JetLAG Festival returns June 20–22 to Peaceful Valley Campsites in Downsville, NY, bringing its signature blend of cross-cultural sounds and intergenerational energy to the Catskills.
Launched in 2009 as a grassroots gathering for post-Soviet immigrant communities, the festival has since evolved into one of the U.S.’s most unique events — an open-format, European-style celebration of music that defies genre and borders.
This year’s JetLAG lineup brings the long-awaited debut of DeVotchKa, the Denver band known for mixing indie rock with Eastern European folk. They’ll be joined by Ukrainian rock legends Vopli Vidopliassova, the first internationally known Ukrainian rock band.
Also featured in the lineup are percussion ace Billy Martin (of Medeski Martin & Wood); legendary Crimean Tatar guitarist Enver Izmaylov, known for pioneering the two-handed tapping style, making a comeback after his unforgettable, rain-soaked set in 2024; plus longtime JetLAG favorites and collaborators like Frank London — the iconic trumpeter at the heart of the downtown Klezmer scene; Daniel Kahn, the transcontinental Yiddish avant-garde bard; klezmer violinist Jake Shulman-Ment and his band Midwood; and Hazmat Modine, who bring their unique blend of blues, jazz, and Eastern brass. Members of Hazmat Modine will also join Vopli Vidopliassova on stage, keeping alive JetLAG’s tradition of wild jams and unexpected collaborations.
Over the years, JetLAG’s stage has welcomed a diverse lineup — from Ken Hensley (Uriah Heep) to Little Annie Bandez, and from Too Many Zooz and Moon Hooch to Antibalas and Sérgio Dias of Os Mutantes.
Each year, the festival centers around a guiding theme. Past ones include Equilibrium, Genesis, Utopia, Synergy, Escapology, Neoteric, and Serendipity. This year’s theme is Euphonia, celebrating sonic harmony, rich contrasts, and the pure joy of listening beyond borders.
JetLAG is where three generations, countless languages, diasporas, and traditions come together. It’s a festival that truly celebrates it all. Born to unite people in motion, it’s grown into a space that bridges cultural, musical, and emotional divides. Especially during turbulent times, JetLAG offers a place for connection and reflection — a chance to catch up with old friends, discover new sounds, and explore something deeper beyond all kinds of “jetlags.”
“The festival is physically instantiated along a road that represents a cultural continuum. I have had dreams that JetLAG is everywhere, or rather, that it has enveloped the entire world; the mentality I find there is of a localized utopia, not only a joy and openness but an associated problem-solving nature. …People from many countries, – identities are relevant, but not charged.”
Excerpt from “Ukrainian Roots and Rhizomes: a Story-web and Essay-graph” By Misha Mestechkin, Friend of JetLAG, Co-Conspirator of Art-Experience and Mischief
For the full lineup, camping information, and weekend passes, visit the JetLAG Festival website.
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