DETROIT, MI – The ISNA rumorville came to a halt on Monday, as it released this year’s Imamapalooza lineup. Die-hard fans of the festival will be pleased to hear that Hamza Yusuf will once again headline the stage, along with Suhaib Webb, Siraj Wahaj, and Zaid Shakir.
The festival, which drew one hundred thousand fans from across the world last year, is expecting another strong turnout in Detroit. This year’s setup includes six stages, three prayer Halls, two wudu areas, and a mostly functional speaker system. The event will also feature a ‘Mashallah’ Pit, which is expected to be a fan favorite.
Organizers of the festival ran into a few logistical issues with the City of Detroit and were forced to address concerns that last year’s festival left the venue with excess litter, including piles of miswaks, various fundraising dinner fliers, and scattered lotas.
Last year’s festival experienced rain showers which caused the ground to deteriorate into mud. However, performing Imams saw this as a silver lining.
2013 Imamapalooza participant Noman Ali recalls, “I remember Shaikh Hamza was in the middle of his set, and all of a sudden the rains came down. He told us to do tayamum with the mud. The crowd went nuts!”
Imam Zakir Naik, who could not make last year’s festival due to immigration challenges, is expected to open for Zaid Shakir, and has promised to do a 10 minute solo of non-stop citations.
Fans are hoping this is the year Hamza Yusuf will reunite with his old band, ‘Hanson’ for an improvised jam session.
Tickets are expected to sell out quickly, and fans are urged to make purchases through authorized ticket vendors.
