MATI - the festival formerly known as Music at the Intersection - has dropped a summer lineup that plants a flag for one of St. Louis' biggest music weekends. Jon Batiste tops a separately ticketed kickoff concert at the Fabulous Fox Theatre on Thursday, July 16, with the three-day festival rolling Friday through Sunday, July 17–19. Organizers say the weekend will blend national names and St. Louis-grown acts across multiple indoor stages, plus a free nightly block party along Washington Avenue.
Big names and day-by-day highlights
The full lineup, released Monday, slots Killer Mike as a weekend headliner for Saturday, July 18, with Wyclef Jean closing things out on Sunday, July 19. Jon Batiste opens the whole affair with the Fox Theater kickoff on July 16. Other weekend headliners include Zapp & Tuxedo, PJ Morton, Big Freedia, Destin Conrad, Moonchild and La Lom, rounding out a bill that jumps across genres. St. Louis Public Radio reported the announcement and laid out the day-by-day headliner assignments.
Festival footprint and the free block party
MATI returns to Grand Center with most ticketed performances moving into indoor rooms - the Fabulous Fox, the Sovereign, the Big Top, Jazz St. Louis and Sophie’s Artist Lounge - while keeping an expanded, free block-party setup on Washington Avenue each night. Organizers say shifting to midsummer lets the festival lean on Grand Center’s indoor venues to dodge the July heat, without losing the street-level arts and food activations that have drawn crowds in past years. The date shift and the move of mainstage programming indoors for 2026 were detailed by St. Louis Magazine.
Tickets and passes
Organizers say weekend passes and single-day tickets are available through MATI's site and MetroTix, with an early blind presale set at $99 and later weekend tiers at $109 and $129. The kickoff show with Jon Batiste is its own ticket: festival materials list Fox seats starting at $65 and note that passholders will receive special pre-sale access. For purchase links and the official pass structure, see MATI and MetroTix.
Local talent and conference
The lineup also leans hard into local talent. Coverage highlights St. Louis-connected performers including Keyon Harrold, AJ McQueen, Tef Poe and DJ Charlie Chan among the more than 100 acts, and the festival’s leadership conference returns with panels and keynotes geared toward creative professionals. That local focus tracks with MATI’s non-profit mission to support artists and route festival spending back into neighborhood businesses. Those hometown ties and the full performer list were outlined by St. Louis Public Radio.
What to expect this July
Festivalgoers can expect a mix of jazz, R&B, hip-hop and performance art, along with late-night DJ sets and a roller-skating rink on Washington Avenue that organizers say will help keep the weekend approachable for locals. With more than 100 acts across five main stages and free nightly programming, MATI is positioning the third weekend in July as a cultural draw for both residents and visitors. For the full day-by-day schedule and ticket details, check MATI, and for an overview of the festival’s summer pivot and venue plan, see the preview in St. Louis Magazine.
