Art and Soul Festival

Returning in 2024

Art + Soul returns to downtown Oakland’s Frank Ogawa Plaza on Sunday, September 17, 2023 with their 21st annual festival! Free to the public, this year’s event will feature live Blues, Gospel, Jazz, Hip Hop, Dance, and more on three stages, children’s activities, as well as scores of artisan, commercial, nonprofit, community, and food booths.

New this year: Art & Soul is teaming up with AfroComicCon, produced by the nonprofit Oakland Technology & Education Center. AfroComicCon is an innovative, exciting, interactive comic convention that combines art, tech, workshops, gaming, cosplay, fashion, writing, creativity, FLASH, webtv, film, VR, and more!

AfroComicCon is positive and inclusive, and focuses on showcasing the talents of underrepresented groups such as professionals of color, and women. The reward for attendees, especially children, comes through experiencing images and stories featuring characters they can identify with. You don’t have to know comics to enjoy AfroComiCon, but you will likely come to appreciate everything about them - the art, writers, illustrators, presenters, performers - and the sheer enjoyment - once you experience your first AfroComicon!

FREE ADMISSION!

Check back in early July for more information about the 2023 music lineup!

EVENT LOGISTICS

Art + Soul Oakland 2023 is one of Northern California’s most accessible events with direct service via both BART’s 12th Street City Center station and AC Transit. For transit info: 511.org.

Also, $10 flat rate parking at City Center West Garage, 1250 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (enter at 12th Street), located just a little over one block from the west end of the event. The garage is open from 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM