A radio program rarely runs all day without stopping. The 2026 Ragas Live Festival will do exactly that, presenting 24 continuous hours of live performances from Pioneer Works in Brooklyn.
The festival begins Saturday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. Eastern and continues through Sunday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. Eastern. WKCR 89.9 FM in New York will broadcast the full event and stream it through its internet feed. Pioneer Works will also provide live video through its YouTube channel. ragaslive.com
This is a live broadcast of performances taking place at Pioneer Works, not a replay or a transmission of previously recorded concerts.
Raga is a South Asian classical tradition in which musical modes are associated with particular times of day, moods and energies. The festival’s round-the-clock schedule lets musicians perform pieces during their traditional hours.
More than 50 musicians are scheduled, spanning Hindustani and Carnatic traditions, along with jazz-influenced, Middle Eastern maqam, African, and contemporary improvisation. The published schedule remains subject to change. pioneerworks.org
Saturday evening begins at 7 p.m. with violinist Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan and percussionist B. Guru Raghavendra. Vocalist Sanhita Nandi follows at 8:40 p.m. An ensemble tribute to Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum is scheduled for 10:20 p.m.
The overnight portion includes Saha Gnawa at midnight, followed by Afghan rubab, Carnatic flute, tabla, ghatam, sarangi and other instrumental combinations. Gabriel Akhmad Marin’s 6:10 a.m. set pairs dutar with fretless guitar as Sunday morning begins.
Sunday afternoon brings Carnatic vocalist Aditya Prakash at 12:40 p.m., guitarist Derek Gripper’s tribute to Malian kora master Toumani Diabaté at 2:15 p.m., and sitar and tabla from Indrajit Banerjee and Nitin Mitta at 3:45 p.m.
The closing performance, scheduled for 5:35 p.m. Sunday, features Pakistani Qawwali musicians Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad Qawwal. ragaslive.com
Listeners in the New York City area can use an FM radio tuned to WKCR 89.9 FM.
For listeners elsewhere in the United States, WKCR provides an internet stream:
You can also enter the direct stream into VLC or another internet-radio player that accepts custom stream addresses. This can help listeners who prefer a simple audio player over a video service.
During Web Radio Info’s Oct. 8 check, the direct WKCR address connected without registration or payment and produced a 160 kbps stereo MP3 stream. That test confirmed that the station’s stream was working at the time of inspection. It did not test the festival broadcast, which had not yet begun. WKCR’s streaming server also identified the address as its active live feed. wkcr.streamguys1.com
The station did not disclose any geographic restrictions for the internet stream. As with any live internet broadcast, station outages, congestion, or last-minute programming changes can still affect availability during the event.
In-person general admission is sold out. The festival’s official website directs people without tickets to the livestream, WKCR, and NYC Radio Live. Remote listening does not require an event ticket. ragaslive.com
NYC Radio Live maintains an extensive podcast archive of previous festival performances and confirms it will cover the 2026 event. However, it has not announced when each 2026 performance will become available on demand. Listeners who want a complete, uninterrupted experience should tune in to WKCR during the live event. nycradiolive.org
William Lee is the Accessibility Lead at Web Radio Info Inc., a Clearwater, Florida organization dedicated to making digital audio fully accessible to the visually impaired community. William specializes in rigorously testing smart speakers, screen readers, and mobile applications to break down digital barriers. His work ensures every listener can navigate broadcasts, podcasts, and live events using voice-first, screen-free technology.
