Knoxville, Tennessee will once again play host to Big Ears Festival on March 26-29, 2026. The experimental music fest brings together a host of spectrum-wide musical acts, bridging countless genres as it seeks to find common ground in infinitely variable sonic spaces. Offering over 250 concerts, films, artist conversations, workshops, exhibitions, and interactive experiences to downtown Knoxville, the festival attempts to utilize every available space — including movie theaters, churches, museums and galleries, rock clubs, converted train stations, warehouses, and even the sidewalks and streets — in an effort to create an open environment for the artists to explore their creativity.
Over the four days, artists like David Byrne, Robert Pant, Laurie Anderson, Pat Methany, Perfume Genius, John Zorn, Flying Lotus, Reggie Watts, His Name is Alive, Richard Thompson, MJ Lenderman, Cymande, and countless others will fill Knoxville with a cacophony of voices, musical and otherwise.
Big Ears 2026 will also hold the North American premiere of Hania Rani’s concerto, Non-Fiction, as well as a massive 12-work extravaganza from avant composer and unofficial festival patron saint John Zorn. David Byrne will present two performances of his latest album, Who is the Sky?, while Robert Plant will offer a selection from his latest record, Saving Grace.
Check out the extensive artist and event listing below.
Dig into our live reviews of Big Ears over the the past few years: 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Passes for the festival will go on sale Thursday, September 11 at 9am, though previous festival attendees will have access to purchase their pass tomorrow. Head over to the festival’s website for more information on pricing and availability.
Check out a video highlight reel below from this year’s festival.
