Kulture Fest will be held at 8 p.m. on April 23 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. This multiple act concert will showcase local musical talent.
The concert, in its first year, will feature StraightFreak as the MC, a headline performance by Sada Baby, and performances by other artists from the Bloomington and Indianapolis area. The promoters of the event have not disclosed other performing acts and said they intend to surprise attendees with the full setlist at the event.
Sada Baby, a Detroit rapper, is best known for his hit song “Bloxk Party.” He has released multiple Billboard-charting songs and albums, including “Skuba Sada 2” and “Whola Lotta Choppas,” which went viral on TikTok in 2020.
StraightFreak is a promoter based in Indianapolis. He holds parties, concerts, and pre- and after-show events.
Kulture Events, an up-and-coming promoter duo based in Bloomington, organized this event. Ashley Simpson, one half of the operation, said performing spots for Kulture Fest were in high demand.
“We’ve had way more people inquire about slots than what we were thinking about originally,” Simpson said.
Simpson said Kulture Events wanted to make sure that the concert gave smaller artists a chance to make their voices heard. As a local, Black-owned business, the promoters emphasize the importance of showcasing Black artists’ work.
“Recently we had a competition in Indianapolis for different artists to come out and perform to get a free slot for our show,” Simpson said. “We opened it up to anyone that wanted to perform, so it’s definitely giving a lot of people a chance to showcase their music.”
In the future, Kulture Events is looking to partner with the IU Auditorium to expand the reach of their programming. Simpson said they have aspirations of putting on multiple-day music festivals and events throughout the academic year and giving young artists the chance to be heard. They plan to hold a similar concert during IU’s Welcome Week next year.
Tickets for Kulture Fest can be purchased by those 18 or older on the Buskirk-Chumley Theater website. Food and drinks will be available and the event is estimated to run approximately three hours. COVID-19 vaccine verification or a negative COVID-19 test result within 48 hours will be required to enter the venue.
