42 music festivals coming to North Carolina in 2025

Check out all the 2025 music festivals we could find spanning from the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina to the coast.

The end of the year can mean many different things to many different people. It may be a time for family, holiday celebrations, travel, introspection on the year that was, or resolutions for the one to come. 

On that latter note, for certain organization-minded folks, it’s time to buy new planners and calendars. And for the live music fans out there, it’s time to fill those calendars up with all the upcoming festivals you can fit into your schedule. 

Below, we’ve compiled a list of all the festivals we could find spanning from the Appalachians of western NC to the coast. There may be more on the way, as we left off entries that haven’t yet announced their dates for 2025, but for now, this list will serve as your comprehensive guide to North Carolina music festivals. 

Regardless of genre, regardless of location, good vibes will be had. 

January music festivals

Black Notes Project, Jan. 24-25

Location: Charlotte

Genres: Jazz, Classical

Tickets: Separate ticketed events

Acts: Niels Lan Doky Experience, Trap Jazz, Sainted Trap Choir, Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra

Description: Black Notes Project is a weekend music festival with the mission of celebrating and amplifying Black music and artistry through a diverse schedule of programming to engage the community. The second annual installment of the festival will feature two evening concerts and a family-friendly show featuring the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra. 

February music festivals 

NC Jazz Festival, Feb. 6-8

Location: Wilmington

Genres: Jazz

Tickets: $240; $65 per night

Acts: Bill Easley, Bruce Harris, Carlos Garcia Trio, Chuck Redd, Chris Gelb, Christian Garcia, Dillon Goodson, Emily Asher, Herman Burney, Jen Hodge, Gregg Gelb, Jonathan Russell, Ken Peplowski, Kevin Bales, Lucy Yeghiazaryan, Nate Najar, Rossano Sportiello, Shaye Cohn

Description: The mission of the North Carolina Jazz Festival is to preserve the traditional American art form of jazz by bringing world-class musicians together in Wilmington for the purpose of entertainment with live jazz performances but also to educate and inspire the next generation of jazz enthusiasts and students through free workshops and professionally led master classes. 

Carolina Jazz Festival, Feb. 27-March 1

Location: University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

Genres: Jazz

Tickets: Many events are free and open to the public

Acts: Dominican Jazz Project, Keith L. Brown, The UNC Jazz Band, Sandy Gabriel, Ramon Vázquez, Guy Frómeta, David Almengod

Description: Founded in 1977 by Jim Ketch, the Carolina Jazz Festival (CJF) promotes a broad range of programming spanning performance, education, and scholarship. Headlining the 2025 festival is the Dominican Jazz Project, a collection of some of the most renowned musicians living in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.  Additionally, saxophonist Keith Brown will serve as the UNC Jazz Studies guest artist for the festival and will participate in coaching the high school jazz ensembles among other faculty adjudicators.

April music festivals

Singers & Songbirds, April 3-6

Location: Statesville

Genres: Singer/songwriters

Tickets: TBD

Acts: TBD

Description: Billed as four days of incredible live music, storytelling, and connection with some of the most talented singer-songwriters around.

Dreamville Fest, April 5-6

Location: Raleigh

Genres: Hip-hop, R&B

Tickets: TBD

Acts: TBD

Description: Held annually each spring in Raleigh, the Dreamville Festival is an outdoor weekend music celebration curated by internationally acclaimed hip-hop superstar J. Cole alongside his Dreamville team.

 

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Big Lick Bluegrass, April 10-12

Location: Oakboro

Genres: Bluegrass

Tickets: $75-$95; $20-$40 per day

Acts: Sideline, Lonesome River Band, Authentic Unlimited, The Seldom Scene, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Cutter & Cash, Ralph Stanly II & the Clinch Mountain Boys, Grascals, Drive Time, Junior Sisk

Description: Three nights of great bluegrass in the aptly named Big Lick Bluegrass Festival Park. 

Lucknow Music Festival, April 12

Location: Dunn

Genres: Country, rock

Tickets: Free

Acts: Sawyer Brown, more TBD

Description: Celebrating the deep and diverse musical roots of Harnett County and surrounding areas through music, dance, and fellowship while promoting Downtown Dunn as a destination for fun and entertainment.

MerleFest, April 24-27

Location: Wilkesboro

Genres: Country, folk, Americana, bluegrass

Tickets: $220-$525; $90-105 per day

Acts: The Avett Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, The Dead South, Watchhouse, Wyatt Flores, and more.

Description: MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson as a fundraiser for Wilkes Community College and to celebrate “traditional plus” music.

