Big Ears has announced daily lineups for its 2025 edition, which happens March 27 – 30 at venues all over downtown Knoxville, TN. They’ve also made single day passes available, and added a few artists to the lineup, including DARKSIDE, Charles Lloyd’s Sangam (featuring Zakir Hussain and Eric Harland), and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra performing a special program including Rhapsody in Blue Reimagined featuring pianist Lara Downes and more.
Thursday, March 27 includes Beth Gibbons, DARKSIDE, Steve Roach, Tortoise, Charles Lloyd: Sangam, Yo La Tengo, Bela Fleck, Alan Sparhawk (Low), Marissa Nadler, Nanocluster (Immersion + SUSS), Sunny War, William Tyler, and more
Friday, March 28 has ANOHNI and the Johnsons, esperanza spalding, Jessica Pratt, Taj Mahal, Bill Frisell, Les Clavpool’s Bastard Jazz, Cassandra Jenkins, Sun Ra Arkestra & Yo La Tengo, The Philip Glass Ensemble: Music in Twelve Parts (Parts 1-6), Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn, Meshell Ndegeocello, Alabaster DePlume, Swamp Dogg, Thor Harris, and more
Saturday, March 29 features Waxahatchee, Julien Baker & TORRES, Lankum, Arooj Aftab, Michael Rother, King Britt & Friends, Jonny Greenwood’s 133 Years of Reverb, Beak>, Chanel Beads, clipping., David Grubbs, Julia Holter, William Basinski, and more.
Sunday, March 30‘s lineup includes Rufus Wainwright, Explosions In The Sky, Anoushka Shankar, Tindersticks, Fieldwork (Vijay Iyer / Steve Lehman / Tyshawn Sorey), Joan as Police Woman, Laraaji, Mabe Fratti, Mary Lattimore, Yaya Bey, and more.
Check out the full daily lineups for Big Ears 2025 below and head to the festival’s website for passes and more info.
BIG EARS 2025
Adam Rudolph’s Sunrise Quartet * Adam Rudolph’s Hu Vibrational * [Ahmed] * Alabaster DePlume * Alan Sparhawk * Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves * Amaro Freitas * Ambrose Akinmusire: Honey from a Winter Stone * Ambrose Akinmusure (Solo) * ANOHNI and the Johnsons * Anoushka Shankar * Antipop Consortium * Arooj Aftab * Arushi Jain * Asha Puthli * Astrid Sonne * Axiom 5 * Barry Altschul’s 3 Dom Factor * Beak> * Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sánchez Trio * Beth Gibbons * Bia Ferreira * Bill Frisell: In My Dreams * Brìghde Chaimbeul * Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino * Carla Kihlstedt & Present Music: Into the Wild * Carlos Niño & Friends * Cassandra Jenkins * Chanel Beads * Charles Lloyd Sangam with Zakir Hussain & Eric Harland * Chuck Johnson * Claire Chase * Clarice Jensen * clipping. * Cowboy Sadness * DakhaBrakha * Dan Weiss Even Odds Trio * Darian Donovan Thomas * Darkside * David Grubbs * Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn * Dedicated Men of Zion * Edsel Axle * Eiko Ishibashi * EMEL * esperanza spalding * eucademix (Yuka Honda) * Explosions In The Sky * Fay Victor: Herbie Nichols SUNG * Fieldwork (Vijay Iyer / Steve Lehman / Tyshawn Sorey) * Flore Laurentienne * Free Form Funky Freqs (Jamaaladeen Tacuma / Vernon Reid / Calvin Weston) * ganavya * Helado Negro * Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Frank Rosaly MESTIZX * Immanuel Wilkins’ Blues Blood * Jeff Parker ETA IVtet * Jenny Scheinman: All Species Parade featuring Julian Lage, Bill Frisell, Nels Cline, Carmen Staaf, Tony Scherr & Kenny Wollesen * Jessica Pratt * Joan as Police Woman * Joe Lovano’s Paramount Quartet with Julian Lage, Santi Debriano, and Will Calhoun * Joel Harrison’s Free Country * Joseph Keckler * Josh Johnson * Joy Guidry: AMEN * Jules Reidy * Julia Holter * June McDoom * Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble * Kalia Vandever * Kelly Moran * Knoxville Opera Gospel Choir * Kokayi * Kramer * Kris Davis Trio featuring Robert Hurst & Jonathan Blake * Lankum * Lara Downes & Knoxville Symphony Orchestra * Lara Somogyi * Laraaji * Les Claypool’s Bastard Jazz * Lia Kohl * Luke Stewart Silt Trio * Mabe Fratti * Macie Stewart * Magic Tuber Stringband * Maria Chavez + Victoria Shen + Mariam Rezaei * Marisa Anderson * Marissa Nadler * Mark Guiliana * Maruja * Mary Lattimore * Merce Lemon * Meshell Ndegeocello: No More Water – The Gospel of James Baldwin * Michael Hurley * Mike Reed’s Separatist Party featuring Ben LaMar Gay, Bitchin Bajas & Marvin Tate * Mivos Quartet * ML Buch * Modney * more eaze * múm * Nanocluster (Immersion | SUSS) * Nels Cline’s Concentrik Quartet * The Nels Cline Singers * One Leg One Eye * Peni Candra Rini * Phantom Orchard * Phil Cook * R.B. Morris & William Wright: The Mockingbird * Rachika Nayar & Nina Keith * Rich Ruth * Rufus Wainwright * Sam Bush Band * Shelley Hirsch * SML * Squanderers * Steve Coleman and Five Elements * Steve Lehman Trio + Mark Turner: The Music of Anthony Braxton * Steven Schick * Steve Roach * Still House Plants * Sun Ra Arkestra * Sun Ra Arkestra & Yo La Tengo * Sunny War * Susan Alcorn * Swamp Dogg * Sylvie Courvoisier Chimaera * Tall Tall Trees * Taj Mahal * Tara Clerkin Trio * Tarta Relena * Tessa Lark, Joshua Roman & Edgar Meyer * Thor Harris * Tigran Hamasyan: The Bird of a Thousand Voices * Tilt * Tindersticks * Tortoise * Tucker Zimmerman * Tyshawn Sorey, King Britt & Friends featuring Melz & Meshell Ndegeocello * Tyshawn Sorey Trio * Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith * Water Damage * Wayne White’s Username Password * Waxahatchee * Wendy Eisenberg * William Basinski * William Tyler * Yaya Bey * Yo La Tengo * Zakir Hussain and Masters of Percussion * Zeena Parkins
Special Programming (Alphabetical)
Across the Horizon: Ambient & Americana Soundscapes
Curated by Bob Holmes & SUSS
Blacktronika: Afrofuturism in Electronic Music
Curated by King Britt
Jonny Greenwood’s 133 Years of Reverb (North American Premiere)
Performed by James McVinnie & Eliza McCarthy
Kate Soper’s Ipsa Dixit
Performed by Wet Ink Ensemble
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra
Rhapsody in Blue Reimagined featuring Lara Downes
Tyshawn Sorey’s Adagio (for Wadada Leo Smith)
Michael Rother: The Music of NEU! & Harmonia
Philip Glass Music in Twelve Parts (50th Anniversary)
Performed by the Philip Glass Ensemble
Tyshawn Sorey: Monochromatic Light (Afterlife)
Wadada Leo Smith: CREATE
RedKoral Quartet * Wadada Leo Smith Quartet * Orange Wave Electric * Revolutionary Love & More