Kid Rock, John Mayer, Journey, Nelly, Steely Dan, Allman Brothers, Santana, James Taylor, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Korn, The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, Kings of Leon from Nashville in '17, Paramore from Nashville in '15, 10 Years from Knoxville in '06, Soundgarden, Wiz Khalifa, Jane's Addiction, Chuck Berry, The Black Keys, Avenged Sevenfold, Alabama Shakes, Lenny Kravitz, Ed Sheeran, Neil Young, Beck, Paul Simon, Ziggy Marley, Sturgill Simpson, Aretha Franklin in '09 (d.2018, born in Memphis), Earth, Wind & Fire in '10 (Maurice White was born in Memphis and d.2016), Yo Gotti in '16, Three 6 Mafia (from Memphis) in '06, Weezer, and many more. Many of the festival's best known performers were immortalized in portraits by iconic Memphis painter George Hunt, who produced the Beale Street Music Festival's commemorative poster art for 28 years before his passing in December 2020. International Week Every year the festival recognizes a different country, most recently saluting Ghana in 2022. A week of events that typically begin the day after the Beale Street Music Fest, International Week is dedicated to a country and showcases the foods and culture of that nation. While International Week provides a learning experience for the community at large, the core is a comprehensive educational program for area youth in public and private schools throughout Memphis and Shelby County. The goal of International Week is for area students, by the time they graduate from high school, to have had the opportunity to experience the customs and cultures of 12 countries. Three of the festival's honored countries — Japan, Canada, and the Netherlands – have been featured twice. Perhaps most important are the trade delegates that visit Memphis and have introductions to suitable, high-level trade partners. Honored countries Through the years, the Memphis in May International Festival has played host to ambassadors, exhibits and performance troupes from 38 countries. The milestone twentieth annual event in 1996 honored all previous selected countries. The 2019 event honored the bicentennials of the founding of the city of Memphis and of the establishment of Shelby County. Festivities were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Malaysia has been selected as the focus for 2023. 1977: Japan 1978: Canada 1979: Germany 1980: Venezuela 1981: Egypt 1982: Netherlands 1983: Israel 1984: Mexico 1985: Australia 1986: Japan 1987: China 1988: United Kingdom 1989: Kenya 1990: France 1991: New Zealand 1992: