The 5th Annual MATI (Music at the Intersection) Festival & Conference in St. Louis, MO | Sept. 12th-14th, 2025

MATI Festival and Conference Announces 2025 Artist Lineup

The 5th annual music festival, September 12-14 in Grand Center Arts District, features 100+ performances and presentation across 15 stages and venues, including Common and Pete Rock, Patti LaBelle, Lucky Daye, Leon Thomas, De La Soul and Branford Marsalis

St. Louis, Mo. – April 15, 2025 – MATI (Music at the Intersection) Festival and Conference returns for its fifth year with a diverse, roots-inspired and decades-spanning artist lineup. Headliners include 3x Grammy winning rapper Common with superproducer Pete Rock, the godmother of soul Patti LaBelle, New Orleans R&B singer-songwriter Lucky Daye, neo-soul R&B singer-producer Leon Thomas, legendary hip-hop group De La Soul, and jazz great Branford Marsalis.

The festival also brings back Ferguson-born trumpeter Keyon Harrold, a 4x festival alumnus, as MATI Artist-in-Residence. Additionally, Cuban jazz percussionist and singer Pedrito Martinez will perform as MATI Artist-at-Large (meaning he will perform throughout the festival on a variety of other artists’ sets).

MATI weekend – now expanded to three days – features more than 100 national, regional and St. Louis-based performances and presentations across 15 stages and venues throughout Grand Center Arts District’s festival footprint – with Washington Avenue being the main activation area. Weekend passes are $150 and go on sale at MetroTix on Friday, April 18, at 10 a.m. Weekend four-packs are also available for $400.

MATI Festival and Conference programming starts at noon daily – Friday, Saturday and Sunday – with MATI Main Stages (The Big Top, The Sovereign and Field Stage) kicking off mid-afternoon and going past midnight. A full schedule will be released in mid-July.

Artist Lineup

With a special focus on “St. Louis Made,” MATI pays homage to the city’s imprint on the American songbook, as well as the relationship St. Louis has with its Mississippi River roots. The festival aims to celebrate musical heritage, from the West African coasts to the Caribbean islands, up through the Mississippi Delta. MATI honors the giants who shaped genre and sound – across blues, jazz, soul, R&B, hip-hop and rock n’ roll – as it also calls up and gives platform to a new wave of artists.

A majority of the lineup has direct ties to the St. Louis area. R&B artist Ryan Trey spent time growing up in St. Louis, East St. Louis and University City. Trey opened for fellow St. Louis native SZA at the Ready Room in 2017; he’s also performed and collaborated with MATI alum Jordan Ward. Marcus Baylor, of the husband-wife jazz duo The Baylor Project, is from St. Louis. Drummer Weedie Braimah was born in Ghana but raised in East St. Louis. Trumpeter (and MATI Artist-in-Residence) Keyon Harrold is from Ferguson.

Other artists hail from the Caribbean, Mississippi Delta and sister river cities, from which St. Louis shares music and cultural roots. Pedrito Martinez was born in Old Havana Cuba and began his musical career at age 11. Latin tropicale group Pirulo y la Tribu was founded in San Juan Puerto Rico. Branford Marsalis was born in New Orleans to a jazz singer mother and pianist father; his three brothers are also jazz musicians. John Medeski’s Mad Skillet is a New Orleans funk band. Lucky Daye, also from New Orleans, and has a soulful, southern influence in his R&B music.

Additional national acts are tied to St. Louis by musical genre. The influence of St. Louis-born or raised artists – like Chuck Berry, Tina Turner and Miles Davis – have had a lasting impact on the sounds of today. R&B rising star Leon Thomas, Pakistani-American singer Arooj Aftab, and jazz veteran Branford Marsalis all credit Miles Davis as an influence.

