The bands come and go, but the festivals play on.
Carolina Music Festivals is a comprehensive calendar and guide to multi-act, daylong or multiple-day music festivals in North Carolina. In addition to the most up-to-date information available about dates, acts and prices, we'll tell you about the festival itself - the layout of the grounds, the best way to see it, what kind of vibe to expect (these additional pages are constantly under development as we make it to more festivals each season).
Go to our master festival calendar below and click on an NC music festival's name for more information about that festival, including artist lineup, ticket prices, a map to the festival site and a link to the festival's website. If you're interested in what's happening during a specific month, go to its page ...
A photo with a festival listing indicates that we have more photos and an essay profiling that festival (like this one); click on the photo for more information.
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Most music festivals in North Carolina cater to families. If you haven't been to one because you have children, find a festival near you that you and the kids will enjoy.
If we've left out any of your favorite North Carolina music festivals (or just some you know about), please let us know!
| If you know about a music festival set for January 2026, please give us a heads up! |
| 5 - 7 | North Carolina Jazz Festival - Wilmington |
| 6 - 7 | Appalachian State Old-Time Fiddlers Convention - Boone |
| 13 - 15 | Bluegrass First Class - Asheville |
| 26 - 28 | Carolina Jazz Festival - Chapel Hill |
| If you know about a music festival set for March 2026, please give us a heads up! |
| TBA | Music Festival TBA - Raleigh | ||
| 2 - 5 | Singers and Songbirds Songwriter Festival - Statesville | ||
| 11 | Lucknow Music Festival - Dunn | ||
| 16 - 18 | Big Lick Bluegrass Festival - Oakboro | ||
| 17 - 19 | Strange Fruit Festival - Greensboro | ||
| 18 | Earth Day Jam - Salisbury | ||
| 18 | North Carolina 'Cuegrass Festival - Raleigh | ||
| 23 - 26 | MerleFest - Wilkesboro | 
MerleFest |
|
| 24 - 26 | Tuck Fest - Charlotte | ||
| 25 | Beach Fest - Selma | ||
| 1 - 3 | Casual Campout - Raleigh | |
| 2 | Midtown Music Fest - Raleigh | |
| 2 - 3 | Asheville Buskerest - Asheville | |
| 7 - 9 | Malpass Brothers Country and Bluegrass Festival - Denton | |
| 7 - 10 | Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance - Pittsboro | 
Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival |
| 8 - 9 | Steve Sutton Fest - Lake Junaluska | |
| 15 - 16 | Beaufort Music Festival - Beaufort | 
Beaufort Music Festival |
| 15 - 16 | Carolina Indie Fest - Sanford | |
| 16 | Atlantic Beach Beach Music Festival - Atlantic Beach | |
| 16 | Vet Jam - Fuquay-Varina | |
| 16 | Carolina Blues Festival - Greensboro | |
| 16 - 17 | Artsplosure - Raleigh | |
| 21 - 23 | Tony Rice Memorial Day Music Fest - Elon | |
| 22 - 23 | Gears and Guitars Music Fests - Winston-Salem | |
| 23 | Carrboro Bluegrass Festival - Carrboro | |
| 29 - 30 | Cold Mountain Music Festival - Canton | |
| 29 - 31 | Bear Shadow - Highlands | |
| 4 - 6 | Cherokee Bluegrass Festival - Cherokee | |
| 5 - 6 | Bluegrass & Old-Time Fiddlers Convention - Mount Airy | |
| 5 - 7 | Ocrafolk Festival - Ocracoke Island | 
Ocrafolk Festival |
| 6 | Carolina Beach Musicfest - Carolina Beach | |
| 10 - 14 | High Country Jazz Festival - Boone & Blowing Rock | |
| 12 - 13 | Charlie Poole Music Festival - Wentworth | 
Charlie Poole Music Festival |
| 13 | Bluegrass in the Grove - Wilmington | |
| 13 | Bluff Mountain Festival - Hot Springs | |
| 18 - 20 | Willow Oak Park Bluegrass Festival - Roxboro | |
| 19 - 21 | Boonerang Music and Arts Festival - Boone | |
| 19 - 21 | Cape Fear Blues Festival - Wilmington | |
| 25 - 28 | Dex Fest - Carrboro & Chapel Hill | |
| 26 - Aug. 2 | Brevard Summer Institute & Festival - Brevard | |
| 26 - 27 | State Annual Singing Convention - Benson | 
State Singing Convention |
| 27 - July 25 | An Appalachian Summer Festival - Boone | |
| June 28 | Singing on Grandfather - Linville | |
| Through July 25 | An Appalachian Summer Festival - Boone | |
| Through August 2 | Brevard Summer Institute & Festival - Brevard | |
Festival for the Eno |
||
| July 3 - 5 | Ocean City Jazz Festival - North Topsail Beach | |
| 10 - 11 | Doc and Rosa Lee Watson MusicFest - Sugar Grove | |
