Carolina Music Festivals is a comprehensive calendar and guide to multi-act, daylong or multiple-day music festivals in North Carolina.
Dates and other details may be estimated based on last year's festival until this year's plans are confirmed by festival organizers.
October TBA Carl Sandburg Music Festival - Flat Rock
Connemara, the North Carolina home of poet Carl Sandburg, has for years hosted an annual free gathering of local folk musicians in concert, but a spokesman said in February that, because of staffing challenges, the site has scaled back on public programming this year and will revisit hosting the music festival in 2027. It was previously a spring event but was moved to October 2025 after Hurricane Helene hit the area in September 2024, and in the end, was not held last year. The festival typically presents a program of mountain and blues music and square dancing, and tours of the house at Connemara, a national historic site that includes gardens, an apple orchard, goats raised on-site, trails and more, are available throughout the day for a small fee.
Artists
TBA. 2024 lineup included Mac Arnold, Laura Boosinger, Steve and Jean Smith and two more.
Festival site: Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
Free admission.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
October 1 - 3 Raleigh Wide Open Music Festival - Raleigh
The Downtown Raleigh festival presented by PineCone (Piedmont Council of Traditional Music) debuted in 2025 to replace the IBMA Bluegrass Live! festival, which relocated to Chattanooga after 12 years in Raleigh. The free festival presents bluegrass, country, Americana and gospel acts on four stages on and around Fayetteville Street Friday and Saturday, and a free Thursday kick-off show at N.C. State University's Centennial Campus with multiple sets on an outdoor stage, plus food trucks. Friday and Saturday, the festival also presents an art market, food trucks, beer gardens and more along Fayetteville Street. See our profile of the IBMA Bluegrass Live! festival.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup included Shinyribs, Balsam Range, Dom Flemons, JJ Grey and Mofro and 36 more.
Festival site: Downtown Raleigh (map), NCSU Centennial Campus
Thursday kickoff 6 p.m., Friday Red Hat Amphitheater shows 7 p.m.; Street festival noon to 11 p.m. Saturday.
Thursday kickoff and the street festival are free admission. Friday Red Hat Amphitheater shows: lawn $49, reserved seats $62.70 and $73.35.
October 1 - 4 Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance - Pittsboro
The semiannual Shakori Hills music festival (see May schedule) presents an eclectic mix of music - from rock to jazz and Americana, Cajun and klezmer - on four stages. There are also musicians' competitions, art and craft vendors, food vendors, games, a drum circle, children's activities and more. Donna the Buffalo is the host band. Click on the photo for more information.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup included Donna the Buffalo, The Del McCoury Band, George Porter Jr. and Runnin' Pardners, The GarÃfuna Collective and 52 more.
Festival site: Shakori Hills
Music starts 5 p.m. Thursday, 1 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. Saturday, 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
Four-day pass: $135 through July 1 (youths age 13-15 $70); $159 July 2 to August 12 (youths $80); $175 August 13 to September 28; $199 after September 28 (youth $93).
Thursday: $50 (youth $25); $58 after September 28 (youth $28).
Friday and Saturday (each): $64 (youth $32); $74 after September 28 (youth $38).
Sunday: $43 (youth $22); $51 after September 28 (youth $26).
Younger than 13 free.
Camping
Tents: $45 until July 1, $54 July 2 to August 12, $67 August 13 to September 28, $81 after September 28.
Vehicle camping (car and tent): $131 until July 1, $148 July 2 to August 12, $175 August 13 to September 28, $208 after September 28.
RVs: $185 until July 1, $199 July 2 to August 12, $225 August 13 to September 28, $259 after September 28.
October 2 - 3 Ol' Front Porch Music Festival - Oriental
About 30 groups and solo performers play a variety of music all day Friday and Saturday in a park at the riverfront and on the front porches of several homes in the picturesque coastal village. Artisans and crafters display their wares, and local restaurants and delis act as food vendors. The festival is in its 12th year in 2026. Click on the photo for more information.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup included Rissa Palmer, Sweet Megg, The Wildmans and 26 more.
Festival site: Neuse Riverfont, Main Stage at South Avenue and Freemason Street, more
10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Free admission.
