Live After Five Returns in Spring 2027
Baton Rouge's free concert series is set to return next spring, though its proposed 2027 city-parish budget line stands at zero.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Dance
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Should Baton Rouge keep city funding for free events like Live After Five?
Mayor-President Sid Edwards and the Live After Five board chair say the free concert series will return in spring 2027. The proposed 2027 city-parish budget lists $0 for Live After Five, down from $45,000 budgeted in 2026, and still requires Metro Council consideration.
Why it matters
The proposed zeroing of city funding puts the future of a long-running free concert series in question for Baton Rouge residents. The budget also cuts or reduces support for the Baton Rouge Symphony and the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, signaling a broader shift in local arts funding.
The proposed 2027 city-parish budget lists $0 for Live After Five, compared with $45,000 budgeted in 2026 for the series that puts on 12 shows a year. The amount of replacement funding from business and corporate sponsors has not been disclosed.
The players
Sid Edwards
Sid Edwards is the Mayor-President of Baton Rouge, the city-parish executive who is working to secure alternative funding for Live After Five.
Baton Rouge Symphony
The Baton Rouge Symphony is the city's principal orchestra, whose city allocation would fall from $50,000 in 2026 to $0 in the proposed 2027 budget.
Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge
The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge is the regional arts agency that requested $250,000 in General Fund support for 2027, though the budget lists none.
The details
Edwards is pursuing funding from local businesses, corporations and other city-parish sources, and sponsors have already called about increasing their support. Organizers anticipated a possible reduction after the mayor's office communicated the cut months ago.
Timeline
Months before November 2026: Mayor's office signals possible funding reduction to organizers.
November 2026: Metro Council budget hearings are scheduled.
Dec. 8, 2026: Metro Council plans a special meeting to adopt the 2027 budget.
Spring 2027: Live After Five's free concerts are expected to return.
Season Trajectory
The proposed cuts follow the expiration of one-time American Rescue Plan Act money that supported local arts organizations after the pandemic. Baton Rouge's 2027 budget thus tests whether the city will backfill those grants or let them fall away.
Live After Five's free concerts are expected to return this spring, but the level of city support will shape how many shows are staged and how they are funded. Residents should watch the December budget vote for confirmation of the series' final funding.
The takeaway
Local arts programming depends heavily on city budget decisions, so residents who value free concerts can follow the Metro Council's budget process to weigh in before the December vote.
What happens next
The Metro Council will hold budget hearings in November and a special meeting on Dec. 8, 2026 to adopt the 2027 city-parish budget, which will determine final funding for Live After Five.
Further reading
For more on the local performance scene, explore Dance coverage across Baton Rouge.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wafb.
Live Poll
Should Baton Rouge keep city funding for free events like Live After Five?
