Cost: Prices vary

Organizer: Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs

What to expect: Free and ticketed concerts (over 60 of 'em) all around the city featuring traditional and contemporary music from around the world.

Why to go: The festival will showcase 27 Chicago debut performances, so you're bound to see something new. Some of our top picks include France's Watcha Clan and South Africa's BLK JKS.

Additional info: Every weekday during the fest, stop by the Chicago Cultural Center's Claudia Cassidy Theater for a live broadcast of WNUR's "Continental Drift" from noon-2 p.m.

The entertainment schedule (see our top picks):

Friday, September 18
noon-2 p.m.: Live broadcast on WNUR (89.3 FM) featuring Markus James and the Wassonrai, Watcha Clan, the pai no pai (Chicago Cultural Center Claudia Cassidy Theater, free)
7 p.m.: the pai no pai (Navy Pier, free)
8:30 p.m.: Steve Gibons Gypsy Rhythm Project, Sloboda (Chicago Latvian Community Center, 4146 N. Elston, $15, $10 students, $8 kids) (dance lessons beginning at 7 p.m.)
8 p.m.: Mostar Sevdah Reunion presents Ilijaz Delic (Old Town School of Folk Music, $15)
8 p.m.: Markus James and The Wassonrai, Mark Caribe (Uncommon Ground, $5 donation)
9 p.m.: Watcha Clan (Navy Pier, free)
9 p.m.: Cara Dillon (World Music Company, $15)
10 p.m.: Beaba do Samba (Uncommon Ground, $10 donation)
10 p.m.: Cheb I Sabbah, Red Baraat, Radiohiro (Martyrs', $12)

Saturday, September 19
1 p.m.: Cara Dillon (Navy Pier, free)
3 p.m.: Kusun Ensemble (Rogers Park World Music Festival, free)
3 p.m.: Guy Mendilow Band (Navy Pier, free)
6 p.m.: Red Baraat (Navy Pier, free)
7-10 p.m.: Chicago Afrobeat Project, Kusun Ensemble, Cara Dillon (Edgewater GRalley Festival, $10 donation)
7:30 p.m.: Orchestra of Tetouan, Al Sham Ensemble (Museum of Contemporary Art, $15)
8 p.m.: Minyeshu, Markus James and The Wassonrai (Old Town School of Folk Music, $15)
9 p.m.: Fool's Gold (Navy Pier, free)
9 p.m.: Turntable On the Hudson, DJ Shannon Harris, DJ Striz (Sonotheque, $12)
10 p.m.: Parno Graszt, Mostar Sevdah Reunion presents Ilijaz Delic (Martyrs', $12)

Sunday, September 20
noon: Steve Gibons Gypsy Rhythm Project (Millennium Park, free)
1 p.m.: Little Cow (Navy Pier, free)
3 p.m.: Phyllis Chen (Chicago Cultural Center Preston Bradley Hall, free)
4 p.m.: Chicago Afrobeat Project (Navy Pier, free)
8 p.m.: Orchestra of Tetouan (University of Chicago's International House, $10, $5 sutdents
8 p.m.: Luminescent Orchestrii, Fishtank Ensemble (Old Town School of Folk Music, $15)
8 p.m: Forro In The Dark, Jair Oliveira, DJ Peter Margasak (Martyrs', $12)
8 p.m.: Electric Junkyard Gamelan, The Guy Mendilow Band (Uncommon Ground, $10 donation)
9 p.m.: BLK JKS, Fool's Gold (Bottom Lounge, $12)
9 p.m.: Parno Grazst, Little Cow, Megitza Quartet (Hideout, $12)
9 p.m.: Watcha Clan, DJ Papa G (Sonotheque, $12)

Monday, September 21
noon-2 p.m.: Live broadcast on WNUR (89.3) FM featuring BLK JKS, Blick Bassy, Minyeshu (Chicago Cultural Center Claudia Cassidy Theater, free)
noon: Electric Junkyard Gamelan (Daley Plaza, free)
noon: Yves Francois et Rocambu Jazz (Millennium Park, free)
6:30 p.m.: Mehter Ottoman Turkish Military Band (Millennium Park, free)
8 p.m.: Minyeshu, Blick Bassy (Martyrs', $12)
9 p.m.: BLK JKS, L'Orchestre Super Vitesse (Hideout, $12)
9 p.m: Paulinho Garcia (Uncommon Ground, $10 donation)

Tuesday, September 22
noon-2 p.m.: Live broadcast on WNUR (89.3 FM) featuring Marta Gomez Quartet, Mikrokolektyw, Kiko Klaus (Chicago Cultural Center Claudia Cassidy Theater, free)
noon: Guitarra Azul (Millennium Park, free)
5:30 p.m.: Mikrokolektyw, Josh Abrams, Jason Adasiewicz (Museum of Contemporary Art terrace, free)
6:30 p.m.: Blick Bassy, Kiko Klaus (Kelvyn Park fieldhouse, 4438 W. Wrightwood, free)
7 p.m.: Marta Gomez Quartet (Columbia College Conaway Center, free)
8 p.m.: Los De Abajo, Los Vicios de Papa (Green Dolphin Street, $12)
9 p.m.: Magic Carpet (Uncommon Ground, $10 donation)

Wednesday, September 23
noon-2 p.m.: Live broadcast on WNUR (89.3 FM) featuring Rhythm of Rajasthan, Hanggai, Momo (Chicago Cultural Center Claudia Cassidy Theater, free)
noon: Chicago Korean Music Ensemble (Millennium Park, free)
6:30 p.m.: Tambours Sans Frontieres (Washington Park fieldhouse, free)
7 p.m.: Snehashish Mozumder & Subrata Bhattacharya (Chicago Cultural Center Preston Bradley Hall, free)
7 p.m.: Vlada Tomova's Balkan Tales (Columbia College Conaway Center, free)
8 p.m.: Hanggai, Rahim Alhaj (Martyrs', $12)
8:30 p.m.: Rhythm of Rajasthan (Old Town School of Folk Music, free)
9 p.m.: Kiko Klaus, Momo (Empty Bottle, $10)

Thursday, September 24
noon-2 p.m.: Live broadcast on WNUR (89.3 FM) featuring Rahim Alhaj, Aditya Prakash, Vlada Tomova's Balkan Tales (Chicago Cultural Center Claudia Cassidy Theater, free)
noon: Tambours Sans Frontieres (Millennium Park, free)
6-11 p.m.: "One World Under One Roof" (Chicago Cultural Center, free)

• Randolph Café:
• 6 p.m.: Mikrokolektyw
• 7:30 p.m: Momo
• 9 p.m.: Idilio
• Claudia Cassidy Theater:
• 6:30 p.m.: Klappa Lisnjak
• 7:45 p.m.:: Tambours Sans Frontieres
• 9:15 p.m.: Vlada Tomova's Balkan Tales
• Preston Bradley Hall:
• 7 p.m.: Rahim Alhaj
• 8:15 p.m.: Aditya Prakash Ensemble
• 9:30 p.m.: Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens

Centerstage Reviewer: Ben Rubenstein