Taste DMV Returns September 2027 • Montgomery County, MD • Partnerships Now Open
MUSIC • CULTURE • PERFORMANCE • DISCOVERY
ENTERTAINMENT EVERYWHERE
From live music and cultural showcases to roaming performers, dance, DJs, competitions, and unexpected pop-up moments, entertainment is woven throughout the Taste DMV experience.
PAST YEARS ENTERTAINMENT
MORE THEN A CONCERT
Entertainment Around Every Corner
At Taste DMV, entertainment isn’t limited to a single stage. Music, culture and live performances are woven throughout the festival, creating an atmosphere that’s alive from the moment you arrive until the final encore.
Discover national and regional artists, cultural showcases, roaming performers, DJs, dance crews, drumlines, interactive experiences, family entertainment and surprise pop-up performances as you explore every district.
Beyond The Stage
Throughout the festival, guests can encounter music, movement, culture and unexpected performances around every corner. From roaming musicians and cultural processions to dance crews, drumlines, interactive performers and pop-up moments, the entire festival grounds become part of the show. Across the festival, guests can discover competitions, fashion, comedy, gaming, cultural experiences, immersive attractions, creator moments, late-night programming and specialty performances designed to make every part of the grounds feel alive.
Some experiences are scheduled. Others you’ll simply stumble into. That’s part of the fun.
Taste DMV is built to reflect the sound of the region and the cultures that call it home. Programming spans genres, generations and communities across multiple stages and experiences.
- Entertainment Village — comedy, karaoke, podcast moments, open mic, gaming, esports, creator content.
- Competition Arena — dance battles, step shows, Double Dutch, cheer, martial arts, BMX/stunt-style programming, community finals.
- Fashion in Motion — runway shows, designer showcases, hair/barber competitions, cosplay, modeling, sneaker culture.
- Interactive Culture — dance lessons, drum circles, chef/music crossovers, cultural workshops, audience participation.
- After Dark Experiences — silent disco, DJs, light installations, fire performers, cocktail experiences, late-night specialty programming.
- Surprise & Spectacle — aerialists, projection moments, specialty performers, immersive installations, dramatic entrances, larger-format visual entertainment.
- Family Show Moments — character shows, kids-stage features, science/STEM demonstrations, youth talent, magic or interactive family acts.
- Creator & Media Experiences — podcast stage, live interviews, content booths, influencer studio, live streaming moments.
- Culture in Motion — this can still exist, but as ONE piece rather than the whole section.
Music For Every Taste!
Taste DMV celebrates music in all its forms — across cultures, generations, communities, and traditions.
Throughout the festival, guests can experience an ever-changing mix of live bands, DJs, vocalists, instrumentalists, ensembles, cultural performers, and emerging artists bringing sounds from the DMV, across the country, and around the world.
Our music programming is designed to reflect the incredible variety of people who make up this region. You may hear everything from Go-Go, Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul, Jazz, Gospel, Rock, Country, Americana, Pop, and Electronic music to Afrobeats, Amapiano, Soca, Reggae, Dancehall, Latin and Caribbean rhythms, Asian and Middle Eastern sounds, traditional and contemporary cultural music, and genre-blending performances that don’t fit neatly into one category.
Some sets will bring back songs you already love. Others may introduce you to a new artist, a new sound, or a musical tradition you have never experienced before. That mix is intentional. Taste DMV is about creating a space where different sounds can exist side by side, where every community can hear something familiar, and where everyone has the chance to discover something new.
Whether you come to dance, sing along, relax with a live band, experience the music of your culture, or find your next favorite sound, there is something for you here.
One festival. Many cultures. Every sound has a place.
Community Stage
A spotlight for standout voices from across the DMV.
The Taste DMV Community Stage is designed to showcase select local and regional talent, cultural performers, emerging artists, youth groups, schools, community organizations, and specialty acts that bring something meaningful to the festival.
This is where guests can discover new voices, experience cultural traditions, support hometown talent, and see the creativity that exists throughout our region. Performances may include singers, bands, rappers, dancers, spoken word artists, choirs, cultural ensembles, youth performers, and other live acts selected to complement the overall Taste DMV experience.
Programming for the Community Stage is highly curated. Applications are reviewed based on performance quality, professionalism, audience engagement, recent live performance history, festival fit, and overall readiness. Submission does not guarantee placement.
Our primary and featured entertainment programming is booked separately and is largely curated through direct outreach. The Community Stage provides a distinct opportunity for exceptional community-based and developing talent to be considered for select festival performance slots.
Local voices. Real talent. A stage built for discovery.