Beginning only last year, the Buku Music + Art Project has already made a huge impact on the city of New Orleans. This year, the festival is coming back for its second year on March 8 & 9 with a star-studded lineup. Some of the bigger names in the lineup include Kid Cudi, Kendrick Lamar, Passion Pit, STS9, and more.

Buku takes place at Mardi Gras World and in neighboring areas of the historic warehouse district of downtown New Orleans. The location’s vibe fits perfectly with the fusion of EDM, hip-hop, and the many genres of indie rock music.

New aspects will be added into this year’s project, including the addition of two new stages.

The main stage, where all the headliners will be playing, is called the Power Plant and is located outdoors near the bank of the Mississippi River and offers the backdrop of the defunct Market Street Power Plant. This year, the main stage will be bigger, brighter, and louder, according to the festival coordinators.

The second stage returning from last year is The Ballroom. The Ballroom is a massive space that is completely sound-isolated from the other two stages and is only a few minutes walk from each stage.

The new major stage added for this year is The Float Den, located inside the warehouse at Mardi Gras World, where most of the Mardi Gras floats are manufactured. Festival coordinators promote that there will be crazy, tricked-out floats to make Buku even more of an experience.

There will also be one minor stage added to the riverfront for many local performing artists.

In addition to the music, the festival offers a variety of local food and a large range of genres of art, from graffiti to laser art.

Premiering in 2012, the Buku Music + Art Project has established itself as the premier progressive music and arts festival in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. As the festival website boasts, “For those tired of the mega-festival, Buku provides an intimate setting with close stage views and clear/loud audio.”

For more information on the music lineup, visit the Buku music + art project site.