Earl Scruggs Music Festival Announces 2026 Lineup: The Avett Brothers, Greensky Bluegrass, The Del McCoury Band, Béla Fleck: My Bluegrass Heart, The Earls of Leicester, Alison Brown (Artist-in-Residence), Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, and More

Named 2025 International Bluegrass Music Association Event of the Year, the 5th Annual Labor Day Weekend Celebration Returns September 4-6, 2026 « Festival Debuts the New Louise Scruggs Stage

Tickets and On-Site Lodging Options On Sale Now

Festy GoNuts’ Take

Earl Scruggs Festival is truly a blend of the old and the new coming together to keep the bluegrass music scene alive and well.  Located just outside of Asheville, NC, this festival is entering its 5th year and has garnered the respect of bluegrass legends.   

Our friend and FGN contributor, Andrea Hall, visited in 2024 and wrote an incredible review, featuring short interviews with Travis Book (Infamous Stringdusters), Jerry Douglas (festival host and legend), and Peter Rowan.   Read the full review [HERE]. 

From what we can gather, this festival feels like it’s going to be around a long time.  It’s organized and professional.  It has a manicured venue (with indoor restaurants and bathrooms!).  It brings in a hell of a lineup.  And it continues to make strides to be one of the biggest (and best?) bluegrass festivals in the country.   Think big crowds with sit-down performances versus the “hippies dancing in the field” vibe – but the camping scene is where the bluegrass pickers come out until the sun rises. 

Also, Magoo will be there. Is there any lineup that this band isn’t on this year?  

March 4, 2026 (Mill Spring, NC) –– Earl Scruggs Music Festival returns to Mill Spring, NC on September 4-6, 2026 for its fifth annual Labor Day Weekend celebration at Tryon International Equestrian Center (Tryon International). In honor of its namesake, three-finger banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs, this year’s festival features headliners who encapsulate the past, present, and future of American roots music. North Carolina’s own The Avett Brothers, revered jamgrass ensemble Greensky Bluegrass, and legacy outfit The Del McCoury Band will lead the lineup along with Béla Fleck: My Bluegrass Heart, The Earls of Leicester, artist-in-residence Alison Brown, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Mountain Grass Unit, Lindsay Lou, and many more. View the full lineup by day below.

In just a few short years, the festival has quickly risen to premier status –– most recently earning the 2025 International Bluegrass Music Association Event of the Year honor. As it approaches its fifth anniversary, the festival debuts the Louise Scruggs Stage, commemorating the groundbreaking achievements of Earl’s beloved wife and manager, a leading force in breaking down barriers for women in the music industry. The new stage will be located inside one of Tryon’s world-class equestrian arenas, offering an immersive experience that reflects the festival’s distinct setting. Meanwhile, all Legends workshop programming will move to the centrally located Foggy Mountain stage, which will also host performances throughout the weekend, giving attendees continuous access to both intimate and engaging live music experiences.

With expanded on-site amenities, including the recently-opened Overmountain Lodge, numerous restaurants, shops, and elevated facilities, Earl Scruggs Music Festival is the only event of its kind that combines comfort and convenience with top-tier performances from leading artists on the scene.

Earl Scruggs Music Festival maintains deep ties with regional organizations WNCW 88.7 and Isothermal Community College in Spindale, NC, and the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, NC. Since its inaugural event in 2022, a portion of proceeds has gone toward supporting these beneficiaries who are actively working to preserve Scruggs’ legacy, promote musical education, and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of North Carolina through their respective programming initiatives.

Earl Scruggs Music Festival will return September 4-6, 2026 in Mill Spring, NC. Advance-price tickets are currently on sale, with a variety of both three-day and one-day general admission and upgraded packages available. For more details and to stay up-to-date on all things Earl Scruggs Music Festival, visit EarlScruggsMusicFest.com.

Earl Scruggs Music Festival 2026 Lineup

Featuring Artist-In-Residence
Alison Brown

Friday, September 4

Béla Fleck: My Bluegrass Heart
The Earls of Leicester with Jerry Douglas
Alison Brown Quintet
Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
Della Mae
Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands
Magoo
The Foreign Landers
Charly Lowry
Vickie Vaughn Band
Daniel Kimbro
AVAS: The Acoustic Vibration Appreciation Society
The Blue Healers
Junior Appalachian Musicians

Saturday, September 5

Greensky Bluegrass
The Del McCoury Band
Alison Brown Quintet
East Nash Grass
Special Consensus
Jacoozy
The Scruggs Sessions featuring Travis Book & Friends
Pickers Anonymous
The Foxhounds
Murphy Campbell presented by the Blue Ridge Music Trails
Carolina Detour
Nick & Brew
Junior Appalachian Musicians

Sunday, September 6

The Avett Brothers
Mountain Grass Unit
Lindsay Lou
Rissi Palmer
John Cowan Trio with Luke Bulla
Lonesome River Band with Telegrass
Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Andy Falco & Travis Book Play Jerry Garcia
The Biscuit Eaters
The Carolina Bluegrass Band
Junior Appalachian Musicians
The Battle of The Banjos Competition Winner