Big Ears festival has released the daily schedules for its 2026 edition which happens March 26-29 at venues all over downtown Knoxville, TN. This year’s fest features over 250 concerts, films, artist conversations, workshops, exhibitions, and interactive experiences over its four days. They’ve also just launched their redesigned festival app for IOS and Android, which allows you to create your own personal schedule and will alert you to the many secret pop-up shows that happen throughout the week.
The festival has also added a number of artists to the lineup include what’s being billed as the “world premiere performance” of The Avett Brothers & Mike Patton present AVTT/PTTN, (UPDATE: this has since been canceled) along with the Miles Electric Band honoring the Miles Davis Centennial, Chris Thile, Thurston Moore, Tune-Yards, Jeff Parker’s Expansion Trio, William Tyler & Yasmin Williams, Dave McMurray’s Grateful Deadication, Fred Frith’s Fremakajo, collaborative sets from Carlos Niño & Sam Gendel and Mary Lattimore & Walt McClements, and more.
Big Ears 2026 will include four additionally-ticketed, reserved seated concerts: two performances of David Byrne’s Who Is The Sky?, Robert Plant’s current project Saving Grace, and The Avett Brothers & Mike Patton present AVTT/PTTN. Special pre-sales for each of these shows will be offered exclusively to festival pass purchasers in early December, with details coming soon.
You can still get 4-Day Weekend and Single Day passes along with Premier and VIP Sonic Explorer passes. Head here to purchase.
Big Ears’ 2026 lineup already included David Byrne, Pat Metheny, Flying Lotus, Laurie Anderson, John Zorn (12 performances in two days), Dirty Three, MJ Lenderman, Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the Radio), Model/Actriz, Patrick Watson, Alan Sparhawk & Trampled by Turtles, Perfume Genius, Reggie Watts, Tom Skinner (The Smile), Cymande, SHABAKA, Pino Palladino & Blake Mills, Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band, S.G. Goodman, Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, John Scofield Trio, Richard Thompson, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Mei Semones, Adrian Sherwood, His Name is Alive, Deerhoof, Marc Ribot, Florist, Hannah Cohen, and more.
Check out the Big Ears 2026 daily lineups below and head to their website for full daily schedules.
The Avett Brothers and Mike Patton also have an NYC performance and talk ahead of their Big Ears set.
BIG EARS 2026 DAILY LINEUPS
THURSDAY 3/26
David Byrne · Pat Metheny Side Eye III+ · Marc Ribot’s ShrekTerry Allen: Truckload of Art · Tunde Adebimpe · Adrian Sherwood · Deerhoof · Wild Up · YHWH Nailgun · Annahstasia · Bloodshot Bill · Brian Marsella & Sae Hashimoto · Brittany Davis · Ches Smith Clone Row · Chuck Johnson · Dither · Dom Flemons · Fine · Isaiah Collier · Jamie Lidell & Luke Schneider · Jesse Harris’ Cosmo · Kaoru Watanabe’s Bloodlines · Lisel · Mali Obomsawin · Maruja Limón · Mary Lattimore & Julianna Barwick · Natalie Bergman · Pan American & Kramer · Rosenau & Sanborn · Ryan Clackner & Tyshawn Sorey · SML · Taper’s Choice · Turning Jewels into Water · William Hooker · Yagody
FRIDAY 3/27
