Raphael Saadiq and Rapsody to headline Baltimore's Artscape 2027 festival

Baltimore's annual Artscape festival will be held May 29 and 30, 2027, in downtown Baltimore, featuring Grammy-winning artists Raphael Saadiq and Rapsody as headliners, Mayor Brandon Scott announced, according to WJZ CBS Baltimore and The Baltimore Banner.

The festival will take place at War Memorial Plaza, the War Memorial Building, and the area beneath the Jones Falls Expressway, with the main stage set up in front of City Hall. Activities will include art exhibits, vendors, food trucks, and live performances.

Artscape is one of the largest free arts festivals on the East Coast, attracting tens of thousands of visitors over two days. The 2027 event marks the 43rd edition and the third consecutive year the festival is held downtown as part of a city initiative to revitalize the area.

The move downtown has been supported for providing a safer environment for artists and allowing indoor events like the SCOUT Art Fair, which protects artwork from weather disruptions, according to Mayor Scott and Linzy Jackson, director of the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment.

Additional programming will include a citywide Arts and Culture Week from May 23 to May 30 and a comedy roast of Mayor Scott. Further performers for the festival will be announced later.

Last year’s Artscape featured headliners The Roots and Stephanie Mills, with other local artists performing as well. The 2027 festival will run from noon to 9 p.m. on both days.