The Center for the Arts presents California WorldFest 2023

Sign Up

Sign up for our free newsletters to receive the latest news from our region in your inbox every weekday.

• News Regional news
• Fire News Emergency updates
• Events Weekly events calendar

GRASS VALLEY, CA, May 25, 2023 – The Center for the Arts is pleased to present California WorldFest, one of the most anticipated music festivals of the year, from July 13-16, 2023 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, California. WorldFest is more than just a festival, it’s a celebration of world music, dance, art, and freedom – bridging our local communities, indigenous peoples, and international family!

The festival will showcase an eclectic mix of music on 7 stages, art, and culture from around the world, offering attendees a unique and unforgettable experience. The eclectic lineup features diverse genres, including rock, folk, world music, blues, reggae, and more. Among the headliners are world-renowned artists such as Grammy winners Angélique Kidjo and Kabaka Pyramid, local favorite Ayla Nereo, and the legendary Zap Mama. Artists from our neighborhood and the world beyond will be performing such as Ozomatli, Jupiter & Okwess, ADG7, Sister Nancy, Sass N Harmony, Two Runner, Boot Juice, Quitapenas, Joe Hurtler & The Rainbow Seekers, Hembree, Dear Darling, Juntos, Larry & Joe, Namorados da Lua, Red Dirt Ruckus, Banana Slug String Band, Machaira, Supaman, Zeefellaz, and The Velvicks. A late-night lineup for Friday and Saturday includes El Dub and Balkan Bump, and a robust schedule of buskers that will be peppered throughout the festival on each day.  

The mission of WorldFest is to celebrate world culture and honor the indigenous peoples’ expansive knowledge and cultural richness that they hold. The Global Indigenous Peoples Village is hosted by a diverse range of Indigenous Peoples including the Indigenous Nisenan People of Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, and Sacramento counties, whose land holds the WorldFest gathering. The Nisenan Tribes will open WorldFest on Thursday evening, with a ceremonial welcoming of all guests to WorldFest on their ancestral homelands. Indigenous performers will be sharing their musical gifts on stage such as D’Dat, Digging Roots, Charly Lowry, Ho’okipa, Huayllipacha, Twice as Good, Sacramento Pow Wow Dance Group, Richie Ledreagle, Philip Moore & Friends, California Mexíca Dancers, and Theresa Bear Fox. 

In addition to the musical performances, California WorldFest hosts a wide variety of free workshops in yoga, movement, music, meditation, healing arts, and more. These workshops add to the WorldFest experience by engaging participants in hands-on learning, playing, and practicing. There is fun for all at the festival, as children of all ages have the opportunity to create their own unique WorldFest experience. KidFest on the green has workshops crafted for preschoolers through teens, allowing youth to create art and connect with other kids and families inside the WorldFest playground. TeenScene, which is run by teens, for teens, is at a new location on the western side of the festival grounds, providing an area of creativity and fun, with games, chill spaces, painting, instruments, and more. 

A vibrant marketplace showcasing artisanal goods, from natural body care products and sustainably produced clothing to original art and handmade instruments, promises a variety of artisan vendors that will have something for the whole family. Craft beer from one of our sponsors Knee Deep Brewing and kombucha from local Gold Vibe Kombouchery are some of the adult beverage offerings, and a wide variety of delicious food options will be available such as Lazy Dog Icecream, Krepalicious, La Guaira Bistro, Grajeda’s Mexican Food, Java Johns, Yaki Yaki, and Vegan Circus. 

For those returning to WorldFest in 2023, there are a few noticeable changes. New this year, attendees can dance in front of the Meadow & Spotlight Stages at any time. We have listened to our artists and they love seeing the crowd dance and support them with great energy! Late Night on Friday & Saturday will now be in Ponderosa Hall and the area of the festival got a little cozier this year, so be sure to pick up a shorter program and expect a few other location changes. Tickets are on sale for single and multiple-day passes and also new in 2023, a VIP private cabana experience is available for purchase. Volunteers are still needed for various shifts such as the safety team, and a 4-hour volunteer shift earns you entrance to the festival on the day of your shift. 

California WorldFest is more than a music festival, it’s a cultural celebration that promotes expansive world awareness. Come explore the boundless world of music under the ponderosas of the Nevada County Fairgrounds at California WorldFest on July 13-16. 

Since 2000, The Center for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization, has grown into a leading presenter of music, dance, theater, comedy, literary and visual art, and family programming, offering more than 150 events per year from its location in downtown Grass Valley. The Center recently completed a major renovation of its multiuse, 21,000-square-foot facility in downtown Grass Valley, making it a premier performing arts destination. The venue includes the Main Stage, which accommodates up to 492 guests in configurable theater seats and up to 700 patrons for dance shows, and a 90-seat studio theater.