2026 The Ohio R&B Music Festival

The Ohio R&B Music Festival is an unprecedented celebration of Ohio’s R&B music scene. The 2026 festival will include a showcase featuring a lineup of exciting performers and a special award presentation honoring artists that are working to move the culture of R&B forward.

By highlighting indie talent, we aim to expose R&B/Soul music lovers to independent artists in our communities—artists they may never have discovered without this platform.

Challenges Faced By Artists

R&B music is one of the leading genres in on-demand audio and video streams. It is especially popular among younger listeners and Black audiences. Yet, artists in our community often face challenges accessing the resources and quality opportunities necessary to gain broader recognition and advance their careers.

Our Mission

The Ohio R&B Music Festival was founded to spotlight the talent within Ohio’s R&B music scene.  The 2026 festival will include a showcase featuring a lineup of exciting performers and a special award presentation honoring artists that are working to move the culture of R&B forward.

Every artist is treated like a headliner and provided with the support they need to deliver their best performance. By highlighting indie talent, we aim to expose R&B/Soul music lovers to independent artists in our own communities—artists they may never have discovered without this platform.

Why We're Raising Money

We are reaching out to the community for financial support to ensure that every artist who touches the stage is properly compensated. Every penny raised through this fund will help make that possible, while also covering essential costs such as marketing and promotion, sound, video and photo editing, and staffing.

Thank YOU!

Thank you to everyone who supports our mission. Your participation helps us continue shining a light on indie talent and showing our artists that their gifts and contributions to the culture of our communities are truly worthy of recognition and support.

Ohio R&B Music Festival Weekend will take place October 3, 2026 at Upfront Performance Space  in Columbus, OH.  You can check out all the details (schedule of events, award nominees, performer lineup etc.) at www.souldopeentertainment.com/festival