Mayor Brandon M. Scott Announces The Roots and Stephanie Mills as Artscape 2026 Mainstage Headliners

Baltimore, MD (Thursday, January 8, 2026) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott and the Mayor's Office of Art, Culture, & Entertainment (MOACE), in collaboration with Create Baltimore (formerly BOPA), announced the headliners for Artscape 2026. Artscape returns to Downtown Baltimore over the Memorial Day weekend, May 23-24. Artscape After Dark activities are scheduled for each evening from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m.

On Saturday, May 23rd, GRAMMY award winning band The Roots will hit the stage, and on Sunday, May 24th, GRAMMY award winning singer Stephanie Mills will perform. Additional artists will be announced in the lead-up to the festival.

"Charm City is proud to be home to one of the largest free arts festivals on the East Coast - and our residents show out each and every year to support local artists, enjoy great food, and of course, see world-class musical performances," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "I want to thank each and every person working to make this year's festival a success, from MOACE and Create Baltimore, to OEM and our public safety partners, to the entire creative community. Baltimoreans, this year's festival will be bigger and better than ever. You won't want to miss it!"

Last year, for the first time, Artscape took place in the heart of Downtown. The reimagined festival drove $8.8 million in economic impact for the City. Daily festival attendance averaged 60,000 people, almost a 15% increase from 2024, and the inaugural Scout Art Fair saw over $74k in revenue going directly to local artists. Food and beverage vendor sales increased by 6.2% across both days. The Peale Museum, which housed the Sondheim semifinalists exhibition, exceeded their annual attendance numbers in just one weekend.

"Together, MOACE and Create Baltimore operate as a force-multiplying team - connecting creatives to opportunities, making cultural experiences more accessible, and elevating Baltimore's position as a vibrant arts and entertainment destination, said Create Baltimore CEO, Robyn Murphy." "When we invest in arts and artists, we invest in the best that our city has to offer, and the return is exponential! In 2026, we plan to level up and live up to the precedent we have now set while remaining true to our grassroots core."

"We're excited to enter this festival season in joint partnership with Create Baltimore to make Artscape 2026 the best it's been yet," said Linzy Jackson, Director, Mayor's Office of Arts, Culture, & Entertainment. "Last year's festival was a major success and we are looking forward to building on that momentum as Artscape continues to be a strong economic driver for Baltimore. This is culture as infrastructure."

In addition to the traditional Sondheim Semifinalists Exhibition, the Artists' Market, Pop Up Performances, Kidscape, Community Row, and an array of food & beverage vendors, Scout Affordable Art Fair, Beyond the Reel, Flavor Lab and the In Conversations series return for a second year to the festival. Attendees can expect more public art and interactive components this year.

Applications for Food & Beverage vendors, Artists' Market, Kidscape vendors and nonprofits, performers for the Echoes of the City stages, Community Row, pop up performers, volunteers, and sponsorships are now open. Early bird applications are due January 25, 2026 at midnight. All other applications close February 20, 2026 at 5:00 PM.

Stay up to date by following Create Baltimore on social media (@create_baltimore) or by visiting https://www.artscape.org.

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