What’s happening in Black Cincinnati in 2024
Cincinnati African American Events this year.
Hip-hop, R&B, soul, Jazz, reggae, gospel, old school, and symphony live-music concerts happening in Cincinnati in 2024
Black composers, plays, museum exhibits, comedy shows, concert series, operas, dance recitals, local music, and festivals in Cincinnati.
Black Cincinnatians can routinely and affordably enjoy the performing arts, fine arts, musicians, entertainers, comedians, program initiatives, and more. Arts and entertainment can help improve physical and mental health.
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See what’s happening in Black Cincinnati this week!
Feel free to submit an event to be considered in this article. All Cincinnati African American Events listed are as current as the publication date. Readers are encouraged to confirm the information before acting.
2024 Cincinnati African American Events
ArtsWave Flow Pass
Show Series Pass
Ongoing
Multiple Venues
An African American arts experience. The series features five unique, Black-centered events, including the African Modernism in America art exhibit, August Wilson’s “How I Learned What I Learned,” Mercurial Landscapes Evening of Dance, and the American Manifest by Charles Gaines.
Duncanson Artist-in-Residence Public Programs & Events
Event Series
Through 27
Multiple Locations
Tunde Wey is a Nigerian immigrant artist, writer, and chef working at the intersection of food and the political economy. He will lead public programs and workshops such as a meet & greet, a culinary evening, Q&A, panel discussion, documentary screening, and more.
Classical Roots
Chorale Concert
April 19, 7:30 p.m.
Music Hall (OTR)
John Morris Russell leads the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Classical Roots Community Choir, and Nouveau Players in an evening of influential and inspirational music.
Spyro Gyra
Jazz Concert
April 20, 7:30 p.m.
The Ludlow Garage (Clifton)
Spyro Gyra is a Grammy-nominated jazz fusion band performing for over 40 years. The band is known for its eclectic mix of Jazz, rock, pop, and world music influences.
Bible Stories
Dance Performance
April 26 – April 27
Artsville (Madisonville)
Renowned for their innovative approach to storytelling through dance, Revolution Dance Theatre brings a fresh perspective to familiar biblical accounts.
Jazz at the Memo
Jazz Concert Series
Through April 29
Memorial Hall (OTR)
Enjoy weekly jazz concerts that feature some of the finest musicians in Cincinnati’s thriving jazz scene. The local and regional jazz acts perform different styles of Jazz, such as traditional, swing, Latin, funk, fusion, soul, and more.
Take 6
R&B Concert
April 25, 7:30 p.m.
The Ludlow Garage (Clifton)
Take 6, initially formed in 1990, is known for its a cappella performances that blend elements of traditional vocal techniques with contemporary R&B and pop influences.
Finding Nemo Jr.
Musical
April 20 – April 28
Taft Theatre (Downtown)
Explore the big blue world with this lively new stage musical based on the beloved Pixar Film.
Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit
Sustainability Summit
May 2, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Duke Energy Convention Center (Downtown)
Bringing together 600+ passionate and visionary leaders to share inspiring, forward-thinking, and solution-oriented ideas that propel guests toward a healthier, more resilient, sustainable, and equitable future.
Chrisette Michele
R&B Concert
May 3, 7:30 p.m.
The Ludlow Garage (Clifton)
Singer, songwriter, and composer Chrisette Michele has been surrounded by music since she was a child. She is a jazz and gospel vocalist.
Desi Banks
Comedy Show
May 3, 8 p.m.
Taft Theatre (Downtown)
Desi Banks is the ultimate triple threat – actor, stand-up comedian, podcaster, and entrepreneur taking the entertainment world by storm.
Kamasi Washington
Jazz Concert
May 8, 7:30 p.m.
The Ludlow Garage (Clifton)
Kamasi Washington has a sound that draws few boundaries between modal and soul-jazz, funk, hip-hop, and electronic music.
Stanley Clarke
Jazz Concert
May 10 & 11
The Ludlow Garage (Clifton)
Four-time Grammy Award Winner Stanley Clarke has obtained “living legend” status during his over 50-year career as a bass virtuoso.
