During a press conference at the Providence Rink, Joe Wilson Jr., the director of the city’s Art, Culture and Tourism department, bellowed into a microphone, calling PVDFest “the festival of the people.”

“PVDFest continues to not only be one of the region’s most beloved and celebrated art, music, and cultural festivals,” he said. “But also an important driver of tourism and pillar of economic development here within our great city.”

In 2024, downtown welcomed more than 75,000 attendees, generating $3 million in economic impact for the city. It also engaged more than 400 artists from Providence and beyond.

Smiley’s administration has provided some early details of what to expect.

For those who “like to imbibe,” as Wilson called it, the Providence Rink will be transformed into the “Drink Rink.” A bar experience will be built out by Anthony Santurri, the owner of Colosseum nightclub. It’ll offer music and be a place to dance, and the space will be illuminated with colors and patterns.

“All weekend long ink the rink will feature EDM and disc jockey music from DJs, both locally and nationally,” said Wilson.

As part of the city’s celebration of AS220’s 40th anniversary, PVDFest will unveil a new, large-scale mural that was produced in partnership with The Avenue Concept, the nonprofit that is responsible for producing many of the massive murals around the city.

Also returning this year is the PVDFest Mural Battle, which will be produced by acclaimed Providence artist AGONZA. Local artists will compete in a live paint-off.

Local arts and music publication Motif Magazine is teaming up with the festival to present a Battle of the Bands, which will highlight Rhode Island’s emerging music scene and give local bands a chance to take the PVDFest stage. There will be four to six qualifying rounds taking place at Narragansett Brewery and other locations around the state, where the winning band will at each site will move on to the next round.

The Road to PVDFest, curated by Wilson and artist Anjell Newman, will be a three-round hip hop competition featuring rising emcees judged by local legends like Chachi, Chop Doug, Club Ambition Podcast host Sound and DJ Franchise. The winner will earn a $1,000 prize and a featured performance at PVDFest.

Each PVDFest is crowned by a spectacle. This year, Brouhaha will take center stage. It’s the newest performance from Squonk, the genre-defying multimedia ensemble from Pittsburgh. The performance fuses visual theater, boisterous music, and an invitation for the audience to join in. Festivalgoers will inflate the massive accordion, and parade through the streets to help summon a 30-foot puppet, before a crescendo of sound and spectacle begins.

Frequencies of PVD will celebrate the city’s ever-evolving DJ scene, shining a light on innovators and culture-shapers who are redefining the sound of the city. This year, the city is partnering with three groups. LOWKEY, a DJ collective and creative agency, will take over with four hours of their globally-inspired sound featuring sets like ultraMEGA (dance, pop, and hyperpop) with indiRL, Badbabez, Nick Bishop and Bimbo Jakie, and Sabado Gigante (reggaeton, salsa, latin tech) featuring Sega Genn, Norlan, and Sir Hensley.

Keep It Movin’ will bring a mix of house, afrohouse, jersey club, and freestyle. The Collective PVD, a nonprofit preserving skateboarding and the arts in Rhode Island, will also carve out a creative space where DJs, visual artists, and the skating community come together, with DJ Ken at the helm.

Other music performances, food vendors, and other aspects of the festival will be announced in the coming months. The PVDFest performer application portal remains open, but will close on Friday, June 6.

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Alexa Gagosz can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.