Summer is fast approaching, and that means it’s almost music festival season.
And sure, there are some great ones all over the country, but we’re here to tell you, you don’t have to leave the state of Arkansas to get a good old fashioned summer music festival experience.
We compiled a list of 11 events coming up in the next few months, and that’s not counting some great festivals that have already happened so far this year (Valley of the Vapors in Hot Springs, University of Arkansas’s new Springtime of Youth Festival, and last weekend’s Phunkberry Festival in Eureka Springs come to mind, among others).
In the coming months, you can see artists like Wiz Khalifa, Justin Moore, Cage the Elephant, Billy Currington, Grouplove, Cold War Kids, The Floozies, Iron & Wine, The Wood Brothers, Elephant Revival, White Denim, Son Volt, Railroad Earth, Greensky Bluegrass, Leftover Salmon, Dark Star Orchestra, Funky Meters, Dopapod, Perpetual Groove, Jamey Johnson, North Mississippi Allstars, Gov’t Mule, Hayes Carll, Rodney Crowell, John Paul White, Tab Benoit, JJ Grey & Mofro, and tons of other marquee artists on a festival stage somewhere in The Natural State.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Here’s our list of 11n upcoming music festivals you can check out without ever leaving the state.
Riverfest
Riverfest in Little Rock is celebrating their 40th year this year
Dates: June 2-4, 2017
Location: Downtown Little Rock, Arkansas
Tickets: Tickets range from $40 for a three day pass, to $500 for a VIP two pack. Purchase online here.
Lineup: Wiz Khalifa, Justin Moore, Cage the Elephant, Billy Currington, Grouplove, Cold War Kids, Moon Taxi, Morris Day & The Time, Cody Jinks, Jon Bellion, Craig Campbell, The Joy Formidable, Colt Ford, Dylan Scott, and Cody Canada & The Departed.
Eureka Springs Blues Fest
Dates: June 15-18, 2017
Location: Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Tickets: Tickets range from $10 for a one day Sunday pass, to $135 for a VIP experience.
Lineup: Performers include Scott Ellison Trio, Eric Gales, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, Victor Wainwright, Patrick Sweany, Brick Fields Band, Nick Schnebelen Band, Fiona Boyes, Toronzo Cannon, Katie & The Girls, The Bel Aires, EG Kight, and more.
Riverfront Blues Festival
Dates: June 23-24, 2017
Location: Downtown Fort Smith, Arkansas
Tickets: Admission is $15 per day $25 per weekend. Kids 12 and under get in FREE with an adult.
Lineup: Willie Stradlin Duo, JP Soars and the Red Hots, Cate Brothers, Good Luck Slim, Oreo Blue, Kenny Neal, Jesse Dean and Left of Center
Music on the Mulberry
Dates: June 23-24, 2017
Location: Byrd’s Adventure Center
Tickets: Two day passes are $65, and VIP tickets are available for $99 (plus fees). Tickets are on sale here.
Lineup: Lonestar, Lance Carpenter, Trailer Choir, Ashley Campbell, Ashley Martin, Devin Robertson & The Travelers, Dean Dillon, Scott Emerick, The Hard Cider Boys, Doug McCormick, Skye Claire, George Brothers, and others.
Highberry Festival
Dates: June 30 – July 2, 2017
Location: The Farm, Eureka Springs, AR
Tickets: Tickets range from $55 for a one day pass to $160 for a four day pass. They’re on sale here.
Lineup: The Floozies, Dark Star Orchestra, Funky Meters, Dopapod, Perpetual Groove, The Marcus King Band, Pink Talking Fish, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Clozee, The Nth Power, Aqueous, Jade Cicada, Old Shoe, Flow Tribe, Earphorik, Aaron Kamm & The One Drops, Clusterpluck, Isayah Warford and Paul Benjaman’s AR/OK All-Stars, Opal Agafia & The Sweet Nothings, and Friends of the Phamily
Peacemaker Festival
Dates: July 28-29, 2017
Location: Downtown Fort Smith, Arkansas
Tickets: Tickets start at $39 for a single day pass, to $199 for a single day ticket. Purchase online here.
