THE ALI FESTIVAL Returns With Series Of Events Designed To Inspire Community This June

The Ali Festival returns to Louisville for the eighth straight year, as the Muhammad Ali Center comes together with partners from across the city to remember the passing of the Greatest and celebrate the city he loved. 

This year's festival will take place June 1-9, with a packed itinerary of events inspired by Muhammad Ali's six core principles – Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality – as well as his enduring love for his hometown.

The centerpiece of the Ali Festival is the Community Free Day with the Ali Fest Carnival on June 2 from 12noon to 5 p.m. The day will serve as an invitation to the entire community to enjoy, discover and explore the Muhammad Ali Center. Admission to the Center is free for this event.

A highlight of the Festival will feature Grammy-winning jazz musician Christian McBride on June 8 for Music with Muhammad. McBride will be meeting with Louisville Orchestra conductor Teddy Abrams for a taping of his Sirius XM show and performing in the evening.

The Ali-Ville Trolley Tour will kick off the celebratory week. While the June 1 event is for Ali Center members exclusively, a second Ali-Ville Trolley Tour will be available to the public on June 8.

Here is a rundown of events and activities featured during Ali Fest 2024.

• Ali Fest Carnival on June 2 from 12 Noon – 5pm: This a Community Free Day Enjoy free admission to the Muhammad Ali Center in addition to food, games, music, face painting and more! The Ali Fest Carnival is part of this year's Ali Fest celebration, gathering the community together to highlight Muhammad Ali's impact and celebrate the city he called home. The free days are sponsored by Passport by Molina Healthcare. Guests can skip the lines and pre-register for free tickets here.
• Greatest Give Back on June 6: Each year, the Muhammad Ali Center and Metro United Way partner to host “The Greatest Give Back,” a day of service honoring The Greatest and Louisville's own humanitarian legend, Muhammad Ali. The Greatest Give Back is a signature event of the annual Ali Festival, In honor of Ali's legacy of humanitarianism, volunteers engage in service projects throughout the day, fulfilling Ali's lifelong commitment of service to others and demonstrating that Louisville is a truly compassionate city. This year, a group of UFC Fighters will participate and work alongside volunteers and follow in Ali's footsteps of community service.
• Daughters of Greatness– Whitney Austin on Friday, June 7: This special edition of Daughters of Greatness event taking place during Ali Fest will recognize Whitney Austin, Executive Director, Co-Founder of WhitneyStrong Organization.
• Music with Muhammad-Christian McBride on Saturday, June 8: Eight-time Grammy winning Jazz artist Christian McBride brings an evening of unforgettable jazz to the Muhammad Ali Center. Earlier that day will feature the Conversations with Christian event (with Teddy Abrams). Conversations with Christian is a taping of Christian McBride's radio show for Sirius XM Radio where he interviews and performs duets with a special guest. Christian is a Grammy Award winning bassist, a board member of the Muhammad Ali Center, and a lifelong fan of the People's Champ. During this special recording for Ali Fest 2024, Christian will sit down to talk with Teddy Abrams, the Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra. The Conversations with Christian event is free but you can reserve your spot here. To purchase tickets for the concert, go here.
• Ali-Ville Trolley Tour on June 8 from 1-3pm: The Ali-Ville Trolley Tour will allow visitors to take a ride through the city that was home to Muhammad Ali. Guided by Muhammad Ali Museum Education and Curation staff, the trolley tour will take guests on a journey to explore the life and legacy of one of the greatest athletes and humanitarians of all time, including visits to his childhood home and his namesake Muhammad Ali Center. Along the way, there will be stories about Ali's upbringing, his boxing career, and his impact on the world beyond the ring. Tickets are $50. Purchase tickets here.

For more information on the entire itinerary, head to this link.

About the Muhammad Ali Center 

The Muhammad Ali Center, a 501(c)3 corporation, was co-founded by Muhammad Ali and his wife Lonnie in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. The international cultural center promotes the Six Core Principles of Muhammad Ali (Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality) in ways that inspire personal and global greatness and provides programming and events around the focus areas of education, racial and gender equity, and global citizenship. The Ali Center is formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications, and is a stop on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. The Center's headquarters also contains an award-winning museum experience. For more information, please visit www.alicenter.org.

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