The Wichita Riverfest has announced its concert lineup for this year’s festival which will be held in downtown Wichita on May 29 – June 6. 

Here are some of the names we know our readers will be excited about. 

Shaggy, the biggest crossover success in the dancehall reggae scene of the 1990s, thanks to wildly songs “Boombastic” and It “It Wasn’t Me,” is on the main stage on Saturday night May 30. He’s been nominated for seven Grammy Awards, winning twice for Best Reggae Album with Boombastic in 1996 and 44/876 with Sting in 2019.

Fred Hammond returns to close out Gospelfest on Mon. June 1.  Hammond’s 30 plus year career has produced hit after hit.  This multiple Grammy-, Dove-, Stellar-award winner and nominee will certainly bring the spirit to Gospelfest.

De La Soul a popular early 1990s trio who hit it big with an interesting take on rap that lead to hits Breakadawn and Me, Myself and I.” De La Soul’s uniquely positive style, was an oddity in the boom of hardcore gangsta rap.   Sampling artists as diverse as Johnny Cash, Hall & Oates, Steely Dan and The Turtles, Their debut release “3 Feet High and Rising” is often viewed as the stylistic beginning of 1990s alternative hip hop. 

Opening for De La Soul is EPMD one of the most prominent acts in east coast hip hop. The duo have been active since they arrived on the scene in group has been active for nearly 35.   The group’s form of hip hop is known for its funk-fueled sample-heavy style.  So, if you don’t know their songs, you’ll know the samples such as Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff, “ Steve Miller’s “Fly Like an Eagle,”and Kool & the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie, just to name a few.

You can get your fill of the Blues on Sat., May 31, with Wichita’s George Sanders Band kicking it off on the South Stage.  They open for the Sebastian Lane Band. You might almost call Lane, a Blues guitarist a Kansas native.  He lived for many years in Salina.  You might also want to call Sebastian doctor.  He released his debut album Walkin’ By Myself in July 2018, shortly after graduating from the University of Nebraska Medical School.

For the annual Thursday Cajun night celebration, the main stage performer will be Chubby Carrier.  The Zydego accordion player and singer has quiet a following.  Carrier’s 2010 release Zydeco Junkie won the Grammy in the category Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album

Friday night, you might miss the main stage and check out local celebrity Injoy Fountain on the South Stage.  In case you don’t recognize the name, Injoy is the Wichita resident who made a pretty deep run in season 17 of “The Voice.”