The full artist lineup is as follows:

Common & Pete Rock; Patti LaBelle; Lucky Daye; Leon Thomas; De La Soul; Branford Marsalis; John Medeski’s Mad Skillet; Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe; The S.O.S. Band; The Budos Band; Leela James; Arooj Aftab; The Baylor Project; The Womack Sisters; Coco & Breezy; Pedrito Martinez; Keyon Harrold; Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio; Pirulo Y La Tribu; Butcher Brown; Weedie Braimah & The Hands of Time; Ryan Trey; Jazz STL celebrates Miles feat. Danny Campbell, Keyon Harrold, Dustin Shrum, Dawn Weber, Kasimu Taylor & Brady Lewis; Blvck Spade & The Cosmos; Marquise Knox with Funky Brass Band; Adam Maness Trio feat. Bob DeBoo & Kaleb Kirby; Brothers Lazaroff Super Friends; Anita Jackson; Whitworth; T-Dubb-O; House of Tucci: Ish Ensemble Superjam; Eldraco+FreeNation; Drea Vocalz; Matt “The Rattlesnake” Lesch; Playadors St. Louis Superjam; Matthew Henry’s Agbara; Mesonjixx; Saint Boogie Brass Band; K Kudda Muzic & Friends; Materia Takeover; Joe2morrow; DJ Mahf, Antonio Foster Trio; DJ Boogieman, Enoch, Marc Buxton; KC Mackey; Santo; Papa Ray; Biko; DJ Crucial & Agile One; Chilly C; The Boogaloo Crew of St. Louis; Noel Spiva; Branden Michael Lewis; Frankie Dowop & The Thundacats; Scooter Brown; Cassette with Charlie Chan Soprano & Rhashad La Rocka’; Steward Stiles; DJ Phonzeito; Lady J Huston; G.Wiz and the Time Travelers; DJ Sinamin.

The 2025 lineup was chosen by a programming committee made of St. Louis tastemakers, industry leaders, musicians and event professionals – along with guidance from Artist-in-Residence Keyon Harrold. A select number of artists were also chosen via an open call for applications.

MATI will also feature community curations by Poetry in Motion; Slumfest; APR Entertainment; Frizz Fest; Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis; Pack Dance; Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis; Walls off Washington; Laz Jazz Fest and more.

Festival Passes and Pricing

Starting on Friday, April 18 at 10 a.m., festival passes can be purchased at www.MATIstl.org or directly at www.MetroTix.com (or by phone at 314-534-1111). Weekend passes are $150. Weekend four-packs are also available for $400. A limited number of single-day passes will go on sale in mid-July.

All MATI festival passholders will have access to indoor restrooms, expanded seating, lounge areas, elevated viewing platforms, shade structures and curated food and beverage options (beyond the food trucks on Wash Avenue). The Big Top and Field Stage will feature new video elements, while The Sovereign – brand new for 2025 – will offer a state-of-the-art audio and visual concert experience. MATI weekend pass holders will be able to come and go freely from the block party to the performance areas, showing their pass at security checkpoints to gain access to the Main Stages.

MATI 2025 will not offer VIP tickets. Instead, fans looking for an elevated experience are encouraged to become a patron and join the MATI Movement. Depending on level of membership, MATI Members get access to non-public areas in the footprint, artist meet-and-greets, exclusive merch and special programming year-round.

Join the MATI Movement

MATI is asking fans to join the MATI Movement. The new membership program asks attendees to become patrons, helping ensure that the festival – created and funded by St. Louis non-profit and civic organizations – grows and thrives for generations to come.

“This isn’t just another music festival. MATI is by St. Louis, for St. Louis,” said Chris Hansen, executive director of Kranzberg Arts Foundation. “If you’ve been to MATI, you can feel that it’s special. It’s a microcosm of the city: all ages, races, ethnicities. No neighborhood divides. People who can afford tickets and people who can’t. All joyous. All together in the streets of Grand Center. We want to keep MATI a true, representative community experience, and while Kranzberg Arts Foundation, Steward Family Foundation and Regional Arts Commission can continue to take up the mantle, we want everyone to feel ownership. That’s what the MATI Movement is about. It’s a way for everyday St. Louisans – who are passionate about music, who love art and culture – to be in this with us. It’s about giving a little bit more to achieve a whole lot more, together.”