| 10 - August 9 | Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival - Highlands and Cashiers | |
| 17 - 18 | Party on the Mountain - Beech Mountain | |
| 24 - 25 | DownEast Music Festival - Rocky Mount | |
| 24 - 25 | Ashe County Bluegrass and Old Time Fiddlers - Jefferson | |
| 24 - 25 | Hillbilly Jam - Maggie Valley | |
| 30 - August 1 | Mountain Dance and Folk Festival - Asheville | |
| 31 - August 1 | Fly Around Music and Arts Festival - Lansing | |
| Through August 1 | Mountain Dance and Folk Festival - Asheville |
| Through August 1 | Fly Around Music and Arts Festival - Lansing |
| Through August 9 | Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival - Highlands and Cashiers |
| Through August 23 | Brevard Summer Institute & Festival - Brevard |
| 6 - 9 | AVL Fest - Asheville |
| 13 - 15 | N.C. State Bluegrass Festival - Cherokee |
| 15 | Next Door Music Festival - Oxford |
| 20 - 22 | The Big What? - Pittsboro |
| 21 - 22 | NC Beach Blast - Kings Mountain |
| 28 - 30 | Boomtown Arts and Heritage FestAVL - Asheville |
| 29 | End of Summer Block Party - Raleigh |
| 29 | Raleighwood Festival - Raleigh |
| 1 - 3 | Raleigh Wide Open Music Festival - Raleigh | |
| 1 - 4 | Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance - Pittsboro |
Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival |
| 2 - 3 | Ol' Front Porch Music Festival - Oriental | 
Ol' Front Porch Music Festival |
| 2 - 3 | FlushFest - Hillsborough | |
| 2 - 3 | FabFest - Charlotte's Beatles Festival - Charlotte | |
| 3 | Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival - Mars Hill | |
| 3 | Missy Lane's Block Party - Durham | |
| 9 - 10 | Hook & Line Thompson Music and Art Heritage Festival - Mebane | |
| 9 - 10 | Milltown Get Down - Elkin | |
| 9 - 11 | Slingshot - Durham | |
| 10 | Sleepy Fest - Saxapahaw | |
| 10 - 11 | Duck Jazz Festival - Duck | |
| 14 - 17 | Bluegrass Island Music Festival - Manteo | 
Bluegrass Island Festival |
| 16 - 18 | LEAF Global Arts Festival - Black Mountain | 
The LEAF |
| 17 | Harvest Jam Music and Arts Festival - Raleigh | |
| 17 | Salt & Smoke & Sound Festival - Chapel Hill | |
| 24 | Bluegrass by the Beach - Ocean Isle | |
| 5 - 7 | Mantrabash - Prospect Hill |
| 14 | BAD Day Music & Arts Festival - Wilmington |
| 3 - 5 | Balsam Range Art of Music Festival - Lake Junaluska | 
Art of Music Festival |
 Cayamo Singer-Songwriter Cruise |
 French Quarter Festival 2012 |
Search for your favorite band, festival or location (i.e., "Boone")
on Carolina Music Festivals:
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Disclaimer: We've tried to gather the most up-to-date and accurate information available for this site. We update the calendar just about every weekend and when notified of new information. Information from the previous year may remain posted for certain festivals until updated plans are announced; in particular, dates may be estimated based on the previous festival and fees typically change from year to year. Further, admission and camping fees cited may not include taxes, handling fees and/or other surcharges. Festivals come and go; we work through websites, Facebook, email, mainstream media sources and the occasional phone call. If a festival's listing has not been updated and it's close to the festival date, it may not be happening this year. We tend to err in favor of the festival happening, and keep festivals listed on the calendar as long as seems reasonable. Static pages about individual festivals should state when we attended.
We cannot and do not guarantee any of the artists, prices, show times, locations, maps, camping options or other information about the music festivals we refer to on this site. Everything is subject to change, sometimes source information is unclear, and we and our sources make the occasional mistake. Please let us know about any mistakes or out-dated information you find. And, before you head out, check individual music festivals' websites for information and/or contact them via social media, text, email or phone to make sure they plan to present the show you expect to see.
Carolina Music Festivals is compiled, designed, written, photographed and published by Christopher E. Nelson.
Established January 2010.
Carolina Music Festivals and Carolina Outdoors Guide are publications of PC Nelson Communications, LLC.
