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The Roots, Stephanie Mills to Headline Artscape 2026 May 23–24

City leaders cite 2025's $8.8 million impact to justify keeping the compact downtown format.

Overview

  • Mayor Brandon Scott announced the headliners Thursday, with The Roots slated for Saturday and Stephanie Mills topping Sunday’s bill.
  • The two-day, free festival returns to the same downtown footprint used last year, including War Memorial Plaza and space under the Jones Falls Expressway.
  • Organizers will add two side stages to showcase more regional musicians and expand performance options.
  • The Scout Art Fair and the food-focused Flavor Lab will return, and officials pledged to fix last year’s long food and drink lines.
  • Officials highlighted roughly 60,000 attendees per day in 2025 and an $8.8 million economic impact as evidence the approach is working.