Knoxville’s expansive and experimental Big Ears Festival will return to the Marble City in March of next year, bringing with it hundreds of music performances, art installations, workshops, films, interview opportunities, and once-in-a-lifetime sonic experiences. Known for its left-of-center aesthetics and dedication to musical curiosities and wonders, it has long been home to some of music’s most iconic and influential artists: Patti Smith, John Zorn, Laurie Anderson, George Clinton, John Paul Jones, Herbie Hancock, Charles Lloyd, and Carle Bley, just to name a few.
Running from March 27-30, 2025, the festival will once again play host to some truly genre-bursting musicians, such as ANOHNI and the Johnsons, Lankum, William Basinski, Anoushka Shankar, Yo La Tengo, Steve Roach, Tortoise, Arooj Aftab, Meshell Ndegeocello, and many others. From jazz innovators like Steve Coleman and Immanuel Wilkins to indie rock auteurs Cassandra Jenkins and Jessica Pratt, and on to freeform interpreters like 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner Tyshawn Sorey and 2013 Pulitzer finalist Wadada Leo Smith, Big Ears maintains its hold as one of the most distinctive festivals in the world.
The long weekend will also hold a selection of special programs including King Britt’s ongoing Blacktronika sessions, the North American premiere of Jonny Greenwoods 8-hour organ piece 133 Years of Reverb, Kate Soper’s enigmatic opera Ipsa Dixit, and a 50th anniversary performance of Philip Glass’ Music in Twelve Parts by the Philip Glass Ensemble.
Legendary blues musician Taj Mahal will also be in town, as will the Sun Ra Arkestra (alongside Yo La Tengo for a one-off collaborative performance and on their own). New age icon Steve Roach will make his Big Ears debut while Bob Holmes and SUSS will curate a weekend-long project called Across the Horizon: Explorations of Ambient & American Soundscapes. Early Kraftwork member Michael Rother will spend time illuminating his work in NEU! and Harmonia through a dedicated performance. The wide range of music up for appreciation is astonishing and grounds Big Ears in its own unique aural geography.
You can check the full lineup on their website. Weekend passes and single-day tickets will be rolled out in waves over the next few days. Read about the schedule of release and purchase your passes/tickets here.
Check out our previous Big Ears coverage: 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Watch a highlight reel from the 2024 festival below.
