Carolina Music Festivals is a comprehensive calendar and guide to multi-act, daylong or multiple-day music festivals in North Carolina.
Dates and other details may be estimated based on last year's festival until confirmed by festival organizers.
September 4 - 6 Hopscotch - Raleigh
Hopscotch presents about 100 national and international bands from rock, hip-hop, alt-country, heavy metal, dance, punk, noise, drone, folk and more at multiple downtown venues. The festival also presents bands at a series of day parties, many with free admission, happening throughout the city. The festival added comedians to the lineup in 2023. Hopscotch is in its 15th year in 2024.
Artists
TBA. 2024 lineup included St. Vincent, Faye Webster, Waxahatchee and dozens more, plus 10 comedians.
Festival sites: City Plaza, Moore Square, Lincoln Theatre, Kings, The Pour House, Wicker Witch, Neptunes, more
See schedule.
Ticket prices rise periodically as unspecified quantities sell out:
Three-day pass: $125 (early bird price).
Three-day VIP and club pass (priority access all shows, VIP parties, Hopscotch merch, Oak Lounge at City Plaza and Moore Square): $290 (early bird price).
Daily: TBA.
September 5 - 6 Mountain Song Festival - Brevard
The Steep Canyon Rangers host a weekend at the Brevard Music Center's open-air amphitheater. There are 1,800 permanent seats under the covered section and ample lawn seating on both sides of the venue. Proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County.
Artists
TBA. 2024 lineup included Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway, Zach Top, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, Steep Canyon Rangers and three more.
Festival site: Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium, Brevard Music Center
Gates open 3 p.m., music starts 5:30 p.m. Friday; gates noon and music 2 p.m. Saturday.
Two-day pass: $112 amphitheater, $92 lawn.
Friday: advance $56 amphitheater, $46 lawn; day of $62 and $52.
Saturday: $67 amphitheater, $57 lawn; day of $72 and $62.
All tickets general admission seating; children younger than 10 free on lawn or on lap of paying adult in amphitheater.
Camping nearby at Davidson River Campground and elsewhere in the Pisgah National Forest.
September 5 - 6 Boomtown Arts and Heritage FestAVL - Asheville
The festival debuted in 2024 as an eclectic mix of performances, trail tours and community-driven activities celebrating Asheville's status as a turn-of-the-century boomtown and a current hub of creativity and innovation. Saturday evening's show included a West African collaboration piece with AVL Symphony in the Park, Adama Dembele and LEAF Global Arts. In addition to music, the festival presents storytelling, trail tours, exhibits, community vendors, healing arts, speakers, workshops, projection mapping, food, a parade and other various forms of "creative and intentional programing" that focus on Asheville's "architectural marvels, pioneering figures and stories of resilience."
Artists
TBA. 2024 lineup included Asheville Symphony, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Toubab Krewe and 14 more.
Festival site: Pack Square Park, Eulogy
3 to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.
Admission free with RSVP at website.
September 5 - 6 Blue Bear Music Fest - Todd
The campground-based show features side-by-side stages on a 155-acre mountaintop site. Admission includes two days of live music, two nights of camping, "nightly free beer truck," weekend parking and local vendors. Previously, attendance has been limited to 500 people.
Artists
TBA. 2024 lineup included The Non Prophets, McMurray Brothers Band, Damn the Banjos and three more.
Festival site: Blue Bear Mountain Campground
Ticket prices TBA (includes camping and parking). Website says phone (828) 406-4226 for tickets; no online orders.
September 10 - 13 Antlers & Acorns: The Boone Songwriters Festival - Boone
The festival presents singer/songwriters in bars, restaurants, cafes and theaters throughout the mountain college town. In addition to afternoon and evening theater concerts, "Songwriters in the Wild" will appear at multiple bars and restaurants over the course of the weekend. Organizers also promise good food, great drinks and lots of interaction with the songwriters and musicians. The festival is in its fourth year in 2025.
Artists (more TBA)
Wednesday: James McMurtry, Betty Soo.
Thursday: Darrell Scott, Ben Danaher.
Friday: Mary Gauthier.
Saturday: John Moreland, Mando Saenz.
Festival sites: Appalachian Theatre and other venues.
Show times and prices vary.
2025 VIP tickets (preferred seating at all Appaachian Theatre shows, first dibbs on VIP-only shows) $350 through December 31, 2024; $450 after.