 

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Biscuits & Banjos, April 25-27

Location: Durham

Genres: Mixed

Tickets: $218; Saturday only: $132; sold out (join the wait list) 

Acts: Rhiannon Giddens, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Taj Mahal, Christian McBride, Leyla McCalla, and more. 

Description: A music festival curated by GRAMMY- and Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens, dedicated to the reclamation and exploration of Black music, art, and culture in her home state. 

Tuck Fest, April 25-27

Location: Charlotte

Genres: Mixed

Tickets: TBD

Acts: Coming soon

Description: A three-day celebration of the outdoor lifestyle that attracts 40,000 to the US National Whitewater Center every April for competitions, music, and more.

May music festivals

Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance, May 1-4

Location: Pittsboro

Genres: Reggae, dance, blues, singer/songwriter, other

Tickets: $135-$174; $43-$64 per day

Acts: The Swingbillies of Boonetown, Ric Robertson, MaisCéu, Gabriel Pelli

Description: Billed as “a music lover’s paradise,” the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance is a collaboration between the Shakori Hills Community Arts Center and the GrassRoots Festival Organization, providing a family-friendly celebration of music, dance, art, and education

Lovin’ Life Music Fest, May 2-4

Location: Charlotte

Genres: Mixed

Tickets: $319

Acts: Dave Matthews Band, Gwen Stefani, Benson Boone, and more TBD

Description: This pop festival saw success in its first year in Uptown Charlotte in 2024 with a lineup that ranged from Stevie Nicks to DaBaby, so it’s returning again to First Ward Park with another lineup full of popular acts of then and now. 

Flushfest, May 16-17

Location: Hillsborough

Genres: Mixed

Tickets: Admission by donation

Acts: Mixed

Description: Two full days of live music, great beer, a food truck rodeo, a craft sale, and lots of kids activities to raise money for the Appropriate Sanitation Institute.

Malpass Brothers Bluegrass & Country Music Festival, May 17

Location: Denton

Genres: Bluegrass, country

Tickets: $90-$100; $45-$50 per day

Acts: The Malpass Brothers, The Isaacs, T. Graham Brown, Authentic Unlimited, Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, and more. 

Description: The Malpass Festival is a weekend of great music, meet-and-greets with the bands, camping, dining, onsite shopping, and entertainment that the whole family will enjoy. 

Atlantic Beach Music Festival, May 17

Location: Atlantic Beach

Genres: Funk, rock

Tickets: Free

Acts: Gary Lowder & Smokin’ Hot, The Band of Oz, Jim Quick & Coastline, The I-42 Band, The Mighty Saints of Soul

Description: Kick off the beginning of beach season at the boardwalk by spending a fun-filled day at the beach, soaking up the sun and listening to live bands. Bring a chair and a cooler and take in the great vibes, which go great with gorgeous ocean views.

 

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Artsplosure, May 17-18

Location: Raleigh

Genres: Funk, jazz, blues, reggae

Tickets: Free

Acts: Burnt Sugar, The Arkestra Chamber, Cha Wa, Yasmin Williams, Sun Ra Arkestra, Charly Lowry, Sabrosure, and more.

Description: One of the longest-running arts festivals in the state, this two-day event features an Art Market comprising around 175 juried visual artists from across the U.S. showcasing their works, plus national and regional entertainment on two stages.

Cold Mountain Music Festival, May 30-June 1

Location: Lake Logan, Canton

Genres: Folk, Americana

Tickets: Coming soon

Acts: TBD

Description: Cold Mountain Music features top-notch musical talent, amazing local food and drink vendors, family-friendly activities, and more, all in one of the most pristine settings imaginable, along a mile-long lake surrounded by the Shining Rock Wilderness area of Pisgah National Forest.

June music festivals

Cherokee Bluegrass Festival, June 5-7

Location: Cherokee

Genres: Bluegrass

Tickets: $100-$110; $50 per day

Acts: The Malpass Brothers, Lonesome River Band, Junior Sisk Band, The Kody Norris Show, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Authentic Unlimited, and more. 

Description: A weekend filled with toe-tapping bluegrass tunes and unforgettable moments in the Happy Holiday RV Village. 

Bluegrass & Old Time Fiddlers Convention, June 6-7

Location: Mount Airy

Genres: Bluegrass, old-time

Tickets: $10 per day

Acts: TBD

Description: This family-friendly event brings together musicians and fans for two full days of competition, jam sessions, dancing, singing, education, and family entertainment centered on old-time and bluegrass music. 

