Events

Come join us for the Afrobeats Oakland Friday Nights Takeover! Oakland’s most exciting arts and culture brand is partnering with OMCA to host the welcome party for their Annual Afrobeats at the Lake Festival. Afrobeats Oakland shares a taste of their main festival by coloring Friday Nights with a melding of various African cultures, music, and dance. Between the dance tutorials and dance party, the Ethiopian tea ceremony, the live DJ set and the performances from Juan G, KOKO, Christina Alexandria, Asaba, and other special guests, OMCA is set to welcome guests of all ages and backgrounds to a Friday Nights like none other!

Come through to Friday Nights at OMCA to be a part of a magical moment rooted in Oakland! OMCA is excited to host WHO GOT THE MOVES, a turf dance battle with community leader Telice Summerfield. Featuring not only various competition structures including 1v1 battles, youth battles, and an all style tournament, but also a free prize giveaway with a chance to win free food at some of Oakland’s best restaurants, this event is set to fill the OMCA Garden space with authentic Oakland culture. The second of its kind and once again driven by Telice’s passion for community, the turf battle is also meant to support the exposure, connection, and collaboration of Oakland businesses and organizations. This unforgettable Friday Nights at OMCA will be backdropped with killer beats from DJ Nick Fury who blends Hip Hop, Afro Beats, House, and Bounce to craft a sonic atmosphere where everyone feels the beat and moves as one!

Come bring the family on a rhythmic journey through the many sounds of the Black diaspora this Friday Nights at OMCA! Kev Choice and his all-star ensemble of musicians kick up a vibe as they spotlight past, present, and future Bay Area artists with a unique musical blend of Funk, Hip Hop, Jazz, Soul, and Classical styles. Further ignite that good spark set by Kev’s conscious and introspective lyrical beats with an inspiring reading of Jonah Winter’s, Mother Jones and Her Army of Mill Children by none other than the captivating Per Sia.

This Friday Nights at OMCA the Garden stage will be transformed into a multimedia musical experience! Audiopharmacy crafts an enchanting soundscape by combining Hip Hop, Soul, and Jazz with global music genres and turntablism and then pairs it with Indigenous chanting and knowledge, movement, and visual projection that come together to cultivate healing and unity to inspire change.

The grooves are too powerful this Friday Nights at OMCA! The Garden stage is set to amplify the electrifying sounds of La Misa Negra. An 8 piece band from California, La Misa Negra is known for their horns, accordion-driven riffs, and a fierce rhythm section that power an infectious high-energy Afro-Latin cumbia sound.

This Friday Nights at OMCA we are thrilled to welcome back CABANIJAZZ PROJECT to our garden stage. Led by Grammy Award-winning composer and conga player, Javier Cabanillas, CABANIJAZZ PROJECT is a seven-piece band of highly talented musicians that play a unique and captivating blend of Jazz harmonies and Afro-Caribbean dance rhythms. After being featured with networks such as NPR and PBS and is a fan favorite in the San Francisco Bay Area, this national and local favorite is projected to totally transform the stage!

Bring the whole family and dive into the vibrant rhythms of Mexico with Cuicacalli Ballet Folklórico and Familia Peña Govea this Friday Nights at OMCA! This amazing mash-up will bring Aztec Dance, Zapateados, Faldeos, and Sombreros to life on the garden stage and transport you through the magical culture of México with a captivating blend of music and dance.