September 12 - 14 North Carolina Folk Festival - Greensboro
The North Carolina Folk Festival replaced the National Folk Festival in 2018 after it had been held in Greensboro from 2015-'17. It is free and presents about 30 bands on five stages. For 2025, its 10th year, the festival promises "headlining performances" each day, a North Carolina artists' stage, a family area, an expanded makers' marketplace, food trucks and a pre- and post-party in downtown Greensboro. In previous years, the festival has also presented the Not Your Average Folk Contest, which is a band and musician competition that awards cash prizes and an N.C. Folk Festival appearance, and Songs of Hope & Justice, concerts to commemorate the musical legacy and ongoing work and voices of today's freedom and justice advocates. Click on the photo for more information.
Musical Artists
TBA. 2024 lineup included The War and Treaty, Los Lonely Boys, Mipso and 26 more.
Festival site: The Carolina Theater (Wednesday), Downtown Greensboro (weekend)
5 p.m. Friday, noon Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday.
Free admission.
September 11 - 13 Hoppin' John Old-Time and Bluegrass Fiddlers' Convention - Silk Hope
Shakori Hills presents musician showcases and hosts competitions that award cash prizes in Old Time Fiddle, Bluegrass Fiddle, Old Time Banjo, Bluegrass Banjo, Guitar, Mandolin, Folk Song, Bass, Youth Musicianship, Dance and Youth Dance categories. There are also square dances, musicians' workshops, a hoppin' john cookoff, hay rides, cake walks, musical crafts and arts and crafts, musical instrument and food vendors. The festival primarily takes place on the Grove Stage and in the Dance Tent (see our Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance page). The festival is in its 18th year in 2025.
Artists
TBA. Lineup included Jerron Paxton and showcases featuring Brazilian Choro Music with Noites Carolinas; old time music from Alice Gerrard, Jim Collier, Wayne Martin and two more; gospel with Alice Vines and the Glorifying Vines Sisters; The Rorrer Family and the Music of Charlie Poole; and several more; plus competitions.
Festival site: Shakori Hills
7 p.m. Thursday, 4 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. Saturday.
Three-day pass: $22 in advance, $25 at gate; competitors $18 in advance, $20 at gate.
Thursday free; Friday $10 in advance, $12 at gate; Saturday $11 in advance, $14 at gate.
Dogs: $10 per day (each). (Says the website: "Bringing your dog is HIGHLY discouraged.")
Camping: one vehicle and up to two tents $18 in advance, $20 at gate; RVs $26 in advance, $30 at gate; 110 volt electric hookup $20 (limited number). Saturday only: $10, $15 per large vehicle/RV.
Outdoor hot showers available. Early camping available.
September 12 - 14 Idlewild Music Fest - Zebulon
Idlewild South, an Allman Brothers cover band, presents a weekend of live music on two stages, light shows and camping. There will also be food and beer, vendors, jams, visual art and a silent auction. They call it "an authentic, intimate concert experience ... free of over-marketed experiences, ridiculous fees, long lines, and wall-to-wall crowds."
Artists
TBA. 2024 lineup included Idlewild South, Maj Deeka, Cosmic Charlie, Greylan Hall and The Nasty Kings, Beggars Banquet and 11 more.
Festival site: Idlewild Farm
Music starts 5 p.m. Friday, 11:30 a.m. Saturday, noon Sunday.
Weekend pass: $150.
Daily pass: $75.
Sponsor Level 1 (5 tickets, 5 meal tickets, reserved RV/camper spot, advanced notification of 2025 ticket sales): $500.
Sponsor Level 2: (12 tickets, 1 meal and drink per ticket, 1 unlimited food and drink pass, reserved RV/camper spot, souvenirs, advanced notification of 2025 ticket sales): $1,000.
Camping included with admission.
September 13 Carolina Bible Camp Bluegrass Festival - Mocksville
Proceeds from the day benefit the CBC Scholarship Fund and the CBC Development Fund. The Carolina Bible Camp and Retreat Center hosts summer camps for youths from across the Southeast. The bluegrass festival, which is in its 13th year in 2025, also features sales of pulled pork, barbecue chicken and a variety of side dishes.
Artists
TBA. 2024 lineup included Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers, The Kody Norris Show, Martha Spencer and two more.
Festival site: Carolina Bible Camp
10:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
$20 in advance, $25 at gate.
Younger than 12 free.
RV camping with full hookups, $50 per night (Friday and Saturday).
No alcohol, no coolers, no pets.
September 19 - 20 Carolina Indie Fest - Sanford
The free festival presents independent artists performing original music from a variety of genres. There will also be food trucks and local arts and crafts vendors. The festival is in its fifth year in 2025, with one also held in May.
Artists
TBA. 2024 lineup included Bombadil, Suburban Key Party, Wheeler Band and six more.