As part of a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, MATI is about more than entertainment. The festival and conference is about accessibility, community and ensuring the arts remain central to St. Louis’ identity, tourism and growth. MATI Member contributions go to fund:

Access for all. Last year, MATI provided more than 3,000 free festival tickets to community members who may not have otherwise afforded to attend.
Supporting artists. MATI fuels the work of musicians, visual artists and thought leaders. The event also creates job opportunities within the arts and entertainment sector of St. Louis, from performance to production.
Building community. The festival and conference ensures a space where ideas, creativity and connections thrive, establishing St. Louis as a premier arts and entertainment destination while building civic pride.

Fans can join the MATI Movement at a variety of levels, ranging from $200 to $2500, making them not only a generous patron of the St. Louis arts, but also a MATI Member with insider access to festival weekend and year-round programming, special perks, and more. Learn more at www.MATIstl.org.

New Brand, Expanded Format, Open Footprint

MATI is coming into its fifth year with a new look and a full embrace of its acronym. Additionally, the festival and conference is expanding its format with more stages and venues, as well as moving to an open footprint that will welcome thousands more people into Grand Center Arts District.

“We call the festival MATI internally and started to notice that acronym being picked up by the general public as well,” said Hansen. “MATI stands for more than Music at the Intersection. Especially for the conference portion of the weekend, programming and speakers are strategically centered around Music, Art, Thought and Innovation. Shortening the name to MATI just fits on multiple levels, and we can’t wait to show off the new branding and imagery that goes along with it.”

Format-wise, MATI is expanding from two days to three: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Headliner performances will take place across three MATI Main Stages: The Big Top, The Sovereign (set to open mid-2025 at 3300 Washington Avenue) and Field Stage. The former Washington Avenue stage is being removed to create a barrier free, fully-connected Grand Center walking experience for those with tickets and without. Washington Avenue will be lined with vendors, food trucks, buskers, pop-up performances, family-friendly activities and sponsor activations.

Beyond the Main Stages, MATI will also be activating more than a dozen stages and venues throughout Grand Center and Locust Business District, called MATI Places. Programming at MATI Places includes everything from musical performances, DJ sets and poetry slams to artist workshops, industry panels and keynote speakers. The conference portion of MATI, previously held on Friday, is now part of MATI Places and spread throughout the weekend, allowing attendees to sprinkle learning, discovery – and freely exploring Midtown – into their music festival schedule.

MATI Places include Central Stage, Counterpublic, Curiosity, 3221/3225 Olive, Harris-Stowe Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Heydays HQ, Hidden Gems, High Low, Jazz St. Louis, KAF Art Yard, Urban Chestnut Brewing Company, Scene, Sophie’s Artist Lounge, Strauss Park, TURN, .ZACK and Work & Leisure.

MATI weekend or single-day festival passes will be required to participate in MATI Places. Special MATI Places (only) day passes will go on sale in mid-July.

Since its inception in 2021, MATI has grown in size and ambition year-over-year, garnering rave reviews from attendees, as well as attention from The Recording Academy and national press outlets – including PEOPLE, The Source, Billboard, VIBE, Ebony, Live for Live Music, SPIN and Forbes.

MATI is presented by Kranzberg Arts Foundation in partnership with Steward Family Foundation and The Regional Arts Commission (RAC) of St. Louis.

About MATI

MATI (Music at the Intersection) is a civic-led effort presented by Kranzberg Arts Foundation in partnership with Steward Family Foundation and The Regional Arts Commission (RAC) of St. Louis. First held in 2021, the festival tells the story of St. Louis’ musical, cultural and artistic heritage. It celebrates the city’s imprint on the American songbook, as well as the relationship St. Louis has with its Mississippi River roots. The festival aims to celebrate musical heritage, from the West African coasts to the Caribbean islands, up through the Mississippi Delta. MATI honors the giants who shaped genre and sound – across blues, jazz, soul, R&B, hip-hop and rock n’ roll – as it also calls up and gives platform to a new wave of artists.

For updates and additional information, visit MATI at www.matistl.org or follow the festival on social media: Facebook (www.facebook.com/matistlouis), Twitter (www.x.com/matistl), Instagram (www.instagram.com/matistlouis) and TikTok (www.tiktok.com/@matistl).

Mid Coast Media