There is a reason no two Folklife Festival programs look alike, although the ingredients are the same.

The 2018 Folklife Festival will tell the story of Catalonia’s living cultural heritage through four major themes.

The Festa Major de Gràcia in Barcelona begins on August 15 and continues for a full week of cultural events, street decorations, and late-night partying.

True accessibility happens when it is part of structural and programmatic design from the beginning—rather than an add-on or afterthought.

“My daughter is transgender, and she changed the lives of everyone in our family. I thought she was confused and abnormal, but I realized the person who was confused was me.”

“Poetry is all about love, ultimately. And we need poems like we need as much love as possible.”

Queer Filipino spoken word poet Jerrica Escoto grapples with self-identity and living in the shadows of their parents’ sacrifice in their poems. As children of immigrants, Jerrica and I have shared similar struggles.

Nancy Sekizawa has a voice like a knife. Her piercing alto rings so sharp and clear you can almost see it.

Salar Nader and Homayoun Sakhi will perform at the 2016 Folklife Festival during the afternoons of June 29 and 30, and on June 30 they will headline the evening concert at the Ralph Rinzler Concert Stage, starting at 6:30 p.m.

Each year we ask, how do we better engage you, the visitor, in the creation, production, and presentation of our programs? Since its inception, the Festival has been a unique dance between participants, curators, and visitors.