Art & Soul Oakland
- Dates
- Dates not yet announced
- Status
- No word yet
- Venue
- Downtown Oakland
- Price
- Not announced
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Aug 14, 2026
Art & Soul Oakland in Oakland, CA is not currently confirmed to be running. Froligo tracks its status, history and similar festivals still happening.
What happened to Art & Soul Oakland?
The festival was canceled in 2024 due to a delay in City of Oakland funding and has not announced a new edition since.
It ran from 2001 to 2023.
Reported by KQED (May 14, 2024), official.
Similar festivals that are still going ahead are listed further down this page.
The experience
What's special
Art & Soul Oakland is a free, family-friendly downtown street festival celebrating Oakland's Black cultural heritage through jazz, blues, hip-hop, gospel and R&B across multiple stages, alongside artisan vendors and food booths drawn from the city's many cultural communities. Running since 2001 in the tradition of the earlier Festival at the Lake, it centers civic pride and grassroots arts in the heart of downtown Oakland around Frank Ogawa Plaza (renamed Oscar Grant Plaza)
What people love
Attendees consistently praise the quality and variety of the live music lineup across the festival's stages, and the diversity of food vendors offering dishes drawn from Oakland's many cultural communities. Reviewers describe the crowd as friendly and well-mannered and note that security and cleanup crews kept the event running smoothly, with several calling it an easy, worthwhile way to spend a free or low-cost day out
Last time around (2023)
The most recent actually-held edition ran September 17, 2023, as the 21st annual Art & Soul Oakland, staged jointly with the 7th annual AfroComicCon at Oscar Grant Plaza. The lineup leaned into a 50-years-of-hip-hop theme with Latyrx & Friends (Lyrics Born and Lateef the TruthSpeaker), Yo-Yo and Suga-T alongside blues and jazz sets, artisan vendors, two food courts, an Afrofuturism-themed fashion show and cosplay contest, and family activities. The event was free to the public and ran a single day, noon to 6pm
Listen
No official playlist linked yet. Find Art & Soul Oakland on Spotify.
Lineup
The next lineup not yet announced. Here's who played in 2023:
Getting there
Nearest airport OAK.
How do I get to Art & Soul Oakland?
By car
Most people drive to Art & Soul Oakland. The nearest major airport is OAK, and from there it is a straightforward drive to the venue. Check current road and traffic conditions before you set off, and see parking below.
By train
No direct passenger rail to the venue was found. Drive, fly in, or use a shuttle instead.
By bus & public transit
No scheduled intercity bus or public transit route to the venue was found. Drive, fly in, or use a shuttle instead.
Taxi & rideshare
Taxis and rideshare such as Uber and Lyft can be limited near the venue, especially late at night or in rural areas. Agree a pickup point and time in advance and keep a backup plan.
🚙 Car hire
Where
Venue
Downtown Oakland
Camping & Accommodation
No camping or lodging details for Art & Soul Oakland yet.
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Pricing
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