Rise & Remember Festival 2026

The blueprint is Us: No Permission Needed

6-YEAR ANGELVERSARY OF GEORGE FLOYD

MAY 23-25, 2026 | George Floyd Square | Minneapolis

Photo by Sharolyn Hagen (SBH Photography)
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Welcome to the 5th Annual Rise & Remember Festival!

6th Annual RISE & REMEMBER festival

JOIN US IN MAY 2026 FOR THE 6-YEAR ANGELVERSARY OF GEORGE FLOYD

Our annual event, Rise & Remember Festival, exists to hold in remembrance George Floyd and those we have lost unjustly to the pervasive impacts of systemic racism. Activities focus on education, empowerment, healing, celebration, and our collective pursuit for racial justice and equity. Through Rise & Remember Festival, we will host a candlelight vigil, a Night of Honor, and the street festival that continues to highlight the role of community-rooted healing and art as activism. Our vision is that this experience inspires people to rise to the occasion to come together in community and build racial justice and equity.

May 23

Night of Honor

Join us on Saturday, May 23, 2026, for an unforgettable evening at a special award ceremony to celebrate the contributions of the people’s work toward racial justice as we kick off the 6-year Anniversary weekend of events. We have so much more in store for you at the Night of Honor. Join us as we celebrate YOU – the people, George Floyd’s legacy, and the continued pursuit for racial justice & equity. Enjoy live performances from James Fortune!

 

Awardees will be selected by the Rise & Remember Board from a pool of public nominations. Nominations are due April 30th.

Featuring 2x Grammy Nominee:
James Fortune

May 24

Perry Talks

Given the recent turmoil we are facing in Minneapolis, the 2026 Perry Talks symposium will engage the intersection of the fight for racial justice and our First Amendment rights. The event will be held near George Floyd Square at Christ Church International in South Minneapolis. The event begins at 2:00 PM with a set of inspirational short stories of how people and organizations continue to do the work to fight for racial justice. At 3:00 PM, we will have a keynote speech by Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta followed by a dynamic panel featuring Duchesne Drew, Georgia Fort, Dawn Stevens, and Tracey Willaims-Dillard.

Keynote Speaker: Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta

May 25

Rise and Remember Festival

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was lynched by the Minneapolis Police Department. His death was a spark that woke up the world to the movement for black lives. 

Join us May 25 to commemorate the 6-Year Angelversary of George Floyd, remember all stolen lives, and continue our fight for racial healing, justice, and equity.

Festival Host: DJ Glamlife Kim

Kennadi Watkins

Concert Host

L.A. Buckner

Prince Tribute Concert

International Reggae All Stars

Prince Tribute Concert

KNOWN MPLS

Prince Tribute Concert

ST. PAUL & THE MPLS FUNK ALL STARS

Prince Tribute Concert

EXPERIENCE the festival

Become a 2026 Festival volunteer

Artists

Become a 2026 Festival performer

VENDORS

Become a 2026 festival vendor

5 Ways to get involved

1. Sponsor the Festival

2. Nominate a neighbor

3. Volunteer

4. Attend Perry Talks

5. Celebrate at the festival

Past Themes

Rise and Remember (No Sub Theme)
We Will Heal Us
Ubuntu: Make the Impossible, Possible
As Long As We Have Breath, Reset
The People Have Spoken
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

About the Theme The Blueprint is Us: NO Permission Needed

I think that we are at a place that is about restoration and rebuilding. It's bold because we have been speaking the truth to power. Now, we need to start building on that truth because with our healing comes improvements. With all of the development conversations taking place about 38th & Chicago, we have to remember that it's not just about restoration and and aesthetics of the property. Also, internally we need to work on ourselves. We've been making demands. We need to enact on our vision. It cannot just be about claiming the space. We need to walk in our purpose. It's not just about seeking justice, but living as the voice of our justice.  We need to start seeing our vision and acting on it. We are the visionaries. We are the originators. We didn't need permission to build George Floyd Square. We set that blueprint. Now it's time to start restoring and rebuilding.

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