Related Article: Jazz Events and Venues in Black Cincinnati
James Arthur
R&B Concert
May 11, 8 p.m.
Andrew J Brady Music Center (The Banks)
Known for his warm brand of R&B-inflected pop, James Arthur initially rose to fame in 2012 as the winner of the ninth season of the British version of The X Factor.
Ali Siddiq
Comedy Show
May 18, 7 p.m.
Taft Theatre (Downtown)
Ali’s unique stand-up style began behind the walls of incarceration, an incubator for engaging experiences and good stories.
African Modernism in America
Art Exhibit
Through May 19
Taft Museum of Art (Downtown)
African Modernism in America features more than 60 dynamic and vivid works of art created in Africa during the 1950s and ’60s.
21 Savage
Rap Concert
May 22, 7 p.m.
Riverbend Music Center (Anderson)
21 Savage, the GRAMMY-winning, multi-platinum global superstar known for his distinctive flow, will perform with special guests J.I.D, Nardo Wick, and 21 Lil Harold.
Jon B
R&B Concert
May 24 & 25, 7:30 p.m.
The Ludlow Garage (Clifton)
Jon B is a consummate artist, an accomplished musician, and a noted songwriter and producer with several gold and platinum records.
Whitfield Lovell: Passages
Art Exhibit
Through May 26
Cincinnati Art Museum (Mt Adams)
Whitfield Lovell: Passages urges viewers to contemplate the ordinary lives and extraordinary journeys of the African American experience while raising universal questions about identity, memory, and America’s collective heritage.
Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton
Funk Concert
May 28, 8 p.m.
Andrew J Brady Music Center (The Banks)
Parliament Funkadelic is a legendary American funk music collective led by George Clinton, known for their innovative and influential contributions to funk music, combining funk, soul, R&B, and psychedelic rock elements.
Ravi Coltrane featuring Gadi Lehavi and Ele Howell
Jazz Concert
June 2, 8 p.m.
Memorial Hall (OTR)
Ravi Coltrane is a critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated saxophonist, bandleader, and composer.
Kindred the Family Soul
Contemporary Concert
June 7, 7:30 p.m.
The Ludlow Garage (Clifton)
Kindred the Family Soul is an American neo-soul duo consisting of married couple Fatin Dantzler and Aja Graydon.
Adam Hawley and Julian Vaughn
Jazz Concert
June 8, 7:30 p.m.
The Ludlow Garage (Clifton)
Experience the musical talents of Adam Hawley and Julian Vaughn as they grace the stage at the Ludlow Garage.
Janet Jackson with Nelly
R&B Concert
June 22, 8 p.m.
Riverbend Music Center (Anderson)
Five-time GRAMMY Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Janet Jackson will perform, featuring Nelly as her special guest.
Bryson Tiller
R&B Concert
June 22, 8 p.m.
Andrew J Brady Music Center (The Banks)
Contemporary R&B and Hip-Hop Grammy-nominated artist Bryson Tiller announces the upcoming release of his eagerly awaited album, along with a tour.
Yussef Dayes
Jazz Concert
June 25, 7:30 p.m.
The Ludlow Garage (Clifton)
Prepare to be transported on a musical journey as Dayes, a virtuoso drummer known for his mesmerizing improvisations and genre-blurring style, takes the stage.
The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century
Art Exhibition
June 28 – September 29
Cincinnati Art Museum (Mt Adams)
In celebration of hip hop’s remarkable, decades-long impact and influence on society, the Cincinnati Art Museum will host a multimedia exhibition showcasing more than 90 works of art by some of today’s most essential and celebrated artists.
Buddy Guy
Blues Concert
June 29, 8 p.m.
Taft Theatre (Downtown)
Multi-Grammy Award-winning blues icon Buddy Guy celebrates his seventh Billboard #1 album; along with it, he bids farewell to extensive touring with the upcoming Damn Right Farewell Tour.
Walter Beasley
Jazz Concert
July 13, 7:30 p.m.
The Ludlow Garage (Clifton)
Acclaimed saxophonist Walter Beasley will take the stage, promising an evening filled with soulful grooves.
Musiq Soulchild
R&B Concert
July 18, 7:30 p.m.
