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Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival. Image provided by NCMF.

Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival. Image provided by NCMF.

By Gabriel Escalera

Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival Expands, Receives Prestigious Grant

February 3rd, 2025

The Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival, which began as the Lincoln Crossroads Music Festival in 2019, celebrates the state’s diverse cultural communities through world-class performances, interactive workshops, and unique collaborations.

In 2023, the festival expanded to Omaha to reach new audiences and has since become the region’s leading world music festival.

“Last year, we had 5,600 attendees from different backgrounds,” said Executive Director Olga Smola.

Smola emphasized that one of the festival’s most important aspects is the growing interaction among musicians, which sparks exciting collaborations.

“They have different expectations, high, intense energy,” she said.

Thanks to strong community support, the festival recently received a prestigious grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, which Smola says will help further its mission.

The 2025 Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival will take place from July 26 to Aug. 2. More information is available at nebraskamusicfest.org.