Carolina Beach Music Festival, June 7

Location: Carolina Beach

Genres: Beach music

Tickets: Free

Acts: The Tams, Band of Oz, Jim Quick & The Coastline

Description: Back in the 1940s, just over the bridge from Carolina Beach, was a historic Black community known as Seabreeze, the legendary and rightful birthplace of “beach music.” This is a celebration of that style, billed as “the biggest and only beach music festival actually held on the beach on the North Carolina coast” and one of the longest-running beach music festivals in the US.

High Country Jazz Festival, June 13-15

Location: Boone

Genres: Jazz

Tickets: Separately ticketed events, some free

Acts: Catherine Russell, Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, Noel Freidline, and more. 

Description: The Appalachian Theatre partners with the Boone Sunrise Rotary and Appalachian State University’s Jazz Studies program to hold this annual celebration of jazz. 

Boonerang Music and Arts Festival, June 20-21

Location: Boone

Tickets: Free

Acts: TBD

Description: Boone comes alive for the weekend with a slew of vendor markets, designated craft beer spaces, mobile food options, a Kids Zone, a silent disco, workshops, interactive art, flow yoga, and free music—lots of free music—spread across five stages and venues. 

 

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Southern Gospel NC State Annual Singing Convention, June 20-22

Location: Benson

Genres: Gospel

Tickets: Free

Acts: TBD

Description: The State Annual Singing Convention, which brings thousands of people to Benson each year, began modestly in a tobacco warehouse in 1921. About 200 people listened to two choirs that day. Since that time, the State Annual Singing Convention has grown and become one of the largest and oldest gospel sings in the United States.

Eastern Music Festival, June 28-Aug. 2

Location: Greensboro

Genres: Classical

Tickets: TBD

Acts: TBD

Description: For six decades, Eastern Music Festival, a nationally recognized classical music festival and summer educational program, is produced each summer on the campus of Guilford College and other venues in the Greensboro area over a five-week season. 

July music festivals

An Appalachian Summer Festival, July

Location: Boone

Genres: Mixed

Tickets: TBD

Acts: TBD

Description: Presented by Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts Engagement and Cultural Resources, this annual celebration of the performing and visual arts is held every July in venues across the university campus. It features an eclectic mix of music, dance, theatre, visual arts and film programming. 

Festival for the Eno, July 4-5

Location: Durham

Genres: Mixed

Tickets: TBD

Acts: TBD

Description: The Eno River Association’s largest annual outreach event is the Festival for the Eno, which has drawn tens of thousands of folks to the shaded banks of the Eno River each Independence Day weekend since 1980 with an eclectic, raucous, and immersive offering of performances, demonstrations, activities, and workshops celebrating the people and places of the Eno River. 

 

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Ocean City Jazz Festival, July 6

Location: North Topsail Beach

Genres: Jazz

Tickets: $120 per night

Acts: Coming soon

Description: The Ocean City Jazz Festival is committed to presenting the gold standard of jazz by producing a showcase event that raises an appreciation of the genre of jazz, fosters economic growth, unites artists and attendees, and inspires a new generation culturally through the history of the Ocean City Beach Community. 

Party on the Mountain, July 18-19

Location: Beech Mountain

Genres: Country, pop rock

Tickets: $350 VIP (general admission sold out); $55 single-day tickets available

Acts: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Lake Street Dive, Grace Bowers & the Hodge Podge, The 502s, and more. 

Description: This two-day event showcases live music across several resort locations, including a ski lift ride to the SkyBar. 

Mountain Dance & Folk Festival, July 31-Aug. 2

Location: Swannanoa

Genres: Bluegrass, old-time, traditional

Tickets: $55; $20 per night

Acts: TBD

Description: This festival showcases hundreds of musicians, dancers, and storytellers who are preserving the traditions of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, including the hand-clapping, toe-tapping rhythms of bluegrass, the style and stories of century-old ballads, the high energy of clogging, the elegance of Big Circle Mountain Smooth Dance, and more. 

August music festivals

NC State Bluegrass Festival, Aug. 14-16

Location: Marion

Genres: Bluegrass

Tickets: $110-$120; $50 per night

Acts: Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, The Malpass Brothers, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, Grascals, Tennessee Bluegrass Band, and more. 

Description: Enjoy live stage shows, savor delicious bites from food trucks, explore unique craft vendors, and experience the magic of campfire jamming.