The Ludlow Garage (Clifton)
Musiq Soulchild is a singer and songwriter whose style blends R&B, funk, blues, jazz, and gospel influences fused with hip-hop.
Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago
Concert
July 19, 7:30 p.m.
Riverbend Music Center (Anderson)
Two of the most successful and critically acclaimed bands of all time have announced the return of their renowned co-headlining tour.
Let the Trumpets Sound
Mainstage Chamber Performance
August 3, 6:45 p.m.
School for Creative and Performing Arts (OTR)
The world-famous ensemble Canadian Brass teams up with Summermusik for a program that weaves freely across musical genres.
Four80East
Jazz Concert
August 9, 7:30 p.m.
The Ludlow Garage (Clifton)
Experience the captivating sounds of Four80East, the dynamic electro-jazz duo hailing from Toronto.
Many Colors of India
Mainstage Chamber Performance
August 17, 6:45 p.m.
School for Creative and Performing Arts (OTR)
Eastern classical music and Western classical music related to India’s history meet in this collaboration with members of the Indian community.
Bach Meets Bollywood
A Little Afternoon Musik Chamber Performance
August 18, 4 p.m.
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Lindner Theatre (Highpoint)
Explore the connection of Indian ragas to the music of Bach and Beethoven with music from Mumbai’s Hindi cinema, or ‘Bollywood,’ works by local composer Kanniks Kannikeswaran, and arrangements of traditional Indian music by Vidita Kanniks.
Great American Songbook Revue
Chamber Crawl Performance
August 21, 7:30 p.m.
828 The Turn (Newport)
Jazz vocalist Mandy Gaines will perform sets from The Great American Songbook with a string quartet and rhythm section.
Esperanza Spalding
Jazz Concert
September 13, 8 p.m.
Taft Theatre (Downtown)
Renowned jazz artist Esperanza Spalding has a unique blend of jazz and soul that guarantees an unforgettable evening of music.
The Marley Brothers
Reggae Concert
September 18, 7:30 p.m.
Riverbend Music Center (Anderson)
The Marley Brothers will honor their father’s worldwide impact by performing both individual hits and classic Bob Marley songs.
Jessy J
Jazz Concert
September 27, 7:30 p.m.
The Ludlow Garage (Clifton)
Tapping into the vibrant soul and blues energies of the ’60s and ’70s, Jessy created an album full of James Brownesque drums and tasty/bluesy Ray Charles organ licks showcasing some of her most passionate and robust tenor playing ever.
Related Article: Midwest events and festivals
2025 Cincinnati African American Events
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Play
May 31 – June 22
Ensemble Theatre (OTR)
Jaja’s bustling hair braiding shop in Harlem is where a lively and eclectic group of West African immigrant hair braiders create masterpieces for the heads of neighborhood women every day. This tight-knit community is forced to confront what it means to be an outsider on the edge of the place they call home.
Related Article: Things to do this week in Black Cincinnati
Cincinnatians can enjoy music nearly every night of the week. Visit our weekly list of things to do to see which arts centers, concert halls, auditoriums, and venues offer chamber, classical, philharmonic, orchestral, choral, folk, R&B, hip-hop, soul, or gospel music.
Cincinnati is also extremely fortunate that nationally known artists display their talents in the Queen City music scene. Touring acclaimed African American artists, artistic directors, singers, music directors, and performers routinely visit.
See African American instrumentalists play the violin concerto, cello, clarinet, piano, drums, and saxophone. Local symphony orchestras, string quartets, trios, duos, and soloists often perform music from Mozart, Brahms, and Mahler.
When purchasing tickets, ask the box office about exclusive deals, discount options, community performances, dress rehearsals, recitals, or same-day options. Some events will sell out quickly, so buy tickets while you can.
Written by: Crystal Kendrick
The Voice of Black Cincinnati is a media company designed to educate, recognize, and create opportunities for African Americans. Want to find local news, events, job postings, scholarships, and a database of local Black-owned businesses? Visit our homepage, explore other articles, subscribe to our newsletter, like our Facebook page, join our Facebook group, and text VOBC to 513-270-3880.
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