Spirit-Lifting Lineup Features Afro-Caribbean Big Band with Gullah Roots, Soul-Funk Afrobeats Jam Band and Spain’s Vanguard Folk-Fusion Songwriter
Providence, RI—FirstWorks, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting art with audiences, announced their 2026 FirstWorks Summer Beats Concert Series today featuring a dynamic lineup of global and regional musicians. Two free outdoor concerts at Roger Williams Park, presented in partnership with Roger Williams Park Conservancy and Providence Parks Department include Etienne Charles’ Gullah Roots big band on Friday, July 10, 2026, and New England’s Thump & Soul scene trailblazers The GroovaLottos on Friday, July 24, 2026. New for this year, the series expands into Providence’s 195 District Park with breakout Spanish vocalist Pedro Pastor and his band Los Locos Descalzos on Friday, August 14, 2026. For details visit https://firstworks.org.
“We’re now celebrating our seventh year of bringing audiences together for inspiring global and local Summer Beats concerts in our community parks,” said Kathleen Pletcher, Executive Artistic Director of FirstWorks. “Each concert is more than a performance: it’s a celebration of our many paths, roots, and cultures, a chance to come together to learn and dance, and a welcoming and open environment in some of our city’s most beautiful places.”
Internationally-renowned jazz trumpet maestro Etienne Charles returns to Providence to kick off FirstWorks’ summer series with his festive big band. The concert event, Gullah Roots, part of Rhode Island’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of our nation, takes place at the Roger Williams Park Boathouse Lawn on Friday, July 10, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. High spirits and dancing feet are in the forecast for this free jazz concert inspired by Lowcountry Gullah-Geechee culture and its connections to Afro-Caribbean music traditions. This performance transcends the concert stage, integrating big band textures with dancers, masquerade, and spoken word to create a multisensory experience that celebrates the resilience and vibrancy of the African diaspora, honoring cultural traditions through the universal language of music.
The Grammy-nominated, Soul-funk Afrobeats jam band The GroovaLottos brings what they have coined: “The Sound of a Good Time” to the Roger Williams Park Boathouse Lawn on Friday, July 24, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. The quartet leads the vanguard of the Thump & Soul music scene, a feel-good blend of soul, rock, funk, hip-hop, and Afrobeats that can be heard at live music clubs, lounges, festivals and concerts across Southeastern New England. Their live performances are a fusion of soulful rhythms and electrifying stage presence that is fun for all ages.
Audience members at the Etienne Charles concert on July 10 and GroovaLottos concert on June 24 can enjoy their evenings of music fueled by fare from Food Truck Friday, a weekly seasonal event that offers a mouthwatering array of local food vendors. Food Truck Friday takes place at the Roger Williams Park Carousel Village, across from the concerts on the Boathouse Lawn.
In an exciting new expansion for FirstWorks Summer Beats, the finale concert featuring Spanish vocalist Pedro Pastor and his band Los Locos Descalzos will take place at Providence’s 195 District Park on August 14, 2026, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. At just 31 years old, Pastor represents and leads a new generation of singer-songwriters in Spain. With six albums under his belt, he has performed over 700 concerts across 17 countries. At once sophisticated, danceable, and powerful, his music straddles Latin America and his home country of Spain. His lyrics are a hymn to change and rebellion, to love and learning, and to fusion and blending as the primary source of musical and human development. His style combines elements of African music, cumbia, flamenco, funk, and Latin American folklore without losing the power and essence of the singer-songwriter and its message.
For more information about free FirstWorks Summer Beats Concerts visit https://firstworks.org.
FirstWorks Summer Beats 2026 concert series is co-presented with Roger Williams Park Conservancy, 195 District Park and the Providence Parks Department. The series is made possible with support from Providence Tourism Council, Collette, and BankNewport. The series is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the six New England state arts agencies.
A special thank you to Carter Family Charitable Trust, Rhode Island Foundation, and Rhode Island State Council on the Arts for support of FirstWorks. Media sponsors: The Boston Globe Rhode Island and Poder.
This engagement of Etienne Charles Gullah Roots is made possible with support from Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore and the Rhode Island Semiquincentennial Commission.
This engagement of Pedro Pastor y Los Locos Descalzos is made possible in part through the Performing Arts Global Exchange program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
About FirstWorks
FirstWorks is a non-profit based in Providence, Rhode Island whose purpose is to build the cultural, educational and economic vitality of its community by engaging diverse audiences with world-class performing arts and education programs. Now in its 22nd year, FirstWorks festivals, performances and programs have attracted more than one million participants since its founding in 2004. Reaching students in school districts across the state, FirstWorks has impacted over 23,000 youth through transformative arts education experiences. FirstWorks is the founding partner of PVDFest and has collaborated with the City of Providence to curate and produce the City’s free, signature arts celebration since 2015. Embracing collaboration, FirstWorks has fostered over 90 community partnerships across business and social service sectors. Last season, FirstWorks produced over 60 events, employed more than 400 artists, and reached upwards of 3,300 Rhode Island youth. Visit firstworks.org to learn more.
About Roger Williams Park Conservancy
The mission of the Roger Williams Park Conservancy is to sustain and enhance Roger Williams Park as a vibrant public space for all. An independent nonprofit organization, the Conservancy works in partnership with the City of Providence Parks Department to steward the Park, offer community programs, raise resources, coordinate marketing efforts, and plan for its long-term sustainability and enjoyment by the community. Visit https://rwpconservancy.org to learn more.
About 195 District Park
195 District Park is a seven-acre urban waterfront park in the heart of Providence’s 195 District that opened in 2019. The park was designated open space as part of the relocation of a portion of Interstate 195 and the creation of the I-195 Redevelopment District. District Park aims to be a vibrant and active public space that improves the quality of life for residents and workers in Providence. The park serves as a community gathering place and a cornerstone of a growing innovation district, hosting thousands of daily visitors with programming and events throughout the year. The park features two seasonal concessions, an ice cream vendor and a beer garden. Construction on a year-round food and beverage pavilion began in 2024. Visit https://www.195districtpark.com/ to learn more.
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