Fayetteville Arkansas Music Advocacy Path: One Of The Best Cities Leveraging The Transformational Power of Music
- Music Cities Events
- May 6
- 6 min read
“I believe seeing and feeling our community wrap their arms around arts and music during and after the Pandemic gave us hope for survival. [...] Knowing that what we do matters to so many speaks to our hearts”
Brian Crowne - Owner & Talent Buyer, George's Majestic Lounge
In September 2025, the Music Cities Convention will be arriving to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to celebrate its 10th year anniversary and the strong music advocacy path that the city has had in the past years.
This will be a unique event that will gather a global cohort of music advocates to share their experiences and discuss best practices on how cities can use music as a transformational tool.
Fayetteville, AR, is a unique city. At first glance many people wouldn't think of it as a music city because it isn't part of major touring circuits. However, the truth is that it's one of the most complete music cities that you can find around the world.
Besides being the host of the oldest up & running live music venue in Arkansas, George's Majestic Lounge, it's also home of a thriving college community, strong music programmes and a community of government and non-governmental organisations who proactively are looking for ways in which music and the arts can make the city a better place to live in.
Although the local music ecosystem still faces challenges, including solidifying the city's place in the music touring circuit, taking at Fayetteville's music advocacy path is a great source of inspiration for the actions a city committed to leveraging the power of music should be taking.
So, to get you ready for the Fayetteville Arkansas Music Cities Convention, Sept. 16-18 ,2025, we've create this compact timeline (aka a Fayetteville Arkansas Music Advocacy Path) that highlights key milestones that have defined Fayetteville's artistic evolution.
This is a story that starts more than a century ago with the first arts programme of the University of Arkansas and reaches our present day with a solid path of music advocacy including the recent North West Arkansas (NWA) Music Census Report, the NWA Music Hall of Fame Established and hosting the Music Cities Convention.
"I attended the Music Cities Convention in Lafayette in 2017 and it helped me connect with some key policy makers from Fayetteville with whom I've been working ever since. It was a great environment to find like minded people interested in the music ecosystem"
Travis Smith, Venue Booker, Creative Content Marketing Specialist
Join us at the upcoming Music Cities Convention on September 16th-18th as we explore the history of music and arts advocacy in Fayetteville and music cities all around the world.
In 1874, the University of Arkansas began offering instruction in drawing and painting, laying the foundation for formal art education in Fayetteville.
Established in 1927, George's Majestic Lounge is the oldest and longest-running live music venue in Arkansas, hosting local, regional, and national acts, and serving as a cornerstone of Fayetteville's music scene.
The University of Arkansas Razorback Marching Band, formed in 1947, has been a significant contributor to the city's musical heritage, performing at various events and enhancing the local cultural atmosphere.
This is also the year that the fine arts center on campus opened with a musical adaptation of "Acres of Sky" by Charles Morrow Wilson.
Founded in 1954, the North Arkansas Symphony, now known as the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA), has provided orchestral performances and music education, enriching the region's cultural offerings.
In the late 1950s, George's Majestic Lounge became the first bar in Arkansas to integrate, playing a pivotal role in promoting inclusivity within the local music scene.
In 1992, the Walton Arts Center opened its doors, becoming Arkansas's largest performing arts presenter and a hub for diverse cultural events, including theater, music, and dance performances.
The Gulley Park Summer Concert Series is a long-running, community-centered music program offering free outdoor concerts each summer. It showcases local and regional talent in a family-friendly park setting.
Founded in 2005, TheatreSquared is Northwest Arkansas's professional regional theater, offering a range of productions and contributing significantly to the local arts community.
The Arkansas Music Pavilion, opened in 2005, is an outdoor amphitheater that has hosted numerous concerts and events, enhancing the region's live music offerings.
Established in 2008, the Fayetteville Arts Council aims to promote and enhance the city's arts and cultural resources, supporting various initiatives and programs.
The Fayetteville Roots Festival, launched in 2010, was a music and food festival that celebrates local and national artists, fostering community engagement and cultural appreciation.
Though the festival is no longer in operation - some of the founders now operate Folk School of Fayetteville, opened in 2023 in the historic Walker-Stone House.
Founded in 2011, the Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society has been instrumental in promoting jazz music through concerts, educational programs, and community events.
In 2014, the Walmart AMP opened in Rogers, providing a larger venue for major concerts and events, thereby enriching the regional music scene.
Introduced in 2018, the Northwest Arkansas Music Ecosystem Strategy aims to support and grow the local music industry through strategic planning and community engagement.
In 2020, the Momentary, a contemporary art space and satellite of Crystal Bridges Museum, opened in Bentonville, offering dynamic programming that includes visual and performing arts, culinary experiences, festivals, and artists-in-residence, thereby enriching the region's cultural landscape.
In 2020, the book "Good Times Fayetteville" was published, chronicling the history of the local music scene and preserving its legacy for future generations.
Founded in 2015, the Music Education Initiative's Juke Joint offers educational programs and live performances, aiming to preserve and promote the heritage of juke joint music.
In May 2023, the Folk School of Fayetteville opened in the historic Walker-Stone House. Founded by the team behind the Fayetteville Roots Festival, the school offers music lessons, workshops, and jam sessions for all ages. It aims to create affordable, community-driven spaces for musicians to teach, collaborate, and grow.
The 2024 Northwest Arkansas (NWA) Music Census was a community-led initiative to gain a better understanding of the current needs of the NWA-area music community. The music census launched on May 10, 2024 and ran June 17, 2024 and collected 387 responses from people working in music in any capacity who are 18 years or older and living in Benton or Washington County of NWA.
In 2024, the Northwest Arkansas Music Hall of Fame was established to honor the region's rich musical heritage. The inaugural ceremony at George's Majestic Lounge celebrated 98 inductees, including musicians, educators, and industry contributors, highlighting their impact on the local music scene.
Approved in January 2025, the Fayetteville Arts and Culture Plan outlines strategies to support and develop the city's arts sector, guiding policy and funding decisions.
Set to take place in 2025, Fayetteville will host the Music Cities Convention, bringing together global leaders to discuss the role of music in urban development and policy.
Few cities around the word can display such a proactive timeline around using music as a transformational tool for the community. How would you compare it to your city?
Are you interested in learning more about how your city can replicate some of these milestones? Do you want to share your city's experience with a global cohort of music advocates?
Join us at the upcoming Music Cities Convention on September 16th-18th as we explore the history of music and arts advocacy in Fayetteville and music cities all around the world.
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