Festival site: Hugger Mugger Brewing Company
Music starts 5 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday.
Free admission.
September 20 Creedmoor Music Festival - Creedmoor
The street festival presents music from local and regional artists, including school choirs and marching bands, on two stages. There's also more than 100 food and craft vendors and free children's activities. It is in its 32nd year in 2025.
Artists
TBA. 2023 lineup included Grace Lee, Tim Cifers, Nathan Pope and five more.
Festival site: Main Street
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Free.
September 20 Groove Jam Music Festival - Greensboro
This annual event is a fundraiser and food drive for Greensboro Urban Ministry, a local food bank and homeless shelter. In addition to hosts Rich Lerner and the Groove plus several other Greensboro area bands, there will be a variety of vendors, food trucks, and games. The festival is in its 14th year in 2025.
Artists
TBA. 2024 lineup included Rich Lerner and the Groove, Doobe and the Accomplices, Greensbrothers and seven-plus more.
Festival site: DooDad Farm
2 to 11 p.m.
Suggested donation of at least $15 plus nonperishable food items for local food bank.
Younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
September 20 Mira Music Fest - Pinehurst
This afternoon of music and gathering of regional food trucks, breweries and arts and craft vendors is a benefit for the Mira Foundation USA, which provides guide dogs at no charge to visually impaired American children ages 11-16. For 2025, the website touts "Tunes, Tacos & Tequila" and a performance schedule with five bands and an all-band jam.
Artists
TBA. 2024 lineup was Scythian, Justin Clyde Williams with special guest Matt Parks.
Festival site: The Fair Barn
Gates open 11:30; shows from 11:45 a.m. to 8 p.m.
$15 until July 31, then $19 until August 31, the $22 until September 19 and $25 at gate.
VIP (free drinks and heavy hors d'oeuvers from 5 to 6 p.m.): $100.
Younger than 13 free.
September 26 - 27 Carolina Jubilee - Harmony
The festival is a fund-raiser for the Carolina Farm Trust, which buys farm land and puts it into a protective trust to lease back to new and existing farmers. In addition to music, there are fund-raising 5K and 10K runs and a 40-mile bike ride, and several Carolina microbreweries, wineries and farm-related vendors showcase their products and educate the community. The 2024 festival was not held and organizers said they wanted to make sure the 2025 "10th anniversary celebration of Carolina Farm Trust is nothing short of spectacular!"
Artists
TBA. 2023 lineup included Cosmic Collective, Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, Tan and Sober Gentlemen and eight more.
Festival site: VanHoy Farms
3 p.m. Friday, 10:15 a.m. Saturday.
Two-day pass: $70.
Daily: $45.
Younger than 16 free.
Daily parking: $10.
Camping: $20 for weekend, $10 per night.
September 26 - 27 Breakaway Carolina - Concord
Breakaway Festivals, a multi-city festival of hip-hop, electronica and dance music, brings it show to Charlotte Motor Speedway. There are also vendors serving food all day, as well as "plenty of bars" serving nonalcoholic beverages in addition to beer and liquor.
Artists
TBA. 2024 lineup included Alesso, Fisher, Marshmello, Knock2 and 20 more.
Festival site: zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway
4 to 11 p.m.
Ticket prices rise as tiers with limited numbers available sell out. Prices below may be outdated.
Two-day pass: $129.
Daily: TBA.
VIP (express entry lane, private bar and restrooms, lounge, commemorative laminate, exclusive merch tent): $199.
Two-day Space Deck Terrace (21 and older, SRO, dedicated entrance, private bar and restrooms, access to VIP and general admission areas): $346.
Ultra VIP (everything listed with VIP plus complementary drinks and merchandise, unlimited water, special stage viewing areas, guest lounge, private entance): $1,049.
Parking (two days): $35, VIP $70.
September 27 - 28 Carrboro Music Festival - Carrboro
The festival presents about 100 acts from around the Triangle in all sorts of genres at about 20 indoor and outdoor venues all day and into the night. There's also a Saturday night kickoff show, and on Sunday, music workshops, a "hip-hop showcase" and an open mic stage. The festival is in its 28th year in 2025. And it's all free.
Artists
TBA. 2024 lineup included Dawn Landis, Chessa Rich, Jack The Radio, Boom Unit Brass Band and dozens more.
Festival site: Downtown Carrboro
Saturday kickoff show at Cat's Cradle is at 8 p.m. Sunday shows start at 1 p.m., the hip-hop showcase at Cat's Cradle 2 to 10 p.m., open mic at Town Commons.
Free.
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