January 21 - 25, 2026
New Orleans, Louisiana
The largest folk music industry conference in the world returns to New Orleans
The Folk Alliance International 38th Annual Conference takes place January 21 - 25, 2026, at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, 500 Canal St., New Orleans, LA 70130. Become a member of Folk Alliance International for our best conference rates.
Industry
$765
$520 / $670 USD
per FAI Member / non-member
Artist
$765
$345 / $495 USD
per FAI Member / non-member
Fan/Retired
$765
$ 670 USD
per person
Student
$765
$230 USD
per person
*FAI Members with Community (or Non-Voting) Memberships do not receive member discounts on the FAI Conference.
Thanks to our partnership with the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development and their support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Louisiana residents have access to 50% off their registration fees by using the code Louisiana26. This code applies to member and nonmember pricing.
Louisiana residence will be confirmed through your mailing and billing address in your registration. If you are not a Louisiana resident, you will be invoiced for the remaining 50% and FAI will follow up with an invoice for the difference. You will not be able to access the conference until that invoice is paid. You will not receive a refund for the initial payment if FAI determines that the code was used in bad faith.
Artist – Discounted registration for any artist attending
Industry – Registration for non-artist industry professionals
Fan/Retired – Registration for non-artist/non-industry professionals, and retired professionals
Student – Registration for currently enrolled students, student ID required
Wed, Jan 21
Daytime
Registration Opens
Evening
International Folk Music Awards
Thu, Jan 22 - Sat, Jan 24
9:00 am - 4:30 pm CT
Keynote, Panels, Workshops, Exhibiting and Networking
6 pm - 10 pm CT
Official Showcases
10:30 pm - 3 am CT
Private Showcases
Sun, Jan 25
Evening
Closing Party
Anyone can become an FAI Member today and it’s the easiest way to save on registration! You’ll get access to the very lowest Early Bird rates, the FAI Member discount, and other great benefits outside the conference. An individual membership is only $99 USD/year.
Registration is capped at $775 USD for bands who are Official Showcase artists or on standby. You must be an FAI member to qualify for this rate. If you have four or more people in your band who will all be attending, please contact Folk Alliance International at fai@folk.org to receive a code for your registration. Do not register until you receive your code.
Volunteering opportunities are open to any FAI Member over the age of 16. When you volunteer, you get a free conference registration as long as you volunteer for a minimum of 16 hours during the conference.
Scholarships are available for both first-time artists and members of the industry and they can cover 50-100% of your registration cost! Priority is given to Official Showcase applicants, and/or folks who have attended regional conferences.
A Day Pass will grant you access for a single day so you can join in without paying for time spent elsewhere. Passes are $265 USD for FAI members and $340 USD for non-members.
The earlier you register the more you save.
Price Period
Industry
FAI Member
Artist
Artist/Member
Early Bird
Jul 1 - July 31
n/a
$320
n/a
$240
Advanced
Aug 1 - Oct 31
$570
$420
$390
$240
Regular
Nov 1 - Jan 8
$670
$520
$495
$345
Final
Jan 9 - Jan 24
$770
$620
$595
$445
All FAI Annual Conference registration pricing on folk.org is listed in USD and is inclusive of credit card processing fees.
We want you at FAI!
The FAI Conference welcomes university and college students to attend our conference! Learn about the music industry from the inside at world-leading panels and workshops, find your home in our community, and explore music from around the globe. And an FAI Community Membership is included with your registration.
We'd highly recommend that students consider volunteering at FAI – not only can you attend for free, but you'll get all the benefit of attending normally plus hands-on experience behind the scenes!
Must upload a current student ID to qualify. If you have any questions, contact fai@folk.org.
Price Period
Student Rate
Early Bird
Jul 1 - July 31
n/a
Advanced
Aug 1 - Oct 31
$180
Regular
Nov 1 - Dec 31
$230
Final
Jan 1 - Jan 24
$280
All FAI Annual Conference registration pricing on folk.org is listed in USD and is inclusive of credit card processing fees.
View our cancellation and refund policy and terms and conditions for the Folk Alliance International Annual Conference below:
