Music at the Intersection is expanding this year’s festival with a fourth main stage and a longer conference over multiple days.
The festival, now known as MATI, announced the full schedule and festival map on Thursday. Sophie’s Artist Lounge will host a main stage along with the Big Top, the Sovereign and the Field Stage. Main stage performances begin at 5 p.m. Sept. 12, 3 p.m. Sept. 13 and 2 p.m. Sept. 14.
The additional stage is the latest change to the annual festival. Organizers announced earlier this year that it would spread this year’s conference across the weekend instead of just Friday like previous festivals. Conference panels, hosted at the .Zack, are aimed at helping local artists learn about the music industry, network with industry leaders and other artists and develop their craft.
Friday’s conference panels include a focus on entrepreneurship, corporate building and social media and podcast strategy to promote music. Some sessions will be led by Arch Grants as well as former Carnival Cruise Line CEO Arnold Donald.
Saturday’s conference will include sessions on video content creation, the history of hip-hop and social activism as well as a session led by the Recording Academy on how to sustain success in the music industry.
Local community groups including Poetry in Motion, Frizz Fest and Black Quilters Association will host events at various festival venues throughout the weekend. Artists arts’ collectives including Laz Jazz and S.L.U.M. Fest will curate arts events during the weekend. Locations include the High Low, Hidden Gems, Scene, Strauss Park, Harris-Stowe Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, KAF Art Yard and Sophie’s Artist Lounge.
Artists including Patti LaBelle, Common and Pete Rock, De La Soul, Branford Marsalis, Leon Thomas and Lucky Daye will headline MATI. Festival organizers say this year’s event will prioritize tornado relief efforts with donation tents throughout the event and donate $10 from each pass sold to the organization. The festival is also designing benefit T-shirts honoring Tina Turner, with proceeds going toward 4theVille.
Read the full map and schedule below.