October 2 - 3 FlushFest - Hillsborough
FlushFest presents world music on four stages plus food trucks Friday evening and Saturday. Friday evening's program at the Eno House includes a silent film with live piano. The festival is a fundraiser for the Appropriate Sanitation Institute, a project working to bring sewer systems to developing countries around the world. Prior to 2025, FlushFest was held in May.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup included The Hillacasters, Project Mastana, Busted Knuckles Blues Syndicate and 13 more.
Festival site: Eno River Brewing (Map), Eno House
5:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, 2 to 11 p.m. Saturday.
Free shuttle from Downtown Hillsborough to festival site 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday.
Donations requested; thank-you gifts for donations of more than $25.
October 2 - 3 FabFest - Charlotte's Beatles Festival - Charlotte
Tosco Music's FabFest includes a Friday evening concert and a free Saturday of live music, speakers and activities, like a Beatles cover song contest, trivia contests, art contests, movies and sing-alongs. The festival also presents memorabilia vendors and a kids' area with music and crafts. FabFest has previously been held in late July. The festival is in its eighth year in 2026.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup included Tosco Music Beatles Tribute, Gregg Bissonette, The Taxmen, Penny Lane, The British Invaders and 12 more.
Festival site: Knight Theater and Central Piedmont Community College's Parr Center (map)
Friday Knight Theater concert 7:30 p.m.; Saturday activities 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tosco Music: $22.50 - $56.50.
Saturday daytime activities: free.
October 3 Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival - Mars Hill
Regional musicians and dancers remember Bascom Lamar Lunsford, a musician and folklorist who dedicated his life to collecting and promoting the music of the Southern Appalachians. The festival typically presents a day of performances plus workshops and a community dance. The Madison Heritage Arts Festival in Mars Hill is presented the same day. (The 2025 festival was an indoor, evening, sit-down concert due to construction at the festival venue.)
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup Bandana Rhythm, Roger Howell and Friends, Lonesome Mountain Ears and four more.
Festival site: Upper Quad, Mars Hill University
7 to 9:30 p.m.
Free.
October 3 Missy Lane's Block Party - Durham
The jazz festival debuted in 2025 inspired by the Art of Cool Festival, which ran in Durham from 2014 to 2017. It presents acts on two stages, plus art and craft vendors, a food pavilion, civic and community organizations, and activities and interactive programming for kids. The festival also sponsored free community programming (panels, installations, wellness lounges, etc.) at the Durham County Main Library and other locations.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup included Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, Tarriona "Tank" Ball, Bilal and 12 more.
Festival site: 300 Block of East Main Street
1 to 11 pm.
$80.
VIP (access to indoor and outdoor lounges and indoor restrooms, early and line-skipping entry, private bars, limited edition souvenir, access to after-party): $250.
October 9 - 10 Hook & Line Thompson Music and Art Heritage Festival - Mebane
The festival celebrates the musical legacy of world-renowned black string band musicians and cousins Odell Thompson (1911-1994) and Joe Thompson (1918-2012) with music by nationally recognized and local artists on Saturday, and square and circle dances Friday evening. In 2025, the festival's debut year, organizers also sponsored a multi-site group art exhibition celebrating traditional music's inspiration for visual art.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup included Rhiannon Giddens, Connie Steadman, Colin Cutler and the Zinc Kings, and five more.
Festival site: Mebane Community Park (map), Mebane Arts & Community Center
6:30 p.m. Friday; Saturday noon to 7 p.m.; The Blue Star Travelers play Saturday during the Downtown Mebane Farmers Market, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Free admission.
October 9 - 10 Milltown Get Down - Elkin
The two-day music festival in downtown Elkin debuted in 2025 with more than 15 national and regional acts acts on multiple stages, plus food trucks, craft beer and other vendors. The weekend also featured a show at the Elkin Farmer's Market Saturday morning and an open bluegrass jam Saturday afternoon at The RailYard, an all-outdoor beer garden. Festival organizers said they wanted to carry forward the vibe of the Reevestock Music Festival, which was held at a unique local park for more than a decade, and to salute the town's textile manufacturing legacy.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup included The Nude Party, Charlie Hunter Trio, Shadowgrass and 14 more.
