Blumenthal Arts has announced the lineup for the 2024 Charlotte International Arts Festival (CIAF), a Blumenthal Arts Original, returning to the Queen City Sept. 13 through Sept. 29. The annual festival bridges Charlotte’s local and international communities with global artists in a joyful celebration filled with live performances, art installations and cultural expressions from around the world.
A smorgasbord of art from a variety of cultures and genres, CIAF offers something for everyone – no matter your taste, background, or budget – with more than 200 events, many free and open to the public, along with ticketed events starting at $5.
“As we enter our third year hosting CIAF, we are proud of the festival’s growth, not only in attendance, but also in the number of international artists and organizations with whom we’re partnering in Charlotte,” said Blumenthal Arts Vice President of Marketing, Danny Knaub. “Last year, we embraced the tagline ‘A Blumenthal Arts Original,’ and we continue to present a festival unlike anything Charlotte has seen.”
The launch of CIAF in 2022 introduced an abundance of cultural programming to the Queen City. This year, CIAF will span over 17 days and will include 130 free events, 40 art installations, 70 Cultural Stages acts, nine Blumenthal Fellows, 15+ venues, including four free outdoor stages, 14 in-venue attractions, 25 cultural partners, 45+ countries represented, 14 Festivals-within-the-Festival and 300+ hours of entertainment
The festival is expanding its footprint this year, transforming the Iron District with pop-up art installations, the return of Luke Jerram’s Gaia (a giant inflatable of the earth created from NASA imagery) and the regional premiere of “Space Explorers: The Infinite,” a powerful, immersive experience inspired by NASA missions aboard the International Space Station, which will be the first tenant in Blume Studios.
“Joining the 28th annual Festival of India and 34th annual Latin American Festival as part of CIAF are other Charlotte festival staples like Le Dîner en Blanc, Festival in the Park, and the UNC Charlotte International Festival, to name a few,” Knaub shared.
There will also be programs new to the area, such as Lowcountry Cultural Festival and Southern Guitar Festival and Competition. Most programs are free, including live music Uptown at Levine Avenue of the Arts and at Ballantyne’s Backyard.
CIAF 2024 is being made possible thanks to sponsorship contributions, including The Leon Levine Foundation (TLLF) returning as lead sponsor with a generous renewed gift of $100,000. TLLF is joined by Bank of America, Hearst, and Shea Homes. Other partners include Ally, Wells Fargo, TD Bank and Wastequip.
Fitness classes, presented by Brighthouse Financial, will take place on select Saturdays and Sundays on Levine Avenue and The Green. Join Lauren Nixon for Glow Yoga, a playful yoga flow set against the backdrop of Atelier Sisu’s Evanescent. Or immerse yourself in Dropsound Yoga & Meditation underneath LED Lab’s Constellation, where noise-canceling headphones eliminate external distractions and allow you to fully engage in the experience.
Now in its third year, audiences will enjoy returning favorites such as the colossal wandering Birdmen; vibrant dance featuring Tablao Flamenco; the communal Festival Biergarten, featuring local craft beer; and more, in CIAF locations in Uptown Charlotte, Ballantyne’s Backyard, and others.
UK artist Luke Jerram will bring back two of Charlotte’s favorite art installations: Of Earth and Sky and the aforementioned Gaia. Of Earth and Sky is Jerram’s popular poetry trail — which was last seen in Charlotte in 2021. The installation turns poems submitted by local writers into public art that will be seen popping up in various festival locations across the city.
Previously seen in Founders Hall, Gaia is a 19-foot illuminated, three-dimensional globe created from NASA imagery. This year, Gaia will be exhibited for free in conjunction with the previously announced immersive space journey, Space Explorers: The Infinite.
In 2023, CIAF partnered for the first time with two Charlotte cultural fixtures, the Festival of India and the Latin American Festival. As previously announced, Blumenthal will stretch its cultural partnerships even farther into the community this year.
In 2024, CIAF will team up with the following partners, some returning and others new:
Returning CIAF cultural partners: Festival of India, Charlotte Brunch Festival, El Grito Festival, Latin American Festival, Festival in the Park, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, JazzArts Charlotte, International House, SouthPark After 5, Mint Museum, Tosco Music and the Charlotte Film Festival.
New cultural partners include: ArtPop Street Gallery, Lowcountry Culture Festival, University City Wine Festival, UNC Charlotte International Festival, Le Dîner en Blanc Charlotte, ourBRIDGE for KIDS, Southern Guitar Festival, CharlOz, Queen City Zine Fest, CLTure, BOOM Charlotte, NOMADNESS Fest and Guild of Charlotte Artists.
