Charlotte International Arts Festival

The festival features performances of all kinds and large-scale interactive art installations. By the numbers:

• 17 days
• 130 free events
• 40 art installations
• 70 Cultural Stages acts
• 9 Blumenthal Fellows
• 15+ venues, including four free outdoor stages
• 14 in-venue attractions
• 25 Cultural Partners
• 45+ countries represented
• 14 Festivals-within-the-Festival
• 300+ hours of entertainment

One big enhancement this year is that many more festivals are part of CIAF, including:

• 28th Festival of India (September 14 and 15)
• 34th Annual Latin American Festival (September 21)
• El Grito Festival (September 15)
• Lowcountry Culture Festival (September 14)
• Festival in the Park (September 20-22)
• UNC Charlotte International Festival (September 21)
• University City Wine Fest (September 21)
• Charlotte Film Festival (September 24 to 29)
• CharlOz (September 25-29)
• Southern Guitar Festival (September 28-29)
• ourBridge 11th Annual Festival (October 19)
• Charlotte Brunch Festival (September 14)
• Queen City Zine Fest (September 28)
• NOMADNESS Fest (September 12-15)

CIAF Locations

Charlotte International Arts Festival takes place in many locations in Charlotte. The festivals-within-a-festival, especially, are popping up everywhere. But these are some of the main locations where you’ll find the festivities:

Ballantyne’s Backyard
11611 North Community House Road, Charlotte, NC 28277

Levine Avenue
430 S Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202

Ballantyne Sculpture Park

September 13 to 29, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in Ballantyne’s Backyard
Free
More info

Join us for an enchanting evening at the Ballantyne Sculpture Park! Get ready to immerse yourself in a wonderland of art and nature as we celebrate the unveiling of a diverse collection of sculptures created by local and international artists. This festival activity will feature live music, food vendors, giant art pieces, and opportunities to meet the artists. Bring your friends and family for an active day or memorable night under the stars filled with creativity and inspiration.

Uptown Sculpture Park

September 13 to 29, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Levine Avenue
Free
More info

Join us for a day of creativity and inspiration at Uptown Sculpture Park! Immerse yourself in the beauty of outdoor art as you explore our diverse collection of sculptures created by talented local and international artists. This family-friendly event offers guided tours, interactive art activities, and delicious food vendors scattered throughout the area. Don’t miss this opportunity to appreciate art in a picturesque urban setting and experience the magic of Uptown Sculpture Park!

Gaia

September 20 to 29, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Blume Studios
Free
More info

Gaia is a touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram. Measuring six meters in diameter, the mesmerizing Gaia features 120 dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface. This beautiful artwork provides the opportunity to see our planet on this scale, floating in three dimensions. A fun fact is that the installation is 2.1 million times smaller than the real Earth and aims to create a sense of the Overview Effect, which was first described by author Frank White in 1987. Experience what astronauts have described as a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

Groundswell

September 20 to 29, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Blume Studios
Free
More info

A beautiful installation that cleverly combines auditory, sculptural and interactive elements to prompt a meditation on our relationships with the earth and one another. A six-metre platform sits atop a sea of some 40,000 illuminated steel spheres. It’s stunning to look at so you climb on to investigate and quickly discover that it’s alive. As you walk, it tilts, causing rippling waves of subtly shifting or cascading ball bearings to summon a complex oceanic soundscape.

Constellation

September 13 to 29, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Levine Avenue
Free
More info

Step into a breathtaking immersive experience with Constellation, a stunning star-shaped canopy adorned with 21,600 LED modules! Expanding 26′ in diameter, this masterpiece towers over you as classical music play in perfect harmony with the visual display, transporting you to a world of enchantment and wonder.

Evanescent by Atelier Sisu

September 13 to 29, 2024
10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Green
More info

Evanescent is an adjective, meaning the quality of being fleeting or vanishing quickly, impermanence. Evanescent is an immersive, light, and sound temporary environment that aims to capture the concept of ephemerality and transience in a visual form: the bubble.

Mariposa

September 13 to 29, 2024, opens at 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., The Green
Free
More info

Have you ever swung under a meserizing gigantic butterfly sculpture hovering 15 feet above the ground in Uptown Charlotte? Well, wander over to the Green to see Mariposa expand her intricately designed wings, propelled by the gentle swinging motion of visitors on a porch swing. The entire surface of the butterfly is adorned with a stunning array of over 39,000 LEDs. As enchanting classical and classic pop music fills the air, captivating images are choreographed and vividly displayed on the LED surface.

Mind Wash

September 13 to 29, 2024, opens at 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Ballantyne’s Backyard
Free
More info

Prepare to be mesmerized by this captivating, 26-foot rotating, brain-shaped animated structure. Set to the harmonious melodies of classical music, the synchronized dance of light unfolds in every direction, creating an immersive spectacle that surrounds and enchants every participant.

Birdmen

Pop-up performances in various locations. See schedule here.

Our favorite Birdmen are back! Have you ever been mesmerized by the sight of colossal illuminated creatures hovering above the streets of Charlotte? These majestic beasts, maneuvered by unknown operators, will leave you in awe!

Backyard Bash at Ballantyne’s Backyard
September 13, 2024, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
September 14, 2024, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
September 20, 2024, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Free

Experience the multi-night live music concert series at Ballantyne’s Backyard! Each event will feature world music from international artists and local bands, interactive dance performances, pop-up surprises, themed nights, food trucks, and kid activities. Follow the above links for the entertainment schedule and food truck lineup.

Circus EVO: Lost To Me
Many times from September 13 to 15, 2024
Ballantyne’s Backyard
Free

Inspired by original lyrics written by NC native Composer Bella Nona, ‘Lost to Me’ is an intimate circus performance which is just as much about music as it is about acrobatics and storytelling. Inspired by the loss of human touch in our society today, ‘Lost to Me’ explores relationships through letters, words, paper, and more.

BOOM @ CIAF
September 14 to 21, 2024
Ballantyne and Uptown Charlotte
Free

BOOM Charlotte is bringing BOOM Festival vibes to the Charlotte International Arts Festival. At BOOM @ CIAF local artists will be front and center. These artists are not part of the mainstream art culture, and will be put center stage for this event. A portion of the performances at BOOM @ CIAF on Levine Avenue will be a preview of the ourBRIDGE for Kids International Fall Festival coming in October. You will see an array of artists from various backgrounds showcasing various art styles.

Mystical Arts of Tibet: Mandala Sand Painting
September 17 to 21, 2024
Viewing until 9 p.m. each night
Knight Theater

From all the artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism, that of painting with colored sand ranks as one of the most unique and exquisite. In Tibetan this art is called dul-tson-kyil-khor, which literally means “mandala of colored powders.” Millions of grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place on a flat platform over a period of days or weeks. Formed of a traditional prescribed iconography that includes geometric shapes and a multitude of ancient spiritual symbols, the sand-painted mandala is used as a tool for re-consecrating the earth and its inhabitants.

Opening ceremony: September 17, 12:30 p.m.
Closing ceremony: September 21, 12:30 p.m.