Music is Art Comes to Buffalo’s Waterfront

The 22nd^nd The annual festival, founded by Goo Goo Dolls bassist Robby Takac, will now take place in Terminal B’s new outdoor pavilion, on nearby Lakeside Lawn and in the Outer Harbor when it returns on September 21.

In making the announcement, organizers called Buffalo’s Outer Harbor and Terminal B “a stunning canvas to showcase our creative WNY community.”

Since its first edition in 2003, Music is Art has taken place on two stages at the corner of Franklin and Allen streets. The non-profit festival has hosted hundreds of artists from the music, dance, and broader arts scene. The festival’s continued growth has seen it move to larger spaces, first to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery (now the AKG Art Museum) and Delaware Park for several years, and then to Buffalo RiverWorks where it ran from 2017 to 2023.

In March, it was announced that the festival would return to the AKG Museum of Art and SUNY Buffalo State University, two venues across the street from each other on Elmwood Avenue. But since then, MiA organizers and AKG staff have determined that “there are too many challenges to presenting our annual music festival at the AKG and Buffalo State University at Buffalo venues without compromising the energy and character of the event.”

The free festival will run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on September 21. The 17-acre lakefront grounds will be used to host 26 stages to feature music, dance, DJs, performing arts, and more than 50 artists, dozens of live art installations, and circus acts. The family-friendly event features activities for kids, as well as food trucks, vendors, and drinks.

The Outer Harbor offers free and paid parking options for approximately 2,000 cars with shuttle services available. Terminal B has valet parking for secure bicycle parking and there is a Reddy Bike Share station next to the venue along Fuhrmann Boulevard.

The full lineup and ticket information for the 2024 event will be announced soon. Musicians, artists, and volunteers can find information on how to participate at musicisart.org/festival.