgy, and experimental art performed in intimate settings. It features ticketed performances created by the presenting artists in several small venues. Tickets for individual shows are just $10, or get a festival pass for $75 to see up to 13 shows (a $130 value). Get tickets, festival passes, and RSVP here.
BOOM Intersection is a broad range of art performed on a central stage, plus interactive installations and activities – all free and open to the public. The Intersection is the epicenter of the festival. It becomes a location for artists, audiences and community members to come together and enjoy live art in an outdoor living room.
Through Fringe and Intersection, attendees can have a wide range of art experiences. Go to a psychedelic Hip Hop show and attend a classical music ensemble concert. Experience modern dance and attend a few spoken word theatre shows. Take a spray painting class, play a video game or view visual art works in an outdoor setting. The list of art experiences is endless.
Explore the variety of shows by visiting the schedule here.
BOOM welcomes all ages and backgrounds. If you are an art lover and want to support local artists by attending a show, interacting with their art, or buying their products at the vendor fair, then BOOM is for you.
Come out to Camp North End April 21-23 to experience the art explosion that is BOOM.