Lineup: Jamey Johnson, North Mississippi Allstars, Gov’t Mule, Andy Frasco & The U.N., Split Lip Rayfield, Greyhounds, Hayes Carll, and Natalie Stovall.
Homegrown On the River
Dates: Aug. 3-5, 2017
Location: Byrd’s Adventure Center, Ozark Arkansas
Tickets: Full event passes are $133.20, on sale here.
Lineup: Steep Canyon Rangers, White Denim, Son Volt, TAUK, and Hot Buttered Rum, Monophonics, on Stickley Trio, Arkansauce, Kitchen Dwellers, Tall Tall Trees, Old Salt Union, The MGDs, Vintage Pistol, Calliope Musicals, Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster, The Squarshers, Jamie Lou & the Hullabaloo, Caleb Ryan Martin, Couch Jackets, The Crude Mechanicals, AUpaya & the Magick Solar Suitcases.
Fayetteville Roots Festival
Dates: Aug. 24-27, 2017
Location: Downtown Fayetteville, AR
Tickets: Most tickets are already sold out. Sunday passes are still available fat $49, and some happy hour and late night shows at George’s are $10-20. Click here for tickets.
Lineup: Iron & Wine, The Wood Brothers, Elephant Revival, Rodney Crowell, John Paul White (of The Civil Wars), Dead Man Winter (Dave Simonett of Trampled By , Turtles)John Fullbright, Blind Boy Paxton, Mandolin Orange, River Whyless, Joe Purdy, Smokey & The Mirror, Matt the Electrician, The Honey Dewdrops, The Stray Birds, The Brother Brothers, Earl & Them, Dana Louise & The Glorious Birds, Shawn James, Jack Williams, and more.
Byrdfest 15 Music Festival
Dates: Sept. 25-27, 2017
Location: Byrd’s Adventure Center
Tickets: $60 per person for the weekend
Lineup: Grateful Dead Experience: The Schwag, others TBA
King Biscuit Blues Festival
Dates: Oct. 4-7
Location: Helena, Arkansas
Tickets: Three day passes are on sale now for $65. They’ll go up to $80 on July 12.
Lineup: Tab Benoit, Mississippi BigFoot, Sonny Burgess, Sterling Billingsley, Chris O’Leary, Rodney Block, Joe Louis Walker, JJ Grey & Mofro, Dylan Bishop, Tracy Nelson & The Bel Airs, Reba Russell, Nikki Hill, Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets, Paul Thorn, Six Strings Andrew, Grace Kuch, D.R. Diamond & Birthright Blues Project, Carl “Stud” White, Spoonfed Blues featuring Mississippi Spoonman, Akeem Kemp Band, Leo “Bud” Welch, C.W. Gatlin Band, Wampus Cats, Veronika Jackson, Big George Brock & His Houserockers with Renee Smith, James “Taildragger” Jones Band, Warren Haynes & Gov’t Mule, Marcus Cartwright, Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith, Bob Stroger & Bob Margolin, Jack Pearson, Bruce Katz, Andy T Band featuring Alabama Mike, Larry McCray, Deak Harp, Libby Ray Watson, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, Rev. John Wilkins Band, DuWayne Burnside Band, Phillips County Community Choir, Chris K., Phillip Stackhouse Band, Ready Boyz, New Life Singers ,Chicken Bone Reunion Band featuring Brotha Ric Patton, Dixie Wonders,, Angelic Voices, Spiritual Keys , West Coast Blues Review with Fillmore Slim, God’s Children, Bob Holloway & The Southern Sons
Hillberry Music Festival
Dates: October 12 – 15, 2017
Location: The Farm, Eureka Springs, AR
Tickets: Four-day event passes are $180, and one-, two-, and three-day passes are also available. Tickets are on sale at EventBrite.
Lineup: The initial lineup for this year’s Hillberry fest includes Railroad Earth (2 nights), Greensky Bluegrass, Leftover Salmon, Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass, Dumpstaphunk, Dirtfoot, Arkansauce, Mountain Sprout, Handmade Moments, and Sad Daddy. Additional artists are expected to be announced at a later date.
