Recent News

Creative Loafing says our second BOOM festival and our executive director, Manoj Kesavan, are the BEST OF CHARLOTTE in 2017. Here’s the full writeup:   Best Performing Arts Explosion Last April, BOOM detonated in Plaza Midwood for the second year in a row, unleashing a bigger, brighter fireball of avant-garde and grassroots arts, dance, music and theater. […]

Since 1997, Charlotte Magazine has dedicated its May issue to the BEST OF THE BEST, known as the BOB Awards, which recognizes the city’s finest in food and drink, nightlife, entertainment, shopping, mind and body, and more — hundreds of winners in all. This year the BOOM festival won for the “Arts Festival” category, stating: “For three […]

Creative Loafing reporter Mark Kemp wrote a glowing article about the diversity and inclusivity of the BOOM festival after attending several performances over the weekend. Kemp writes: But the crowd of people who poured into Plaza Midwood last weekend was different. It wasn’t just a rainbow of races, ethnicities and cultures, although that certainly was an […]

The popular Charlotte Five website generated excitement in its readers with this preview of the BOOM festival. Michael J. Solender wrote about the growing diversity of our performers and what’s new this year. Below is an excerpt: An explosion of Charlotte culture comes to Plaza Midwood this weekend as the second annual fringe arts BOOM […]

Creative Loafing writer PAT MORAN interviewed several of BOOM’s producers and partners in this extensive profile of the second BOOM festival. Here is an excerpt: Out of chaos came BOOM! Let me explain. In this case “chaos” means Que-OS, the nonprofit led by BOOM Director Manoj Kesavan, and BOOM is — well, it’s the mother […]

Charlotte Five writer SARAH CROSLAND named BOOM one of the top 10 things you MUST do around Charlotte in April: (10) Soak in the arts scene at BOOM festival. If you’ve ever complained that Charlotte is too mainstream banker-y (that’s a word, trust me), it’s time to let this cutting-edge and experimental festival prove you […]

Charlotte Observer writer LAWRENCE TOPPMAN helped BOOM light the fuse by covering our kickoff party on March 22, 2017: A small explosion rocked Petra’s Bar, the popular Plaza-Midwood joint on Commonwealth Avenue, Wednesday between 6 and 7 p.m. Shortly afterward, as Charlotteans will, people at the club dipped into their wallets and started to contribute. […]

Charlotte Magazine included our festival as part of their Spring Arts Preview for 2017: “Boom Is Back! The artist-run festival BOOM (April 28-30) will utilize several venues in Plaza Midwood—including Petra’s, Snug Harbor, and a makeshift outdoor stage. There will be performances from local and national acts in theater, dance, visual art, performance art, and […]

BOOM’s Executive Director Manoj P. Kesavan was profiled in a Creative Loafing in an article titled “5 Artists Who Will Not be Ignored.” The article, written by BOOM’s social media manager Kia A. Moore, discusses Kesavan’s nickname of Cultural Catalyst and describes how the architect-turned-rogue arts organizer has pushed, confronted and contributed to the city’s […]

Launched in August of 2015, the Arts and Science Council’s Cultural Vision Grants program started with an initiative to grow the Charlotte community’s interest in arts, science, history and heritage programming. The grant provides up to $10,000 to Charlotte-Mecklenburg based individuals and non-profits to create projects that build community by connecting people through cultural diversity […]

We’re thrilled to reveal the signature art for BOOM 2017 created by Charlotte artist Nico Amortegui! The image is Nico’s take on the traditional performing arts symbol of theatrical masks, but with a freaky, fringey touch. We love it! Look for the artwork on the upcoming BOOM poster, website and other materials. Big thanks to […]

Thank you, Knight Foundation for believing in our BOOM Fringe Festival! Not only did we get a grant of $35,000, many of our festival partners and supporters were also funded, including: On Q Productions, XOXO_Ensemble Performance, Tosco Music Party, Charlotte Center for Literary Arts, 100 Words Film Festival, ArtPop, Jazz Arts Initiative – and of […]