Festival site: Yadkin Valley Heritage & Trails Center (map), Reeves Theater
5 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, noon to midnight Saturday.
Two-day pass: $65.87.
Friday: $33.85, $35 at gate.
Saturday: $49.87, $55 at date.
VIP (Access to climate-controlled lounge, private indoor restrooms, side-stage viewing with Adirondack chairs and cocktail tables, private liquor bar, parking next to festival grounds): $268.61.
Younger than 13 free.
Tickets include free parking and shuttle service.
October 9 - 11 Slingshot - Durham
Slingshot presents dance, electronic, avant-pop and experimental music and electronic arts from around the world and North Carolina in a mix of free and ticketed shows. The weekend also includes musician- and producer-led talks and workshops. Slingshot, which originated in Athens, Georgia, is in its seventh year in Durham in 2026.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup included Sofia Kourtesis, Special Request, Marie Davidson and 30+ more.
Festival site: The Fruit
Doors open 6:30 p.m. Friday, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday.
Weekend Early Bird: $54.76
Weekend Advance: $65.70, $71.20.
Friday: $49.80.
Saturday: $54.75.
Sunday: Free.
October 10 Sleepy Fest - Saxapahaw
Sleepy Fest is an all-ages celebration of local music and collaboration on indoor and outdoor stages featuring artists from "in and around" the roster of Sleepy Cat Records in Carrboro, N.C. The typical lineup includes folk, oldtime, Americana, cumbia, immersive electronic, twangy punk rock, and more. The 2025 festival also included a drag show, a puppet show, an "art and makers" market with local artisans and small businesses, yard games, two fire pits and a kids' zone with nature activities, and food and beverage vendors. Sleepy Fest is in its fifth year in 2026.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup included Alice Gerrard, Made of Oak, Hard Drive and 15 more.
Festival site: Haw River Ballroom
Free arts market and show 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., ticketed music festival 2 to 10 p.m.
$45. Donor tiers: $55, $65 ("extra funds will allow us to pay artists more than our tight budget could support otherwise," the website says).
Ages 6 to 12: $17.50.
Younger than 6: Free.
Parking: $5.
October 10 - 11 Duck Jazz Festival - Duck
This free festival presents national, regional and local jazz musicians on two stages. Associated activities taking place in the park and at Duck businesses in the days before and during the festival have included a jazz story and play time for children and an outdoor movie Friday evening, as well as extended hours at local shops. A festival food pavilion features several local restaurants. The 2025 festival was canceled due to hazardous weather conditions expected for the weekend.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup was to include Tito Puente Jr., The Hot Lanes with Bobby Jasinski, Brass Queens and five more.
Festival Site: Town Green and Duck Town Park
6 p.m. Thursday; Friday children's program 10 a.m., movie 6:50 p.m.; 4 p.m. Saturday; gates open 10 a.m. Sunday, music starts 11 a.m.
Free admission.
October 14 - 17 Bluegrass Island Music Festival - Manteo
The festival brings top national and regional bluegrass acts and Americana jam bands to a waterside outdoor theater on the Outer Banks for three days, where it also presents 50+ local and regional vendors, including beer, wine and THC sales. The festival will also present two Wednesday evening kickoff shows in 2026, and a daily jam stage hosted by Presley Barker and the Outer Banks Jubilee in the park museum's auditorium. In previous years, the festival has presented late-night jams led by festival artists and mid-day cruises around Roanoke Island that included lunch buffet, cash bar and artist performances and meet-and-greets, but neither appears on the website for 2026. The festival is in its 15th year in 2026. Click on the photo for more information.
Artists
Wednesday: The Wood Box Heroes, Songs from the Road Band.
Thursday: Sierra Hull, Appalachian Road Show, Southern Legacy, Pitney Meyer, Slocan Ramblers.
Friday: Infamous Stringdusters, Michael Cleveland and Jason Carter, Po' Ramblin' Boys, Rhonda Vincent, The Steel Wheels.
Saturday: Punch Brothers, Brothers Comatose, Kruger Brothers, The Trey Hensley Band, Della Mae.
Festival site: Roanoke Island Festival Park
Wednesday: Songs from the Road Band at Ortegas at 5 p.m. (free admission), Wood Box Heroes indoors at Roanoke Island Festival Park at 7 p.m. (ticketed).
