Kalamazoo Blues Festival

The Kalamazoo Valley Blues Association (KVBA) will host the 14th annual "Kalamazoo Blues Festival" in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan on July 12 - 14, 2007. This event has grown into one of the premier festivals in the Midwest and has offered over two-dozen acts on two stages for hours upon hours of nonstop music throughout the three-day festival. Last year’s attendance was more than 15,000.



This event is held in the heart of downtown Kalamazoo at the Arcadia Festival Site. The KVBA will lodge the national acts at the nearby Radisson Hotel. Our major sponsors are Imperial Beverages and WFAT radio with their sister stations (some of the festival is simulcast).



Thursday is acoustic night, which is dedicated to the solo musicians, duets, and acoustic trios. Past performers include Watermelon Slim, Chris Thomas King, and Paul Rishell & Annie Raines.



Friday and Saturday nights go "electric" in every sense of the word with 8 hours of music on Friday and 13 hours on Saturday - nonstop on alternating stages. Some of our headliners have been Bobby Rush, Kenny Neal, Little Milton, Marcia Ball, Rod Piazza, and Bernard Allison.



Selected artists will be compensated for their performances. All National artists have been booked, and we are currently only booking regional acts. Compensation will range $300-$500. All acts are invited to our hospitality area and are provided with an area to sell merchandise and CDs.