International highlights at CIAF include Mystical Arts of Tibet, with meticulous mandala sand painting and magnificent sacred music and chants that are believed to generate energies promoting world healing; Evanescent by Atelier Sisu (commissioned by Blumenthal), shimmering, towering rainbow bubbles with a bespoke soundscape by local artist Ryan Persaud; the incredible human artistry of Cirque Kalabanté – Afrique En Cirque, inspired by daily life in Guinea; and more.
Musical acts of all styles will pop up again this year at Levine Avenue of the Arts and Ballantyne’s Backyard. New this year in Ballantyne will be a series of days out at the park called Backyard Bashes — all-day events in Ballantyne’s Backyard with food trucks, Cultural Stages performances, family-friendly activities and more on festival weekends.
CIAF this year will offer dining experiences ranging from Charlotte’s best food truck fare to the chic Le Dîner en Blanc, Charlotte Brunch Festival, international cuisines at the Festival of India and Latin American Festival; and an immersive comedy dining event known as Faulty Towers.
There are a myriad of ways for individuals or families to be immersed in the joys and discoveries of CIAF. This year’s returning favorites will include: Birdmen, Of Earth and Sky, Lotty by Moradavaga, Gaia and Tablao Flamenco.
The festival will include entertainment in three distinct locations, in addition to pop-ups and partners throughout greater Charlotte.
Blume Studioes in the Iron District
Located in the new Iron District — former home of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry — Blume Studios is Blumenthal’s new pillar of programming that focuses on the intersection of technology, art, and community.
Launching the first chapter of Blume Studios will be Space Explorers: The Infinite, an out-of-this-world immersive journey inspired by NASA missions aboard the International Space Station with 360-degree videos captured in space using advanced technology.
In addition to Gaia, Blume Studios will also be home to the free exhibit Groundswell, an awe-inspiring interactive climbing sculpture out of Australia, which sways with tens of thousands of ball bearings as the structure tilts.
Part dining experience, part comedy show with improv galore, Faulty Towers is two hours of nonstop laughter, designed as a tribute to the iconic BBC series Fawlty Towers. A limited number of VIP tickets will be available for each performance.
All Blume Studios events will be up throughout the duration of the festival and beyond. Check blumenthalarts.org for schedule and details.
CIAF in Ballentyne
The new CIAF Backyard Bash series will feature all types of music from artists around the world and around the corner on the main stage: dance of the performance and participatory variety; pop-up surprises; activities for families; food trucks; and more.
Several CIAF partner festivals, including the Latin American Festival, Lowcountry Culture Festival, and CLTure’s CIAF Day and Night Market will take place in Ballantyne’s Backyard.
Blumenthal will partner with the Festival of India to expand its reach this year across two days. Historically a one-day extravaganza Uptown, this year even more Festival of India programming will be introduced to Ballantyne for a second day of celebrations, culminating with a free lawn performance by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and special guest performer Anjan Shah.
Ballantyne’s Backyard will also feature public art by local and visiting artists, including Christopher Schardt of LED Labs, whose Mind Wash, an enchanting 26-foot rotating, brain-shaped animated structure that comes alive with classical music, will be one of a trio of that artist’s works presented at CIAF this year.
CIAF Uptown
Blumenthal’s Uptown venues will host numerous ticketed events, including the return of the beloved family show “Bluey’s Big Play” (September 21–22); legendary jazz musician Herbie Hancock (September 25); CharlOz events and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s “The Wizard of Oz,” a live performance of the iconic score alongside a screening of the film (September 27).
Uptown will also be home to large-scale artworks, including Christopher Schardt’s Constellation, a stunning, star-shaped canopy adorned with 21,600 LED modules. There will also be a piece called Mariposa, a mesmerizing gigantic butterfly hovering 15 feet in the air and CIAF favorite Lotty — the giant, red, interactive squid (Italy and Portugal).
Free performances will be plentiful at the Levine Stage at Levine Avenue of the Arts Friday through Sunday with a mix of Cultural Stages musicians, Tosco Music curations, and the ourBRIDGE Fall Festival/BOOM Charlotte teaser.
Food and drinks, including local craft beer, will be featured at the Festival Biergarten open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 10 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 9 p.m.
For additional event info, tickets, performance times and more information, visit charlotteartsfest.com.