Indiana’s annual celebration of world music, arts, and culture. A four-day festival for people of all ages, ethnicities, abilities, and backgrounds that is supported by countless community partners, sponsors, and volunteers.
Lotus Festival 2023 will showcase over 25 different artists and groups from around the globe where you can expect unique opportunities and experiences that may broaden your worldview through the arts.
Distinguished among other music festivals, Lotus Fest presents a non-hierarchical mix of performers and musicians highlighting the exceptional talent and unique characteristics of each artist.
Join us for a weekend celebrating and exploring the diversity of the world’s cultures through music, art, food, dance, workshops, and fun for the whole family!
FREE FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES - ALL AGES/OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
More Info
Enjoy all that Bloomington has to offer by staying in town for the whole Festival weekend! Downtown Bloomington is known for its thriving arts scene, numerous galleries, farmers market, access to outdoor recreation, and an incredibly diverse selection of world-class restaurants. It’s easy to stay and to get around — we’ve provided some helpful info below, or you can access additional resources via Visit Bloomington.
Parking
Most downtown parking in Bloomington, Indiana is metered (although it’s still reasonable by big-city standards). Meters accept change or credit cards, or you can use the Parkmobile app to pay from your mobile device. There are also several large parking garages downtown — please visit the City’s website for locations and rates.
Some areas near downtown are reserved for special, permitted use. Observe all signs for residential (“Residents Only”) or campus parking (Permit required) restrictions when you encounter them in parking lots and on some street blocks.
Recommended 4th Street, Morton, and Walnut parking garages.
Lotus in the Park
Parking is available at the Boys and Girls Club in the back of the building and in the back corner of the lot
Lodging
Bloomington boasts a wide array of lodging choices for every budget — start exploring now at the Visit Bloomington website. Many local hotels also offer special Lotus rates for Festival weekend, so be sure to mention “Lotus” when making your booking! For additional lodging information, please contact Visit Bloomington at 800-800-0037 or 812-334-8900.
The annual Lotus World Music and Arts Festival celebrates the
diversity, beauty, and joy of music and arts from cultures around the world.
Lotus is committed to selecting world-class performers who represent the highest standards of musicianship and professionalism. Lotus is distinguished among festivals by not relying on “headliners”, but rather presenting a non-hierarchical mix of performers and prioritizing discovery and inspiring encounters with the new and often unfamiliar. Lotus is also somewhat unique in considering American music as part of the “world” in “world music”– be that American roots and folk music, or music reflecting our tapestry of immigrant experiences. Each year, the festival typically showcases a roster of 25-30 different artists or groups.
Over the last 25 years, Lotus has hosted nearly 575 artists or ensembles from 120+ different countries or culturally distinct regions. The Festival regularly attracts an unusually multi-generational audience, participation from local and regional ethnic/cultural communities, and a significant out-of-town population from across the state and across the country. Estimates in partnership with our local Visitors Bureau calculate that Bloomington enjoys an annual economic impact of ~$500,000 on each Festival weekend.
The Festival is proudly based in downtown Bloomington and named in part for Indiana musician Lotus Dickey (1911-1989).
A wristband is your passport to multiple performances each showcase night, at multiple venues. Stages range from the Buskirk-Chumley Theater to standing-room-only street tents, to churches where traditional music shines.
Lotus offers both ticketed showcases and free events for all ages. Saturday’s Lotus in the Park is packed with live performances, hands-on art projects, and interactive workshops with Festival artists.
Keep your options open for the unusual and the unexpected.
* 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!
We are so grateful to all our financial sponsors and individual contributors for keeping Lotus World & Arts Festival thriving for 30 years! If you are interested in learning more about our Sponsor benefits, please contact Seth Elgar at Development@lotusfest.org. Lotus Education and Arts Foundation is a nonprofit 501c(3) organization, all contributions are tax deductible.
Your contributions, large and small, make our work possible. When you donate to Lotus, you commit to helping foster the love of the diversity of the world’s cultures in South Central Indiana. There are many ways to donate to Lotus. Click “Donate” for more information.
NOTES &
NEWS
2024 Lotus Festival Dates
2023 Lotus Festival Impact Report
