The Roots, Stephanie Mills to headline Baltimore's Artscape 2026
Grammy-award-winning musicians The Roots and Stephanie Mills will be coming to Baltimore over Memorial Day weekend to headline the city's annual Artscape festival.
The free two-day arts and music event will take place on May 23 and 24 in downtown Baltimore. The Roots will perform on the first day, while Stephanie Mills will take the stage on the second day.
Other performers will be announced in the days leading 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," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. "Baltimoreans, this year's festival will be bigger and better than ever."
"Artscape After Dark" activities are scheduled on both nights from 9 p.m. to midnight.
There will also be the traditional Artists' Market, Pop-Up Performances, Kidscape, Community Row, and many food and other local vendors. City officials said there will be more public art and interactive components this year.
"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 Robyn Murphy, the CEO of Create Baltimore, which was formerly known as Baltimore's Office of Promotions and The Arts. "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."
The Roots and Stephanie Mills
The Roots, a legendary hip-hop group from Philadelphia, won three Grammy Awards for "Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group" with "You Got Me." They also won for "Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performances with "Hang On In There," and "Best R&B Album" for "Wake Up!"
The Roots were nominated for 12 Grammy Awards.
Stephanie Mills is a legendary singer, songwriter and actress. She portrayed Dorothy Gale in the original seven-time Tony Award winning Broadway run of The Wiz from 1974 to 1979.
She won a Grammy Award in 1981 from "Best R&B Vocal Female Performance" for her song "Never Knew Love Like This Before."
2025 Artscape
Baltimore officials stated that Artscape, which was held downtown for the first time in 2025, generated an economic impact of $8.8 million for the city. About 60,000 people attended each day last year, which was nearly a 15% increase from 2024.
Performers Robin Thicke and Fantasia headlined 2025 Artscape.