David Byrne · John Zorn · Richard Thompson · Chucho Valdés · John Scofield Trio · Marc Ribot’s Hurry Red Telephone · Dirty Three · Patrick Watson · Terry Allen & the Panhandle Mystery Band: Memwars · Laurie Anderson: State of Love · Pino Palladino & Blake Mills ft. Sam Gendel & Chris Dave · Reggie Watts · Jeff Parker Expansion Trio · Model/Actriz · Wild Up · Tune-Yards · Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Butch Hancock · Ghost Train Orchestra · The Crossing · Steven Bernstein’s MTO Plays Sly · Barbara Hannigan & Bertrand Chamayou · BASIC · Carlos Niño & Sam Gendel · Charlemagne Palestine · Cleo Reed · Darrell Scott’s Electrifying Trio · Dave Harrington & Mary Lattimore · Dave McMurray & Grateful Deadication · Florist · Fred Frith’s Fremakajo · Go Kurosawa · GRRL x Made of Oak · Hannah Cohen · His Name Is Alive · Janel & Anthony · Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage · Joe Westerlund · Julianna Barwick · Kaoru Watanabe’s Bloodlines · Ken Pomeroy · Kramer · Lazyhorse · Los Thuthanaka · Lubomyr Melnyk · Lucrecia Dalt · Marilyn Crispell & Harvey Sorgen · Meara O’Reilly Vocal Ensemble · Miles Okazaki Trickster · Moin · Nate Mercereau · Ned Rothenberg · Nik Bärtsch · Pan American · Saha Gnawa · SML · Sullivan Fortner Trio · SUSS Presents Across the Horizon · Tara Clerkin Trio · Tim Berne · Tomas Fujiwara: Dream Up · Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes · Will Graefe · Wu Fei & Shanir Blumenkranz · Zeena Parkins & William Winant
SATURDAY 3/28
Robert Plant · The Avett Brothers and Mike Patton · Flying Lotus · John Zorn · MJ Lenderman & The Wind · Cécile McLorin Salvant · Mary Halvorson · Don Was & the Pan-Detroit Ensemble · SHABAKA · Perfume Genius · Cymande · Madison Cunningham · Caroline Shaw & Sō Percussion ft. Ringdown · Tim Heidecker & the Very Good Band ft. Neil Hamburger · Chilling Bambino · Thurston Moore · Nate Smith · Film Scores for No One · Barbara Hannigan · Annie & the Caldwells · Briggan Krauss · Chad Taylor Quintet · The Crossing · Darius Jones Trio · Dave Harrington’s Pranksters South · DoYeon Kim · Either/Orchestra · Eliana Glass · Eucademix · Azumi Ō & Waldo Walde · Gwenifer Raymond · Haley Heynderickx · Harriet Tubman & Georgia Anne Muldrow · Hayden Pedigo · John Mailander’s Forecast · Julia Ulehla & Dálava · Kaoru Watanabe’s Bloodlines · Karen Mantler Trio · Kate Gentile · Lubomyr Melnyk · Maria Somerville · Marquis Hill Blacktet · Mary Lattimore & Walt McClements · Mei Semones · Miles Okazaki: The Complete Monk · Miriam Elhajli · Nik Bärtsch’s RONIN · Patricia Brennan Septet · Peni Candra Rini · Rafiq Bhatia Trio · Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band · The Saami Brothers ft. Ustad Naseeruddin Saami · Sam Gendel & Nate Mercereau · Sami Stevens · Saul Williams Meets Carlos Niño & Friends · Setting · SML · Tsons of Tsunami · Twin Talk · William Tyler & Yasmin Williams · Winged Wheel · Wu Fei
SUNDAY 3/29
Laurie Anderson & Sexmob · Miles Electric Band · Chris Thile · Hania Rani & Knoxville Symphony Orchestra · Nels Cline & Knoxville Jazz Orchestra · Julian Lage Quartet · Cécile McLorin Salvant · Marc Ribot: Map of a Blue City · Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles · Kishi Bashi · Adam Tendler · Anna Tivel · Blind Boys of Alabama · Brandon Woody’s Upendo · Brian Marsella’s iMAGINARIUM · Chávez / Ismaily / Saunier · Chicago Underground Duo · Dave Douglas GIFTS Quintet · Deantoni Parks · DoYeon Kim · Either/Orchestra: Éthiopiques · Gary Lucas & Gods & Monsters · Hand Habits · JACK Quartet · Matt Mitchell’s Zealous Angels · Openness Trio · Orcutt · Shelley Miller · Qur’an Shaheed · Richard Dawson · S.G. Goodman · Simon Hans: GARGANTUA · Tom Skinner · Walt McClements · The Westerlies