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The MATI Festival and Conference is returning for its fifth edition in St. Louis, Missouri later this year, organizers announced on Tuesday (April 15). Taking place Sept. 12-14 in the Grand Center Arts District, the festival — which is leaning into the acronym for Music at the Intersection — will feature over 100 performances and presentations across three main stages and several nearby venues.
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This year’s headliners include rapper-actor Common with Pete Rock, R&B icon Patti LaBelle, hip-hop influencers De La Soul, jazz composer Branford Marsalis, recent Grammy winner Lucky Daye and neo-soul singer-songwriter Leon Thomas. Local trumpeter Keyon Harrold returns as MATI’s artist-in-residence, while Pedrito Martinez joins as the artist-at-large, performing across multiple sets.
With a new format and identity focused on celebrating “St. Louis Made” music, MATI honors the city’s heritage rooted in blues (the National Blues Museum is down the street), jazz, soul, R&B and more, alongside artists from culturally connected regions like the Caribbean and Mississippi Delta. Local artists such as Ryan Trey, The Baylor Project, Marquise Knox and Weedie Braimah will feature prominently.
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MATI’s footprint has also been tinkered with to provide a barrier-free experience, replacing a stage on Washington Avenue with food trucks, street performers and other family-friendly activities. Three main stages—The Big Top, Field Stage and The Sovereign —will host the headliners, while a new “MATI Places” initiative will activate adjecent indoor venues with acts, DJ sets, poetry slams, workshops, panels and keynotes, with the conference portion now spanning the full weekend.
Passes go on sale April 18 here, with weekend passes priced at $150. Special MATI Places-specific day passes will be available this summer.
Presented by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, MATI is supported by the Steward Family Foundation and Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis.
“If you’ve been to MATI, you can feel that it’s special,” said Chris Hansen, executive director of Kranzberg Arts Foundation. “It’s a microcosm of the city: all ages, races, ethnicities. No neighborhood divides. People who can afford tickets and people who can’t. All joyous. All together in the streets of Grand Center. We want to keep MATI a true, representative community experience.”
The lineup includes Common & Pete Rock, Patti LaBelle, Lucky Daye, Leon Thomas, De La Soul, Branford Marsalis, John Medeski’s Mad Skillet, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, The S.O.S. Band, The Budos Band, Leela James, Arooj Aftab, The Baylor Project, The Womack Sisters, Coco & Breezy, Pedrito Martinez, Keyon Harrold, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Pirulo Y La Tribu, Butcher Brown, Marquise Knox with Funky Brass Band, Brothers Lazaroff Super Friends, Weedie Braimah & The Hands of Time and more.
St. Louis, Missouri’s emerging Evolution Festival will mark its second year this fall with a killer lineup — literally. Alt-rock anthem makers The Killers will join anti-folk funk-soul rocker Beck as headliners of the event, which returns to Mound City’s leafy Forest Park on Sept. 28-29 following a successful debut in 2023.
Joining the veteran headliners will be fellow seminal acts Jane’s Addiction, Blondie and Nile Rodgers & Chic. The rest of Evolution’s stacked lineup includes recent Grammy winner Killer Mike, Americana singer Elle King, studio wizard Todd Rundgren and singer-songwriter Pete Yorn, along with Robert Finley, S.G. Goodman, His Lordship, Beachwood Sparks, The Mysterines, Lola Kirke, 95 Bulls, Tre Burt, The Asteroid No. 4 and more.
Like other area festivals, namely Music at the Intersection, Evolution co-producers Contemporary Presentations and The Just Listen Company make sure to weave in local acts as well. This year, the honors go to alt-country statesmen Son Volt and a group simply called Nadine. The former helped popularize the genre following the collapse of frontman Jay Farrar’s earlier band, Uncle Tupelo; the latter produced a series of beloved indie albums that evolved from straight-on roots to more atmospheric territory during a brief run in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
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Organizers hope to build on the momentum of Evolution’s inaugural event, which attracted over 25,000 attendees last August for a lineup that included Brandi Carlile, The Black Keys, Ice Cube and Sugarhill Gang, plus a curated program of local culinary offerings and craft-y spirits.
“We are thrilled to bring Evolution Festival back to Forest Park for its second year,” said festival producers Steve Schankman and Joe Litvag. “Building upon the success of our inaugural year, we are committed to creating a dynamic and inclusive experience that celebrates music, food, and community. We look forward to welcoming fans to what promises to be an unforgettable weekend.”
Attendees can choose from two general admission tiers, starting at $129.50, or spring for one of three VIP or ‘Platinum’-level packages that provide special seating, access to lounge areas and special food offerings. All options will be available for purchase on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 10:00 a.m. CST.
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