The City of Champaign is excited to welcome residents and visitors to experience everything Downtown Champaign has to offer during a summer filled with exciting new entertainment and fun activities for everyone. The Beat Downtown Champaign is a new campaign to bring more music, entertainment, and culture to downtown. The Beat aims to attract residents and visitors from diverse backgrounds, provide a safe and inclusive space to enjoy entertainment, to showcase downtown’s unique shops and businesses, and enhance the vibrant social atmosphere in the heart of downtown.
The City will celebrate with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Market Street Entertainment District at 4:30 pm on Friday, May 31, 2024. The ceremony will be held at the City’s new performance stage located near 114 N Market St. in Downtown Champaign. Everyone is invited to attend.
Keeping things kickin’ this summer is the return of crowd-favorite Friday Night Live, with three stages spread throughout downtown. This year’s series is bigger than ever with an extra hour of music brought to you in partnership with our friends at 40 North. Three exciting performance areas will feature a wide variety of entertainment options for everyone to enjoy every Friday from 6:00 to 9:00 pm all summer long. Don’t miss it!
Following Friday Night Live, the music and fun continue late into the night on Market Street. Every week on both Friday and Saturday nights from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am, Market Street will be transformed into a pedestrian-only, secure venue to celebrate the summer. Each week talented DJs and musicians will fill Market Street with the greatest music and entertainment in the Midwest. Check out this week’s late-night entertainment schedule:
Friday, May 31
- 11 pm – midnight DJ Carlos Wesjile – Open Format
- Midnight – 1 am DJ Silkee – Hip Hop/R&B
Saturday, June 1
- 10:00 -11:30 pm Haki N Dem – American R&B and Neo Soul
- 11:30 pm – 1 am DJ BJ Clark – Old School Hip Hop/R&B/Pop
To keep the fun flowin’ Downtown Festival Districts will be held on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer. A Downtown Festival District allows patrons of participating downtown restaurants and bars to enjoy an alcoholic beverage in public while enjoying the music and catching up with friends. Downtown Festival Districts will be held in conjunction with both Friday Night Live and late-night entertainment on Market Street. For more information and maps of the Downtown Festival Districts please visit champaignil.gov/DowntownFestivals.
The City of Champaign welcomes everyone to get out and enjoy activities in Downtown Champaign this summer. Check out everything that is going on at thebeatchampaign.com and for the most up-to-date information be sure to follow The Beat on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Stop on by and feel The Beat!