Echoes of the City Stages: Capturing the Rhythm and Heartbeat of the City

ECHOES OF THE CITY

Baltimore has a sound. This is where it echoes.

Echoes of the City is Artscape’s home for live music and performance that reflects the sound, energy, and creative range of Baltimore.

Echoes brings together emerging artists, established performers, bands, vocalists, musicians, rappers, and genre-defying acts for a celebration of the music being created in Baltimore and beyond.

We’re looking for artists who can command a stage, connect with a live audience, and bring a distinct musical point of view. From Baltimore Club, hip-hop, R&B, jazz, soul, gospel, rock, punk, funk, country, pop, alternative, go-go, Afrobeat, Latin, electronic, experimental sounds and everything between—we want to hear the full range of what this city sounds like.

We want the sounds that raised Baltimore, the sounds defining Baltimore right now, and the sounds that might define what comes next.

Original music is strongly encouraged. Live musicianship matters. Stage presence matters. Your point of view matters.

Whether you’re stepping onto a major festival stage for the first time or have been moving Baltimore audiences for years, Echoes of the City is a space to bring your sound to Artscape.

Baltimore-based artists are strongly encouraged to apply.

BEFORE YOU APPLY
Applicants should be prepared to provide:

Artist or group biography

High-quality live performance samples

Links to original music, where applicable

Artist website and/or social media

Number of performers

Instrumentation and performance setup

Technical requirements

Stage plot and input information, if available

High-resolution promotional photographs

Your submitted performance samples should represent what audiences can expect to experience live at Artscape.

Bring us the music that sounds like Baltimore.

Bring us the music Baltimore hasn’t heard yet.

Let it echo.

 
APPLICATION DEADLINE
January 15th, 2027 @ 5pm

ARTSCAPE 2027
ECHOES OF THE CITY STAGE
APPLICATION TERMS & CONDITIONSBy submitting an application to perform on an Echoes of the City Stage at Artscape 2027, the applicant acknowledges and agrees to the following:

1. APPLICATION & SELECTION
Submission of an application does not guarantee selection or participation in Artscape 2027.

Applications will be reviewed based on artistic quality, live performance ability, audience engagement, submitted performance samples, technical feasibility, programming needs, available performance slots, and the overall curatorial direction of the Echoes of the City stages.

Artscape/Create Baltimore reserves the right to accept or decline applications based on festival programming and operational needs.

2. LIVE PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT
Echoes of the City is a live performance stage opportunity.

Applicants should submit materials that accurately represent the artist or group that would appear at Artscape. Selected artists are expected to present a live performance consistent with the work represented in their application.

Significant changes to performers, instrumentation, performance format, or artistic concept following selection must be communicated to and approved by Artscape/Create Baltimore.

3. PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Selected artists will be assigned a performance date, stage, call time, performance time, and set length.

All scheduling decisions are made by Artscape/Create Baltimore based on the needs of the overall festival program.

Artists should be prepared to arrive by their assigned call time and be ready for soundcheck, line check, stage setup, or performance as directed by the production team.

Performance schedules may be adjusted due to weather, production, safety, emergency, or other festival operational needs.

4. SET LENGTH & CHANGEOVERS
Artists must remain within their assigned performance time.

Artscape operates on a tightly coordinated festival schedule with multiple artists performing throughout the day. Artists are expected to cooperate with stage managers and production personnel to ensure efficient setup, performance, and changeover.

Performances may not extend beyond the assigned set time without authorization from the stage manager or Artscape production team.

5. TECHNICAL RIDER & STAGE REQUIREMENTS
Selected artists will be required to provide accurate and complete technical information by the established deadline.

This may include:

Stage plot
Input list
Backline requirements
Microphone requirements
Monitor requirements
Instrumentation
Playback requirements
DI requirements
Power requirements
Number of performers
Setup requirements
Accessibility requirements
Other relevant production information
Submitting a technical rider does not guarantee that every requested item will be provided.

Artscape and its production partners will review all technical requests and communicate what can reasonably be accommodated within the festival's available equipment, stage infrastructure, schedule, and budget.

6. BACKLINE & PERSONAL EQUIPMENT
Artists must clearly identify what equipment they require and what equipment they intend to bring.

Any festival-provided backline or specialty equipment must be confirmed in advance.

Artists should not assume that instruments, amplifiers, specialty microphones, playback devices, adapters, cables, or other artist-specific equipment will be available unless confirmed by the production team.

Artists are responsible for their personal instruments and equipment while on festival grounds.

7. SOUND CHECK & LINE CHECK
Because Artscape is a festival environment with multiple performances and limited changeover periods, full soundchecks may not be available.

