Pre-Registration for Members, Applications for Mike Seeger Fellowship, and First-Time Artist/Industry Scholarships All Open Today
Kansas City, MO and Chicago, IL (May 1, 2026) – Folk Alliance International (FAI), a 501(c)3 and the foremost global nonprofit for folk music, will open applications for Official Showcase Artists May 1 and close them on June 8, 2026. Official Showcases will take place at the 39th annual conference January 27–31. Artists can click here to apply. The conference is being held in Chicago, IL for the first time since 1991 and will take place at the historic Chicago Hilton.
Pre-registration for members to attend the 2027 FAI conference also opens on May 1. Members can pre-register here.
Mike Seeger Fellowship applications will also open on May 1. The Mike Seeger Traditional Fellowship (MSTF) continues in the spirit of Mike’s work by bringing tradition bearers (elders and younger practitioners who live in and share their cultural traditions) and exposing these master musicians to the folk music community at-large. Prior Mike Seeger Fellowship recipients included Gilles Losier and Bruce ‘Sunpie’ Barnes. Learn more here.
Additionally, first-time artists and first-time industry scholarships open today, as do applications for press credentials and volunteer applications.
FAI’s Official Showcase Artist Scholarships continues in its second year, to help cover artists’ travel, lodging, and registration costs. Last year, FAI served 28 official showcase artists providing complimentary registrations for over 70 artists and provided over $36K in cash for travel expenses. It is based on financial need, all Official Showcase Artists are qualified, and the artist must be an FAI member.
Folk Alliance International executive director Jennifer Roe said, “We are so excited to bring the conference to Chicago. There are so many rich musical traditions that the Chicago scene fosters: blues, gospel, regional Mexican-American musics, salsa, cumbia, house, hip hop, alt-country, and beyond. We look forward to welcoming musicians and attendees from Chicago and from the whole world to our conference in January.”
Review a comprehensive list of all conference deadlines and opportunities here.
Artists will be notified on July 31 and the Official Showcase Artists lineup will be announced August 18. FAI has previously shared other future locations for the conference, including Kansas City (2028), and New Orleans (2030 and 2032).
From hundreds of applicants, approximately 150 Official Showcase Artists will be chosen to perform on the conference’s largest stages to crowds of agents, DJs, promoters, labels, venues, organizations, and more. These jury-selected, tour-ready musicians represent diverse cultures, languages, and sound.
FAI’s 38th annual conference featured over one hundred and sixty artists officially showcasing, representing 28 countries of origin, and 25 U.S. states, one of the larger slates of showcases in the conference’s history. The conference was held at Sheraton New Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, LA.
More About the Conference
The Annual Folk Alliance International Conference is the largest gathering of folk musicians and music industry professionals in the world. This is an experience like no other. Music is around every corner. Legends, rising stars, and industry innovators share career-boosting insights.
An international crowd of artists, venues, labels, DJs, agents, and organizations come together for five days of professional development, networking, and music.
The keynote address features an influential figure in the folk music industry who inspires us and shapes the narrative of the conference – in ways unexpected and magical. The Keynote Speaker for FAI 2027 has yet to be revealed.
Multi-day programming consisting of panels, workshops, presentations, summits, and networking sessions bringing together thought leaders, policymakers, industry experts, and artists to create meaningful dialogue benefitting the international folk music community.
Official Showcases highlight the best folk music in the world across a vast variety of genres. Over 150 jury-selected artists perform on the largest stages of our conference to an audience of venue bookers, agents, record labels, DJs, media companies, and more.
The crowd-favorite of every FAI Conference, Private Showcases give everyone an opportunity to perform. Late at night, hotel guest rooms transform into small stages with hundreds of performances hosted by different organizations.
About Folk Alliance International
Founded in 1989, and governed by a 21-member board of directors, Folk Alliance International (FAI) is the world’s largest membership organization for the folk music industry and community. Its mission is to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation, and promotion.
FAI values diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, is committed to gender parity in all its programming, celebrates multiple languages and cultures, and actively welcomes participation from marginalized, disenfranchised, and underrepresented communities.
FAI defines folk broadly as “the music of the people” (reflective of any community they are from), and programs a diverse array of sub-genres including, but not limited to Appalachian, Americana, Blues, Bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, Global Roots, Hip-Hop, Old-Time, Singer-Songwriter, Spoken Word, Traditional, Zydeco, and various fusions.
