Buku Music & Art Project Announces 2017 Artist Lineup

Caleb Beck

The Buku Music & Art Project today announced its hotly anticipated first wave of artists set to play the annual music festival on the weekend of March 10th, 2017 at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans.

Acclaimed Canadian electronic producer Deadmau5 is placed high on the list of performers, hot on the release of his December release, “W:/2016ALBUM/.” Joining him on the initial lineup is a trademark eclectic roster spanning electronic dance music, indie rock, and hip-hop. Chart-topping rappers Vince Staples, Young Thug, Travis Scott, and Lil Yachty are all performing, as well as electronic mainstays Zeds Dead, Jauz, Rezz, and San Holo.

Playing on the VIP-only S.S. Buku riverboat stage are artists Ganja White Night, Ekali, and Chet Porter, and rounding out a mellower side of the festival are indie and ambient artists such as Washed Out, Sleigh Bells and Tycho. Notable funk-based artists such as Opiuo, the Floozies, and Thundercat are also slated to appear.

Named after the French word “beaucoup” meaning “much,” the Buku Music & Art Project and its organizers, Winter Circle Productions, have welcomed a bevy of stages, styles, break dancers, graffiti artists and art installations since the festival began in 2012. Buku was designed in part to celebrate the diverse, celebratory nature of the city itself, with plenty of local New Orleans artists and vendors joining the mix.

In recent years, the festival has sold out consistently, hosting over 30,000 attendees. Every year, a portion of proceeds from ticket sales goes directly to the Upbeat Academy Foundation, an educational non-profit designed to teach New Orleans youth the fundamentals of music production and audio engineering. In 2016, over $17,000 was raised for the program.

Two-day general admission passes will go on sale Dec. 8 at 11 AM for $189.99. More artists will be announced for the 2017 installment of Buku after the New Year.