New Festival in New Orleans: FullCircle Festival

NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The UnBrokenCircle Artist Collective launches FullCircle Festival, which takes place in New Orleans on Jan. 25.

FullCircle Festival is an exploration of Black New Orleans’ history, music and culture. It is presented as a part of the 2026 Black American Music Summit, UnBrokenCircle and NOLA Downtown Music and Arts.

FullCircle Festival Outline

12 p.m. – Guided Bus Tour: The event begins at noon with a guided bus tour through the French Quarter and historic Black neighborhoods, including Congo Square, the cradle of American music.

Guests will learn about early jazz, second line traditions, Mardi Gras Indians, foodways and the legacy of Plessy v. Ferguson. The tour, guided by historian Milton Carr, will begin at the Sheridan New Orleans Hotel.

3 – 6 p.m. Supper and Concert: The experience culminates with a New Orleans supper and concert at Café Istanbul, located at 2372 St. Claude. Here local and national artists share music, craft and stories in one of the city’s most vibrant cultural hubs.

Headlining is the Carin Morin Duo, a critically acclaimed acoustic Native American folk, blues and rock guitar picker with vocalist Celeste Di Iorio.

Supporting will be a songwriter revue hosted by award-winning singer-songwriter Lilli Lewis and featuring master Moroccan guitarist and composer Mahmoud Chouki; multi-instrumentalist and educator Mark Rubin; blues, jazz and gospel phenom Arlee Leonard and Gullah Geechee funk-soul songstress and facilitator Kyndra Joi.

Tickets

Full-day tickets including bus tour, concert and supper are $125 per person. Concert and supper tickets are $50.00 with a limited two-for-one special for the first twenty tickets purchased (matinee concert only).

Tickets are available online for purchase.

For additional information, visit The UnBrokenCircle at www.ubccollective.com.