Organizers for MerleFest, the annual music festival held at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, NC, announced to day the initial lineup for next year’s even, scheduled for April 25–28, 2024. Going into its 36th year, MerleFest was founded by the music legend Doc Watson as a tribute to his son, the late Merle Watson. MerleFest 2023 celebrated Doc’s 100th birthday.
Appearing next year are the Grammy-winning Old Crow Medicine Show, celebrating their 25th anniversary, Turnpike Troubadours, The Tesky Brothers, Steep Canyon Rangers, and Nickel Creek, cancelled in 2023 due to illness.
Regular MerleFest attendees know to expect returning favorites including Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Jim Lauderdale, Peter Rowan, and more. Drawing over 75,000 patrons each spring, MerleFest remains a family-friendly, well-oiled machine. With at least a dozen stages, the festival presents a wide range of music from a variety of genres. Music fans who come at first to see the big-name performers return for the opportunity to discover rising stars as well.
Others in the lineup include such MerleFest favorites as the Kruger Brothers, Donna the Buffalo, Mark Bumgarner, and Scythian. As always, The Waybacks will host Hillside Album Hour, offering “Google-proof clues” to the class album they will cover, with the help of a host of guest performers.
For a complete list of artists and their performance dates, visit merlefest.org/lineup.
MerleFest 2024 tickets are available now. For general admission passes, as well as patio seating, reserved seating, camping, parking, and more, please visit merlefest.org/purchase.