MerleFest has unveiled lineup details for its 2026 event, taking place over four days from April 23–26 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
14-time GRAMMY winners Alison Krauss & Union Station will mark their long-awaited return to the MerleFest stage since their Sunday night closing appearance at the festival’s 25th celebration. Also making a comeback are Old Crow Medicine Show, a longtime festival favorite whose ties to its founding legend Doc Watson trace back to the turn of the millennium. The revelrous string ensemble will also play host to this year’s Late Night Jam –– a beloved MerleFest tradition that was revived last year after a brief hiatus.
Also on the bill are West Virginia singer/songwriter Charles Wesley Godwin, Southern rock stalwarts Blackberry Smoke, flatpicker and vocalist Molly Tuttle, along with Old Crow Medicine Show frontman Ketch Secor, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Creekers, Trey Hensley, and more.
Each year, MerleFest honors the legacy of North Carolina music legend Doc Watson while celebrating and uplifting the next generation of talent. One notable experience this year is the Saturday night Late Night Jam, hosted by Old Crow Medicine Show. This separately-ticketed, after-hours event is an excellent nightcap for those looking to witness some “only at MerleFest” collaborations.
The lineup of MerleFest 2026 currently consists of: Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Old Crow Medicine Show, Charles Wesley Godwin, Blackberry Smoke, Molly Tuttle, Ketch Secor, Sam Bush, The Jerry Douglas Band, Peter Rowan & The Walls of Time Band, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Creekers, Trey Hensley, Sister Sadie, Jake Shimabukuro, Hogslop String Band, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Dom Flemons & The Traveling Wildfires, Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Melissa Carper, Leon Timbo & The Family Band, DUG, Scythian, Donna The Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, Kruger Brothers, The Waybacks, Amelia Day, Andy May, Banknotes, Carol Rifkin, Charles Welch, The InterACTive Theatre of Jef, Jack Lawrence, Jeff Little Trio, Joe Smothers, The Knackered Ramblers, Laura Boosinger, The Local Boys, Mark Bumgarner, Mitch Greenhill & Mitch’s Kitchen, Pete & Joan Wernick, Presley Barker, Roy Book Binder, T. Michael Coleman, Tony Williamson and Wayne Henderson, with additional artists to be announced in the coming weeks.
MerleFest 2026 tickets are available now. For general admission passes, as well as covered patio seating, reserved seating, camping, parking, and more, please visit merlefest.org/purchase.
About MerleFest
MerleFest, presented by Window World, was founded in 1988 as a fundraiser for the Garden of the Senses at Wilkes Community College to memorialize world-renowned flatpicker Doc Watson’s late son, Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including old-time, classic country, bluegrass, folk and gospel, and blues, and expanded to include Americana, classic rock, and many other styles. The festival hosts a diverse mix of artists on its 12 stages during the course of the multi-day event. MerleFest is the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, funding scholarships, capital projects, and other educational needs.
