PROVIDENCE, RI – Mayor Brett P. Smiley and the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, in collaboration with founding producing partner FirstWorks, today announced the return of PVDFest, the City’s signature celebration of art, culture, and community. This year’s event will take place on Friday, September 5 and Saturday, September 6, with a rain date scheduled for Sunday, September 7. PVDFest 2025 will once again transform Downtown Providence into a dynamic, open-air stage filled with music, dance, food and immersive art experiences that reflect the vibrancy of the Creative Capital. Festival leaders shared early highlights planned for this year’s festival, with more announcements slated to be released throughout the summer.
“We’re thrilled to announce the return of PVDFest in 2025, an event that continues to showcase the incredible creativity, culture, and community that make Providence so distinctive,” said Mayor Brett Smiley. “Each year, PVDfest brings neighbors together from across the city and beyond to celebrate our vibrant arts scene and the diversity that defines us. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back downtown for another unforgettable celebration. Be sure to stay tuned throughout the summer as we share more programmatic details in anticipation of this signature event.”
FirstWorks Spectacle: Squonk’s Brouhaha
Each PVDFest is crowned by a showstopping spectacle —and in 2025, Brouhaha takes center stage. This latest outdoor sensation from Squonk, the genre-defying multimedia ensemble from Pittsburgh, will turbo-charge downtown. At its heart is the Squonkcordion—a colossal musical creation that towers, bellows and beckons. The electrifying performance fuses dazzling visual theater, boisterous music and a full-tilt, on-your-feet invitation for the audience to fuel the fun. Festivalgoers inflate the massive accordion, parade through the streets and help summon a 30-foot puppet head in a wild crescendo of sound, spectacle and community joy.
“PVDFest invites everyone into a living, breathing work of art that spills across the streets of downtown Providence,” said Kathleen Pletcher, Executive Artistic Director of FirstWorks. “It’s a joy to collaborate with extraordinary artists and our partners across the City to create moments of wonder that reflect the spirit of our community and the power of the arts to connect and uplift us. As we launch the festival’s second decade, FirstWorks is proud to continue our role as founding partner and producing collaborator. Our mission to connect art with audiences is writ large at PVDFest!”
Collaborative and Commemorative Murals
As part of the city’s year-long celebration of AS220’s 40th anniversary, PVDFest will unveil a new large-scale mural, produced in partnership with The Avenue Concept, commemorating four decades of artistic experimentation and community building.
Also returning this year is the high-energy PVDFest Mural Battle, produced by acclaimed Providence artist AGONZA, where local artists will compete in a live paint-off that engages and electrifies the crowd.
Illuminated Experiences
Pneuhaus will unveil an all-new illuminated installation that transforms public space with innovative light and inflatable design, accompanied by additional lighting activations throughout Burnside Park.
Haus of Codec will host a Friday night Illuminated Market, showcasing LGBTQIA+ vendors, artists, and performers in a vibrant, nighttime marketplace full of community and creativity.
Music Battles
Motif Magazine is teaming up with PVDFest this year to bring its signature Battle of the Bands, amplifying Rhode Island’s emerging music scene and giving local bands a chance to take the PVDFest stage. There will be four-six qualifying rounds taking place at Narragansett Brewery and other locations around Rhode Island where the winning band from each moves on to the next round. More information will be available soon on Motif’s Instagram.
#MVTHACRWD: The Road to PVDFest – Curated by Juan “J’Juan” Wilson Jr. and Anjelll Newman, this high-energy, three-round hip hop competition features rising emcees judged by local legends like Chachi, Chip Doug, Club Ambition Podcast host Sound, and DJ Franchise. The winner will earn a $1,000 prize and a featured performance at PVDFest 2025.
