MerleFest

April 23 - 26, 2026

MerleFest

Wilkes Community College

Wilkesboro North Carolina

Festival Complete

MerleFest returns to Wilkesboro, North Carolina from April 23-26, 2026, featuring four days of premier bluegrass, americana, country, folk, and progressive bluegrass music. The festival lineup is headlined by Grammy-winning Alison Krauss & Union Station, rising country star Charles Wesley Godwin, southern rock favorites Blackberry Smoke, and beloved string band Old Crow Medicine Show. Notable performances will also include acclaimed guitarist Molly Tuttle and progressive bluegrass innovators The Infamous Stringdusters. With 76 total artists performing across the four-day event, MerleFest offers one of the most comprehensive celebrations of American roots music in the Southeast.

MerleFest is a four-day standalone music festival.

Featured Artists

Alison Krauss & Union Station

Nashville, Tennessee

Old Crow Medicine Show

Nashville, Tennessee

Charles Wesley Godwin

Weston, West Virginia

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

Charlestown, Indiana

Joy Oladokun

Casa Grande, Arizona

Jason Scott & The High Heat

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Scythian

Washington, District of Columbia

Molly Tuttle

Santa Clara, California

The Creekers

Leslie County, Kentucky

AJ Lee & Blue Summit

Santa Cruz, California

Fireside Collective

Asheville, North Carolina

The Castellows

Georgetown, Georgia

Jerry Douglas

Warren, Ohio

Jim Lauderdale

Nashville, Tennessee

West Texas Exiles

Austin, Texas

Donna the Buffalo

Trumansburg, New York

Venue

Wilkes Community College

1328 S Collegiate Dr, Wilkesboro, NC 28697

OUTDOORParkingFoodBeveragesRestroomsPublic TransportATMFirst AidWheelchair Accessible

Similar Festivals near Wilkesboro, North Carolina

Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival
Thursday
May 7
Forkapalooza
Saturday
May 9
Rooster Walk
Thursday
May 21
Carrboro Bluegrass Festival
Saturday
May 23