The 2026 MerleFest will return to the Wilkes Community College (WCC) campus in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, this April 23 – 26, 2026. The lineup boasts the best in traditional bluegrass, as well as renowned Americana, country, blues, and rock artists. Headliners this year include Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Old Crow Medicine Show, Charles Wesley Godwin, Blackberry Smoke, Molly Tuttle, and Ketch Secor.

For almost 40 years, this festival has celebrated “traditional plus music by embracing the music, moments and memories.” Founded by Doc Watson in 1988, MerleFest continues to be a tribute to Doc’s son, Eddy Merle Watson, while honoring the memories of Doc and other bluegrass greats. It also serves as the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, which provides scholarships and education programs.

Features of the festival include 12 stages hosting a variety of live performances over four days. For those looking for a more hands-on experience, Jam Camp takes place Monday through Thursday before the festival. All ages and skill levels are welcome to participate.

We caught up with festival director Wes Whitson for his take on the direction of MerleFest and the festival’s highlights for 2026.

An Interview with Wes Whitson, MerleFest’s Festival Director

Few festivals have been around for more than 30 years. What do you think gives MerleFest its lasting power and continued appeal?

I think it comes from the product we produce. The elevated quality of the MerleFest experience, the family friendly atmosphere, all led by a dynamic, diverse, and powerful lineup. Through all this we’re also creating meaningful change and opportunity for students and adult learners in our community.

It’s an easy thing to get behind. This vision was not mine, but I see it clearly in its current form and it’s still as beautiful and pure as it was in 1988.

We can all be thankful for those that built this festival with such a meaningful vision in mind.

MerleFest consistently features many of the biggest names in bluegrass while also shining a spotlight on up-and-coming performers. Which newer or lower-tier acts should festival-goers keep an eye on this year?

That is a tough question. How much time do you have? With 12 stages and four days, we could put a lot of names on this list.

I’ve enjoyed getting to know the Creekers‘ music this Summer. They will surely be a lot of fun to see here in April. Trey Hensley comes to mind as well. Jake Shimabukuro is creating a lot of buzz lately, too. DUG from Dublin. All great musicians that we are looking forward to welcoming this spring.

We do have a MerleFest 2026 Spotify playlist that can come in handy for those looking for a heads-up on the up-and-coming talent.

Beyond the incredible music lineup, what other experiences or activities would you recommend to help attendees make the most of their time at the festival?

Great question. At the festival, fans can expect to find plenty of entertainment for the entire family in a safe, alcohol-free environment. As always, there will be tons of shopping opportunities. I believe we have over 60 vendors between handmade crafters and fest-friendly merch vendors. Then there’s an enormous artist merch tent run by our local Rotarians, and another equally impressive MerleFest merch tent where fans can grab official MerleFest 2026 mementos like T-shirts, hoodies, hats, and ladies’ wear.

Eating at MerleFest is an experience in itself. We have around 15 or so food vendors that are all hand-selected as the best of the best. Cool fact – The majority of these are local non-profit volunteers selling things like BBQ chicken and pork tenderloin sandwiches to raise money for their own causes. Again, this speaks highly of that initial vision years ago to do good wherever and whenever possible at MerleFest.The non-profit food vendors, some of which have been involved since day one, definitely create a win-win situation.

Aside from eating, shopping, and listening to all the music they can handle, I would encourage folks to visit the MerleFest archives at The Appalachian State University Library. Our archives are on display there. One can fully immerse themselves in a MerleFest historical rabbit hole anytime, throughout the year, by appointment.

I would also encourage folks to find a local campground to retreat to after the show. Our local campgrounds are the best, and there are several. More food, more live music around the campfires, more good folks to meet.

MerleFest has such deep roots in the music community. How do you balance honoring its traditions with keeping things fresh for new generations of fans and artists?

The answer is – We respect our history and the groundwork laid before us by Doc Watson, Merle Watson, and their friends who came together to celebrate Merle’s life. We do that by celebrating “traditional plus” music. That was Doc’s answer when out on the road, someone would ask him about what kind of music they were about to hear. “We play Traditional Plus. That’s Traditional music, plus anything else we feel like playing.”

Doc brought that concept to MerleFest in the early days, welcoming acts like Scythian, Old Crow, and the Avett Brothers. We carry on that spirit – or balance – by showing newbies what traditional music, or bluegrass, is all about, while ensuring there’s plenty of room for the next generation of artists, no matter where they are on their career path, or how inside or outside the box they seem.

I think our fans, new and old, see our respect for tradition, and they also appreciate the opportunity for discovery that MerleFest provides.

After more than three decades, what’s next for MerleFest? Are there any new directions or long-term goals on the horizon?

Merle Watson passed 40 years ago as of this fall. We will celebrate our 40th anniversary in 2028.

2028 will likely be one for the record books, but we also have a lot to celebrate between now and then. I see MerleFest growing in the ways we can help those in need in our community, but our direction is steady, and our mission has not changed.

MerleFest is committed to honoring the musical legacies of Doc and Merle Watson and its mission to raise funds for the students at Wilkes Community College and in our surrounding community.