Frequencies of PVD
This year, PVDFest welcomes Frequencies of PVD, which celebrates Providence’s vibrant and ever-evolving DJ scene, shining a light on the innovators, tastemakers, and culture-shapers redefining sound in the city. This year, we’re excited to partner with three unique groups who each bring their own framework, community, and sonic identity to the stage. LOWKEY, the genre-bending DJ collective and creative agency, will take over with four hours of their globally-inspired sound, featuring electrifying sets like ultraMEGA (dance, pop, hyperpop) with indi.RL, Badbabez, Nick Bishop & Bimbo Jackie, and Sabado Gigante (reggaeton, dembow, salsa, latin tech) featuring Sega Genn, Norlan & Sir Hensley.
Keep It Movin’ brings an unstoppable mix of house, afrohouse, jersey club, freestyle, and more, led by ChinoStaySolow, wattzbeatz, CHARLIE TUNES, GibranPVD and a special blend of DJing and live instrumentation from Soul Lounge, Cam Bells’ iconic fusion of poetry, vocals, and groove with guests like HENNESSY, Hil Holla & the Soul Lounge Band.
The Collective PVD, a nonprofit preserving skateboarding and the arts in RI, will carve out a creative space where DJs, visual artists, and the skating community collide, with longtime PVDFest partner DJ Ken at the helm. These three movements represent the pulse of Providence nightlife, with additional talent to be announced over the summer.
Creative Collaborators
- Frog & Toad, the beloved Providence gift shop, joins PVDFest this year with special-edition 2025 merchandise and a commemorative poster. Proceeds will support the festival, and items will be available at PVDFest, online, and in Frog & Toad stores this summer.
- Gather Glass returns with mesmerizing live glassblowing demonstrations, showcasing the beauty of craft and fire in real time on Saturday 9/6. Gather Glass’ ice cream cart will also be on site to release a PVDFest signature flavor.
“Gathering together in public space to celebrate and connect is more important now than ever, and PVDFest is the ultimate expression of civic pride in celebration of our creative capital,” said Director of Art, Culture and Tourism Joe Wilson, Jr. “We are a proud community of makers and builders, and PVDFest is our community’s opportunity to fully display our love of creativity and our beloved city.”
Music performances, food vendors, and more will be announced in the coming months. The PVDFest performer application portal will close this Friday, June 6. For festival updates, job openings, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities and more, please visit PVDFest.com.
PVDFest is made possible with generous support from the City of Providence, Providence City Council, Providence Tourism Council, iHeart Media, Boston Globe Rhode Island, ProvPort, Waterson Terminal Services LLC, WPRI Media Group, Dimeo Construction Company, Delta Dental of Rhode Island, America News, Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, Amica Insurance, Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, Cornish Associates, First Bristol Corporation/Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites, GatherWealth Investment Management, Santander, Rhode Island Monthly, Hey Rhody Media, Frog and Toad, and The MUSE Foundation. Sponsorship opportunities are still available- visit pvdfest.com/sponsor-interest for more information.
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About PVDFest:
Mayor Brett P. Smiley, the City’s Department of Art, Culture, Tourism and Producing Partner FirstWorks once again host PVDFest, Providence’s signature outdoor arts festival, September 5-6, 2025. This year’s festival returns to the beating heart of Downtown, animating the streets of the Creative Capital with astonishing performances, art installations, parades, artisan markets, and world-class cuisine. Discover a vibrant, cultural experience unlike anything else in the region. Visit pvdfest.com for the latest information.
About FirstWorks:
FirstWorks is a non-profit based in Providence, Rhode Island whose purpose is to build the cultural, educational and economic vitality of its community by engaging diverse audiences with world-class performing arts and education programs. Now marking its 21st year, FirstWorks festivals, performances and programs have attracted more than 1 million participants since its founding in 2004. Across its 2023-24 season, FirstWorks produced 60+ events, employed 100+ artists, and reached 3,300+ Rhode Island youth. FirstWorks is the founding partner of PVDFest and has collaborated with the City of Providence to curate and produce the City’s free, signature arts celebration since 2015. Embracing collaboration, FirstWorks has fostered over 90 community partnerships across business, social service, government, arts and education sectors. Visit firstworks.org to learn more.