2026 promises to bring an electrifying lineup of live music experiences for country, Americana and bluegrass artists and fans, as a slate of music festivals roll out lineups featuring chart-topping headliners, rising artists and established music luminaries.
Throughout the year, various festivals will bring artists and fans together in different locales, from desert settings, urban centers and rural camping areas. They will offer much more than just music. Attendees at various fests can expect possible immersive experiences including gourmet food offerings, top-shelf beverages, cooking demonstrations, artisan markets, dancefloors, honkytonks, dedicated family zones for attendees of all ages and onsite camping.
So far this year, a few country fests — such as Country Jam Colorado, The Watershed Festival and The Fairwell Festival — have shuttered or paused for 2026. But many others are going strong, including major players such as CMA Fest, Stagecoach Country Music Festival, and the Country Thunder series of festivals. While such mainstream country fests will highlight a range of sounds from rock and hip-hop influenced country to ’90s-country shaded styles, venerable bluegrass fests such as MerleFest and DelFest will highlight the best in bluegrass’ high lonesome sound and ace pickers.
This non-comprehensive list looks at many of the top country music, Americana and bluegrass music festivals slated for 2026, both in the U.S. and beyond, as fans gear up for a year of soaking in music and enjoying the festival community. Whether fans plan to make a summer road trip to a fest, or spend the week camping on a festival’s grounds, they are sure to find a festival that will fit their musical tastes, making for some memorable moments.
