World Beat Festival

New this year...

• Focus on Japanese culture including special artists flying in from Japan – Takafuji Dance Company, and calligrapher Chosho Yabe
• Chosho Yabe paints a huge Japanese street scene mural 11am Saturday on main stage
• Takafuji brothers do lion dances, geisha dances, and sword fighting all weekend!
• New World Showcase area presented by the Statesman Journal – bigger, better, more food, more cultural exhibit booths
• NAMA Award-winning artist Gary Small; Russian folk singers Julian & Pava; Nigerian head wrap demonstrations; Rainbow Dance Theater
• Taste Yamasa’s soy sauce ice cream, check out the Japanese cos-play fashion show, enjoy karaoke, watch the stunning Portland Taiko drummers alongside fire dancing, check out our kimono fashion show and much more

Back for more, maybe you missed it last year …..

• Free Children’s Activities Tents in every Village
• Dragon boats all day Sunday
• Native American Powwow
• Fire dancing 10-11pm Saturday
• Delicious foods from around the world – sausage, noodles, lumpia, gyros, tacos, schwarma, fry-bread
• Gandhi Symposium discussion, Mexican Chinelos de Morelos dancers, cooking demonstration Kalabarathi Indian Classical dances, Ekome Dance and Drums of Africa; Bhutanese cultural dance; Ceili of the Valley Irish dance; Alton Chung’s stories
• 126 performances in all, 9 different performance areas

Thank you to our sponsors.

Visit our volunteer page to sign up to help now.

Check out the full schedule now online.

Check on parking and directions.

Join 30,000 attendees to make this year’s World Beat Salem’s largest ever celebration of cultural diversity. There is no admission fee. We ask for a $5 per person, ($15 for family) per day donation at the gate.

Named by the Oregon Festival and Events Association:
2006 & 2007 Best Cultural Heritage Event
2008 Best Festival in Oregon
2010 Best Music Program Within a Festival 
2009 & 2011 Best Performing Arts Event