Selected artists should be prepared to participate in a scheduled line check or abbreviated soundcheck as determined by the production team.

Artists must follow the direction of stage managers, audio engineers, and other authorized production personnel.

8. SOUND & VOLUME
Artists must comply with all sound-level requirements established by Artscape/Create Baltimore, festival production, applicable regulations, and venue or site requirements.

The Artscape production team retains final authority over sound levels during all performances.

9. WEATHER & OUTDOOR CONDITIONS
Artscape is an outdoor festival.

Performances may be delayed, relocated, shortened, suspended, or canceled due to rain, lightning, extreme heat, high winds, unsafe conditions, emergencies, governmental directives, or other circumstances affecting festival operations.

Artists must comply immediately with instructions from Artscape staff, production personnel, security, emergency personnel, or other authorized

representatives regarding weather and safety.

10. ARTIST PERSONNEL & CREDENTIALS
Applicants must accurately identify the number of performers and essential personnel associated with their performance.

Festival credentials are limited and will be issued according to approved artist personnel.

Additional guests, friends, family members, or unauthorized personnel should not be considered part of the artist's credential allocation.

Credentials may not be transferred or duplicated.

11. PERFORMANCE CONTENT
Artscape is a public festival serving audiences of different ages and backgrounds.

Applicants should accurately represent the nature of their proposed performance during the application process.

Artists are expected to present a performance reasonably consistent with the artistic work and materials submitted for consideration.

Artscape/Create Baltimore may establish reasonable content, sound, safety, or operational requirements appropriate for a public festival environment.

12. PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Artists and their teams are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respectfully when interacting with festival staff, production teams, volunteers, vendors, other artists, partners, and members of the public.

Harassment, discrimination, threatening behavior, violence, intentional property damage, or conduct that creates an unsafe environment may result in removal from the festival.

13. CONTRACTING & REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION
Selection through the application process does not constitute a final performance agreement.

Selected artists may be required to submit and complete:

Performance agreement
W-9
Certificate of Insurance (COI), if required
Payment documentation
Technical rider
Stage plot and input list
Promotional photographs
Artist biography
Emergency and day-of contact information
Other production or administrative materials requested by Artscape/Create Baltimore
Failure to complete required documentation by established deadlines may result in cancellation of participation.

14. COMPENSATION
Compensation, if applicable, will be communicated directly to selected artists and confirmed through the official performance agreement.

Applicants should not consider compensation or participation finalized until all required agreements have been fully executed.

Payment will be processed according to the terms established in the final performance agreement.

15. PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS & MEDIA
Applicants must have permission to submit all photographs, biographies, logos, videos, recordings, and other promotional materials included with their application.

If selected, artists grant Artscape/Create Baltimore permission to use submitted materials in connection with festival marketing, publicity, communications, and documentation.

Artists may be photographed, filmed, livestreamed, or recorded during Artscape for festival documentation, archival, press, and promotional purposes, subject to the terms of the final performance agreement.

16. ARTIST CANCELLATION OR CHANGES
If a selected artist becomes unable to participate, Artscape/Create Baltimore must be notified as soon as possible.

Performance opportunities may not be transferred, sold, reassigned, or substituted to another artist or group without prior written approval.

Any significant changes to the performing lineup or format following selection must be communicated to Artscape/Create Baltimore.

17. FESTIVAL POLICIES & SAFETY
Selected artists must comply with Artscape/Create Baltimore policies, festival procedures, security requirements, credentialing procedures, load-in/load-out instructions, stage management procedures, and reasonable directions from authorized festival personnel.

Artists must immediately follow instructions related to severe weather, evacuation, medical emergencies, crowd safety, or other emergency situations.

18. FESTIVAL CHANGES
Artscape/Create Baltimore reserves the right to make reasonable changes to programming, stages, schedules, performance times, locations, production arrangements, and festival operations when necessary for the safe and successful presentation of Artscape.

REQUIRED ACKNOWLEDGMENT (Application Submission Confirms)
 I have read and understand the Artscape 2027 Echoes of the City Stage Terms & Conditions. I understand that submitting an application does not guarantee selection and that selection does not constitute a final performance agreement. If selected, I agree to meet all contracting, production, technical, scheduling, safety, and administrative requirements established by Artscape/Create Baltimore and to submit all required materials by the stated deadlines.

Artist notifications begin in February 2027
A waitlist will be maintained in case of cancellations.
 
IMPORTANT NOTES
Submission does not guarantee selection.

Past participation does not guarantee selection.
Final programming decisions are made by Create Baltimore.
This process applies to all Artscape music stages unless otherwise noted.