For Artscape, Memorial Day weekend wins out again.

Baltimore’s biggest annual festival, entering its 42nd year, will again take place downtown on the holiday weekend of May 23-24, 2026, Mayor Brandon Scott said Thursday morning.

“Before anyone asks, yes, it will be back downtown in the farmer’s market area and in front of City Hall,” said Scott, who added that the festival will expand opportunities for ”local artists, makers and entrepreneurs.”

Other festival dates announced at City Hall included: AFRAM, which will take place June 19-21 at Druid Hill Park; the Baltimore Washington One Carnival Caribbean festival, also at Druid Hill Park, from July 11-12; and Charm City Live, which will take over War Memorial Plaza on Sept. 19.

AFRAM, one of the largest festivals on the East Coast to honor Black culture, celebrates its 50th year. The event is returning to a three-day format, starting on Juneteenth, to commemorate the anniversary, Scott said.

Festival performers were not announced on Thursday. This year, platinum-selling, Grammy-winning artists took the stages — including Patti LaBelle and Juvenile at AFRAM; R&B singer Fantasia at Artscape; and songwriter extraordinaire The-Dream at Charm City Live.

The mayor also highlighted other events scheduled for 2026.

Symphony in the City, a free tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Morgan State University Choir, will take place at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on Jan. 19, while the Baltimore Book Festival is scheduled for Sept. 12-13. Baltimore will also participate in Sail250, a nationwide commemoration of the United States’ 250th birthday, from June 26 to July 1, with an airshow.

This past May, Artscape moved from its usual footprint in Mount Vernon and Station North to downtown as part of the mayor’s 10-year revitalization plan for the area. Some artists and attendees cried foul over the relocation from a designated arts district.

Many attendees applauded the revamped festival, thanks to the debut of the Scout Art Fair and the public art market under the Jones Falls Expressway, but some complained of long lines for food and drinks.