Palestinian artist Lana Lubany will open The Burrow stage at the 54th Dillo Day, marking a significant moment for the Middle Eastern North African representation on campus, according to a Mayfest news release Friday afternoon.
Lubany blends Arabic and English lyrics, also known as Arabizi, into haunting mixes of soul, R&B and alt-pop. She will break ground for The Burrow, a new stage dedicated to highlighting diverse musical perspectives across campus. She is also the first Arab artist to perform in Dillo history.
“She’s the kind of artist you don’t just listen to, you experience,” McCormick sophomore Alberto Najera, a member of Mayfest’s booking team, said in the news release.
“Lana Lubany’s music feels like stepping into a different world,” Najera said. “There’s something so captivating about the way she tells stories — her voice, her production and her bilingual lyricism all come together in a way that feels completely unique.”
Co-sponsored by the Middle Eastern North African Student Association, which was founded in 2022, Lubany is part of a broader initiative by the organization to highlight MENA culture and music to the wider Northwestern community.
Former MENA Student Association co-President and McCormick senior Rani Joudeh called the booking “a milestone moment” for the MENA community.”
“To see Arabizi take the stage at the largest student-run music festival in the country means MENA students at Northwestern aren’t just present, we’re part of the cultural conversation,” Joudeh said in the release.
Lubany has received praise from major platforms like The Guardian and The Recording Academy, sold-out shows and performed alongside artists like Saint Levant, TUL8TE and Ty Dolla $ign. The news release named Lubany’s coming to Dillo Day’s stage as “culturally impactful.”
She gained widespread attention in 2022 when her track “THE SNAKE” went viral, earning over 16 million streams across platforms and solidifying her place in a growing wave of globally conscious pop artists and merging cultural storytelling with modern pop production.
Through her unapologetic cultural expression and genre-blending sound, Lubany offers a performance that promises to resonate across the broader student body, according to the release.
The booking was facilitated by MENA Student Association founding board member, NU alumna and Lubany’s booking agent Sara Ibrahim (Weinberg ’24), who described the moment as “full-circle.”
“I founded the MENA Beats concert while I was a student, and it was always my dream to expand its reach and see Arab artists boldly share their culture with the entire university community,” Ibrahim said.
Dillo Day will take place May 16 at the Lakefill and admission is free for undergraduate students. Tickets must be reserved by May 14.
Correction: A previous edition misstated Sara Ibrahim’s position. The Daily regrets this error.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Malcolm Todd announced as Dillo Day headliner
— Mayfest Productions announces new ‘The Burrow,’ stage for Dillo Day 2026
