The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts will host the 2026 Hip Hop Convene beginning Wednesday, Feb. 25, bringing four days of performances, workshops, guest lectures and panel discussions to Champaign-Urbana.
The campus and community-wide convene runs through Saturday, Feb. 28; events are designed to explore hip hop as both an art form and a cultural movement. Events will take place at KCPA, the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, the Music Building and Gallery Art Bar.
Julieanne Ehre, KCPA’s assistant director for programming and engagement, said the vision for the convene has been building for more than a year.
“What’s cool is that there’s different kinds of events, so you can come to several and not feel like you’re seeing the same things,” Ehre said.
Over four days, attendees can take part in hip hop karaoke, jam sessions, live dance performances and hands-on workshops that teach skills like beatmaking, recording, songwriting and DJing.
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Youth programming is also a central focus. Several events are geared towards students and families, offering interactive ways to engage with hip hop’s music, movement and visual culture. Some examples include a sneaker design workshop and LEGO instrument building.
“Whether you’re new to Krannert Center or you’ve been here a ton of times, this is just an event that I think really speaks to students,” Ehre said. “We’d love to have young people showing up.”
The convene also celebrates Black History Month and the second anniversary of Illinois Soul 101.1 FM, a community radio station dedicated to Black music and culture.
Delayney Layne, co-executive producer of the convene, described the event via email as an opportunity to highlight the range of hip hop.
“The Hip Hop Convene is about creating space to experience the whole spectrum — music, dance, visual art, engineering, conversation, all of it — while bringing both education and celebration to Champaign-Urbana,” Layne wrote.
He said hip hop’s accessibility can sometimes lead to its history and cultural impact being overlooked. The convene aims to create space for deeper engagement while still bringing joy and performance to the forefront.
The four-day event will conclude Saturday evening with “Her Voice, Her Rhythm: Women Shaping the Culture,” a panel and performance at KCPA’s Colwell Playhouse. The program will feature influential women in hip hop: Asha Omega, Suzi Analogue and Klevah and TRUTH of Mother Nature.
The panel will focus on the women’s experiences as hip hop artists. Chicago and Houston-based hip hop duo Mother Nature said they hope to cover topics such as the impacts of hip hop education, community engagement and their experience in entrepreneurship.
“It’s so interesting because it’s very much a spectrum when it comes to whichever women you’re talking to in regards to their experiences,” TRUTH said when asked about the panel. “But I think us as women, we’ve been able to navigate pretty well in regard to the team building that we’ve done. Our whole team is pretty much all women.”
At this concluding event, the artists will perform after the panel discussion. When asked what audiences can expect, Mother Nature responded with one word: “Bars.”
Ultimately, organizers say the convene is about honoring hip hop as a dynamic, ever evolving culture.
