Ragas Live Festival 2026
“24 hours of uninterrupted, absolutely incredible music performances" —The New York Times
Pioneer Works is excited to present the 15th annual Ragas Live Festival featuring 24 hours of transcendent music in the Pioneer Works Main Hall. The entire program will be broadcast live on Pioneer Works' YouTube, on WKCR 89.9 FM in NYC, and as a podcast on NYC Radio Live.
For the 2026 festival, more than 50 artists and legendary maestros of the South Asian classical tradition will perform alongside groundbreaking contemporary artists in a musical journey through day and night.
The full lineup will be announced September 9. The Member Presale is now live. Early bird tickets will go on sale to the public on Wednesday, July 22 at 10 AM ET.
To have access to the presale, you must be a PW Member. If you are a member and have not received a code, please reach out to members@pioneerworks.org to receive an access code to the presale. To become a Member, please visit this link.
About Ragas Live Festival
Ragas Live Festival was born as an in-studio radio broadcast at Columbia University's radio station, WKCR, in 2012 and immediately gained a global listening audience. The annual presentation of 50-70 musicians, and its expansive presentation of music inspired by the Indian classical tradition, became central to a musical movement that The New York Times, The New Yorker, NPR, and others have called “The Raga Renaissance.” The event first left the studio and became a live, in-person broadcast in 2016 at Pioneer Works, where it has since grown a passionate following.
The event is inspired by raga, the classical music tradition from South Asia, where specific modes harmonize with the moods and energy of particular times of day, such as sunrise, sunset, or the darkest hours of the night. Master musicians from the raga tradition are presented alongside legends in ambient music, minimalism, jazz, and global traditions.