For more than 90 years, Festival of Nations has been one of the rare moments when St. Louis gathers as a full community. Every culture present, every voice visible, and every rhythm carries its own story.
This weekend, DJ Nyara will be curating the heartbeat of that rhythm from the festival mainstage.
The multidisciplinary artist whose work spans music, photography and creative direction, will serve as the Main Stage host when the International Institute of St. Louis brings Festival of Nations back to Tower Grove Park on Aug. 29–30. The two‑day event draws more than 100,000 people and features dozens of performances from all‑local talent across two stages.
“I felt grateful for the invitation,” she said. “Festival of Nations is a big stage. It’s a big event. I haven’t done a ton of festivals, so being asked to do that this year just felt like a culmination of all my hard work really paying off.”
Produced by the International Institute of St. Louis, Festival of Nations was created to celebrate the city’s immigrant communities and highlight the cultural traditions they bring to the region. The event has grown into the area’s largest multicultural gathering, drawing more than 100,000 attendees each year for two days of performances, food, art and community programming. Festival of Nations showcases the diversity of St. Louis while creating a space where every culture is recognized, welcomed and celebrated.
She feels that the same qualities that have led to her meteoric ascent as one of the city’s most influential DJs compelled organizers to select her for the role.
“They were looking for somebody who isn’t looking to make the moment all about them,” she said. “Festival of Nations is about the people. It’s about the culture. It’s about the energy in the space.”
This year’s Festival of Nations lineup reflects the breadth of St. Louis’ cultural landscape. Performances will take place on the Main Stage and the Whitaker Foundation Stage, hosted by St. Louis Poet Laureate Pacia Elaine.
Saturday’s Main Stage will feature Spirit of Angela West African Dance and Drum, Joia: World Percussion, Nando STL, American Raga Band, Gateway Science Academy and Eldraco + FreeNation. Sunday’s lineup includes Ryan Marquez, Ballet Ollin USA, Enoch Raavi and the Indigenous Groove, Aska Maret, Orchestra Chevre and Blvck Spvde.
On the Whitaker Foundation Stage, audiences will see St. Louis Cultural Flamenco Society, Mexicanos en St. Louis, Debsuta Roy, Sumak Kamari, STL Irish Arts, St. Louis Okinawa Eisa Yui, Ayati Rara Dance, Raw Style Kollective + Amara Arts and others.
Nyara’s sets are known for moving across genres without losing the thread. She said that approach comes naturally.
“I enjoy so many genres,” she said. “Connecting all these cultures together creates a beautiful sound.”
Festival of Nations is an embodiment of that – which gives her even more room to explore.
“At parties, I don’t get to go too far into certain sounds,” Nayara said. “But at Festival of Nations, everybody’s coming together from all over the world and all over the city. Music is the ultimate universal language.”
She hopes her set offers both movement and rest.
“I want to provide a space that feels like peace, that feels like joy, that feels like jumping around and dancing,” Nyara said. “And also laying on blankets with our hands behind our head watching the clouds pass by.”
When asked what message she hopes people take from her Festival of Nations experience, she answered without hesitation.
“What’s on the other side of your vulnerability?” she said. “I hope people receive that — and that we discover it together.”
Her own DJ journey began during a period of grief. After her grandmother died in 2018, she found herself in a music store looking for something to help her feel better.
“I found my way to the board,” she said. “Music has always been the ultimate healer.”
She launched publicly as a DJ in September 2023 — making her, as she put it, “brand new.” But her rapid rise has been fueled by intention.
“When you move in your purpose, and your preparation meets the opportunity, it’s like a green light,” she said. “I’m grateful to already be where I am.”
Nyara said she hopes her presence on the Main Stage sends a message to emerging artists.
“I hope they would say, ‘I’m so grateful that she’s here in St. Louis,’” she said. “People feel like they have to leave to be successful. You can make it here too.”
She wants young DJs — and artists across disciplines — to see that their work can grow from St. Louis soil.
“You can be a star here in St. Louis and beyond,” she said. “It can start right here.”
Festival of Nations is one of the few spaces in St. Louis where every community shows up fully — not as “other,” but as celebrated. Nyara said that energy will shape her set.
“I’m excited to play things I normally gravitate to,” she said. “I’m excited for people to see and hear things they may not have heard before.”
And she’s ready for the moment.
“I’m excited to find more of my people at Festival of Nations,” she said.
Festival of Nations returns to Tower Grove Park on Saturday, Aug. 29, and Sunday, Aug. 30. The full performance schedule, VIP details and additional festival information are available at festofnations.com. For questions, contact the International Institute of St. Louis at 314‑421‑4220.