Earl Scruggs Music Festival, Aug. 29-31

Location: Tryon

Genres: Bluegrass, Americana, roots

Tickets: $150-$450

Acts: Coming soon

Description: Bringing the best of bluegrass, Americana, and roots music together with fans who have a true appreciation for the music, the Earl Scruggs Music Festival returns to Tryon for a multi-day celebration of Mr. Scruggs’ incredible contributions and the rich musical culture of the region.

John Coltrane International Jazz & Blues Festival, Aug. 30-31

Location: High Point

Genres: Jazz, blues

Tickets: Coming soon

Acts: TBD

Description: Named “One Of The Best Jazz Festivals In The US” by Jazz Observer, the John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival honors the great saxophonist and composer with a celebration held in High Point—the city where he grew up—with the pristine excellence, warmth, and inspiration that’s characteristic of John Coltrane’s music and legacy.

 

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September music festivals

Hopscotch Music Festival, Sept. 4-6

Location: Raleigh

Genres: Mixed

Tickets: $125-$199

Acts: TBD

Description: A weekend packed with music, art, and pure indie community all right in the heart of NC. 

Mountain Song Festival, Sept. 5-6

Location: Bevard

Genres: Acoustic

Tickets: TBD

Acts: TBD

Description: The Mountain Song Festival was created to bring the best in acoustic music, including bluegrass, newgrass, old-time, folk, jazz, and traditional mountain music, as well as the many branches that stem from it, to the community and further encourage music in our everyday lives. 

Antlers & Acorns: The Boone Songwriters Festival, Sept. 10-13

Location: Boone

Genres: Singer/songwriter

Tickets: $350-$450 VIP, general admission TBD

Acts: James McMurtry, Betty Soo, Darrell Scott, Ben Danaher, Mary Gauthier, John Moreland, Mando Saenz 

Description: Bringing the best songwriters and musicians to Downtown Boone for a music festival of epic proportions. 

NC Folk Fest, Sept. 12-14

Location: Greensboro

Genres: Folk

Tickets: Free

Acts: TBD

Description: In celebrating its 10th year, the 2025 Folk Fest will feature headlining performances each day, a North Carolina stage to showcase NC artists, a family area, an expanded makers marketplace, food trucks, and pre- and post-parties in downtown Greensboro.  

 

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Mira Music Fest, Sept. 20

Location: Pinehurst

Genres: Mixed

Tickets: $15-$25

Acts: TBD

Description: This year’s Mira Music Fest theme is “Tunes, Tacos, Tequila,” featuring all three of those namesake attractions plus kids games and vendors. 

Breakaway Music Festival, Sept. 26-27

Location: Charlotte/Concord

Genres: Electronic

Tickets: $129; $69 per day

Acts: TBD

Description: The largest national touring festival makes a stop in the Charlotte area once again for all the bass drops you could want in two days. 

October music festivals

Wide Open Bluegrass, Oct. 3-4

Location: Raleigh

Genres: Bluegrass

Tickets: TBD

Acts: TBD

Description: When the International Bluegrass Music Association moved its long-running World of Bluegrass Festival to Tennessee, the Raleigh organization introduced the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival to replace it, even keeping the initials—either out of brand recognition or pettiness.   

Duck Jazz Festival, Oct. 11-12

Location: Duck

Genres: Jazz

Tickets: Free

Acts: TBD

Description: Next year, the Duck Jazz Festival marks its 16th anniversary with a theme of “Timeless Notes,” celebrating not only the timeless genre of jazz and the impact it has on live music but also the festival’s humble beginnings while highlighting its transformation into a signature event for live arts and community spirit.

 

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Bluegrass Island Festival, Oct. 16-18

Location: Manteo

Genres: Bluegrass

Tickets: $85-$253

Acts: Ricky Scaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Steeldrivers, Pam Tillis, Rhonda Vincent, The Malpass Brothers, and more. 

Description: The Bluegrass Island Music Festival transforms Roanoke Island Festival Park into a musical paradise, where acclaimed bluegrass bands perform against the backdrop of the Outer Banks’ stunning sound waters. Set on a picturesque 22-acre island, this beloved tradition draws music lovers from around the globe for a long weekend of world-class performances in one of North Carolina’s most beautiful outdoor venues.

LEAF Global Arts Festival, Oct. 16-19

Location: Lake Eden

Genres: Mixed

Tickets: TBD

Acts: TBD

Description: It was heartbreaking for many when the Lake Eden Arts Festival, known as LEAF, had to cancel its biggest event of the year in 2024 due to Hurricane Helene, but as the website reads, “our beloved Lake Eden is resilient,” and they’ll be back better than ever to celebrate 30 years in 2025.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.