NPR Music Tiny Desk Contest Concert Headed To Chicago
Written by Ayana Contreras on April 18, 2023
NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest is hitting the road! Join us this summer for a one-of-a-kind concert experience showcasing the incredible talent of the soon-to-be-announced 2023 Contest Winner, plus some amazing Tiny Desk Contest artists from our community.
Nearly 6,000 unsigned bands and artists entered the Tiny Desk Contest in 2023. The NPR Music judges picked one winner who will get to perform behind the Tiny Desk at NPR’s headquarters, and they discovered many great musicians along the way. Past winners of the Tiny Desk Contest include Vocalo favorite Tank and the Bangas. The New Orleans-based band, fronted by Tarriona “Tank” Ball, won the contest in 2017.
This summer, NPR Music is teaming up with Member stations (including Vocalo) to take the show across the country. The show comes to Subterranean here in Chicago on July 6. The concert will feature the 2023 contest winner as well as a selection of homegrown talent. Tickets go on sale publicly this Thursday:
Capital One ticket presale: Wednesday, 4/19 @ 10am CT
Presale ends: Wednesday, 4/19 @ 11:59 pm CT
Public on sale: Thursday, 4/20 @ 10am CT
The 2023 Tiny Desk Contest is presented by Capital One and supported by Guayaki Yerba Mate.

Check back soon for more information on the winner and the full lineup of concert talent. And in the meantime, head to nprpresents.org/tinydeskcontestotr for details on the full tour and ticket links.
You can also check out some of this year’s submissions (including work from local acts like Sophia Cruz , ANDIE and TheoryMartinX ) here: https://tinydeskcontest.npr.org/2023/stay-tuned/