* Artists & Agents: Please read this before you contact us *

If you wish to inquire about performing at our fall Festival, or in our spring Lotus Blossoms educational outreach programming, send a brief e-mail introducing yourself and your music to tamara@lotusfest.org. Include links to your website, YouTube links, SoundCloud, social media, or whatever other materials will help us fully understand what you have to offer.

Please note: We receive hundreds of inquiries each year and unfortunately do not have the resources or staff to reply to all inquiries, to discuss your work, or to respond to questions regarding your submission.

For each Lotus World Music & Arts Festival, we begin with an artist list that far exceeds a final roster of approximately 25 artists. Our staff selects artists based on the strength of their performances and material, as well as their fit with our international roster. We discover artists through conferences, recommendations, and direct submissions and usually avoid repeating artists over several years to give others an opportunity and to present fresh programming to our audiences.

If we are interested in learning more, we will contact you. Please, do not call the office to inquire about your submission — we appreciate your understanding.

Thank you for your interest.
~Lotus Staff

Lotus allows buskers and street performers into the Festival perimeter who wish to share their talents with the crowds who come downtown. However, Lotus does not engage in any formal contracts or compensation arrangements for this “street scene.”

We just ask the following:

• That street performers abide by local laws regarding busking, safety, etc.
• That street performer activities do not interfere with Festival infrastructure or Festival performances.
• That street performers respectfully abide by any requests or directives from Lotus staff, Lotus volunteers, and/or Lotus security personnel or police.

Please note that Lotus cannot and will not assume any liability for street performer activities. All street performer activities are entirely at your own risk and responsibility.

Because street performer activities are not affiliated with Lotus, street performers are not eligible for Lotus badges/ID tags or special access to any Lotus events or facilities. Entry to Festival venues requires independent ticket/wristband purchase.

Also, performance schedules will be available on our website to help you determine when there will be bigger crowds in the streets, i.e., between sets. Since there may be several buskers and street performers “vying” for the same high-visibility spots, we hope that folks will work it out amongst themselves in a mutually respectful way. Please note that if a particular area becomes too congested, Lotus personnel may request that certain performers relocate to another area.

Finally, just a reminder that merchant activity/vending (i.e. selling CDs, products, etc.) of any kind is not permitted inside the Festival perimeter or within a 1-block radius of this perimeter. Any vending outside of this zone requires the usual City permit(s).

Best wishes for your Festival-weekend planning!

Festival volunteers do a little bit of everything before, during, AND after the Festival.

Established in 1994, the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival has become one of Bloomington’s largest and most beloved cultural events and is the only festival of its kind in the state of Indiana. It is organized and administered by a small staff and by hundreds of volunteers.

Volunteers are crucial to the success of every festival! It is very important that volunteers commit not only to their assigned shift(s) but also to an orientation. In exchange for your commitment, wherein you ensure the smooth operation of a wonderful event, you can attend the festival on Friday or Saturday night.

We also have a program in place for teens, ages 16 or 17, that enables them to volunteer in the Visual Arts Village and Lotus in the Park, or as monitors at selected venues. To apply, potential candidates must send an essay of 150 to 200 words in length stating why they would like to volunteer and what they hope to gain from the experience, as well as how they view their potential commitment. They should send their essay as a word document to volunteer@lotusfest.org. Candidates who have been accepted will be contacted via email or phone for the next step in the application process.

All volunteers receive a button and t-shirt that mark you as a proud Lotus volunteer.

Check out this year’s awesome design. To help make your Lotus volunteer experience a good one, please review the Festival Volunteer Policy, Volunteer Positions, and  Frequently Asked Questions before submitting your application. We want to be certain that you have thoroughly reviewed our information about the exchange between the volunteers and the festival, including job descriptions and expectations.

All volunteers are required to attend a job-specific orientation. Please make sure that you are available for one of the orientations BEFORE submitting your volunteer application.

Questions?
Our website addresses many aspects of volunteering for Lotus, but if you don’t find your answer in the FAQ section, please email volunteer@lotusfest.org.

Thanks again for your interest!

Click here to view the 2022 Sponsor Benefits.