Thursday - Saturday: gates open 11 a.m.
Three-day pass holders may set chairs out after 2 p.m. Wednesday. Chairs may be left in place overnight during the festival.
Wednesday theater show (250 seats available): $59.02. Sold out.
Three-day pass: early bird $264.27 until January 19; $290.58.
Daily: $101.12 until January 19; $132.70.
VIP (reserved seat on covered stage, early entry, VIP parking, access to lawn seating behind stage and on water, daily breakfast and lunch, snacks and nonalcoholic drinks, private restrooms, souvenirs): $800.
VIP Parking (three days): $159.01. Free shuttles from Manteo High School Friday and Saturday, from hotels and from Bluegrass Island Trading Company in Downtown Manteo.
October 16 - 18 LEAF Global Arts Festival - Black Mountain
LEAF Global Arts announced in December 2025 that, under new leadership, the spring LEAF festival would be discontinued in favor of smaller events, and the fall LEAF would be held "at a brand-new location, providing a fresh setting for the immersive arts and community experience that LEAF is known for." Previous editions of the LEAF presented about 40 musical acts on four stages for a festival that embraced world music, new ageism and the outdoors and presented a lot of hands-on activities, especially for kids.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup included Arrested Development, Valerie June, Victor Wooten and The Wooten Brothers and 38 more.
Festival site: TBA
Ticket prices in several combinations increase periodically or as limited numbers available at each tier are sold out.
Weekend pass (with tent camping, three days, two nights): $177-$211.
Weekend Plus (with tent camping, three and a half days, three nights, i.e., Thursday): $225-$256.
Community Pass (weekend for local residents): $128-$147.
Friday or Sunday: $54-$61.
Saturday: $74-$78.
Age 9 and younger free; younger than 18 must be with a parent.
Apply to Work eXchange (WeX) to earn a festival ticket.
Car camping: $06-$121 per 18'x18' spot (one vehicle per spot).
RV Parking: $175 per spot (for larger vehicles that do not fit within the 18'x18' vehicle camping spots).
Cabins and lodge rooms (doesn't include festival admission): $185-$1,825.
Parking: $15 advance.
October 17 Harvest Jam Music and Arts Festival - Raleigh
Bowstring, a pizza, beer and live music venue, presented this "celebration of live music, art and community" in 2025 with acts on two stages, local art vendors, food trucks, craft brews, "wine and spirits," art installations and more.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup included Lettuce, Fireside Collective, Neighbor and four more.
Festival Site: Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard
Noon to 8 p.m.
General admission: $65.16 (including fees); to increase to $73.83 and $88.27.
VIP 6-top picnic table (admission for six, reserved table): $400 (including fees).
October 17 Salt & Smoke & Sound Festival - Chapel Hill
Sonark Media merged its music festival with the long-running Salt & Smoke food festival in 2025 for a day of music and food. Organizers promised bands spanning genres and generations plus food and drink by Chef Kevin Callaghan of Acme Food & Beverage in Carrboro and a team of noted chefs and food trucks.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup included Big Something, Tan and Sober Gentlemen, Rissi Palmer and four more.
Festival Site: Blackwood Farm Park
Noon to 11 p.m.
General admission (food and drink purchases separate): age 17 and older $57.45; age 12 to 16 $11.75 with paying adult.
VIP (covered VIP area, VIP parking and bathrooms, dedicated bar, two drinks, light snacks, "excluisve front fow standing access," more): $115.47.
Parking: "Very limited" parking at Blackwood Farm Park. Primary paid parking off New Hope Church Road opposite Strayhorn Lane. Free shuttle service. ADA parking (with placard or plate) at main entrance to park.
October 24 Bluegrass by the Beach - Ocean Isle
In addition to music, the festival will present vendors, exhibits and food trucks. A portion of proceeds are to go to Brunswick County Habitat for Humanity. The festival was held at Sunset Beach in 2024 and moved to Ocean Isle in 2025.
Artists
TBA. 2025 lineup included Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Mountain Highway Band, E. Walter Smith and four more.
Festival Site: Silver Coast Winery
Doors open 1:30 a.m.; shows noon to 8 p.m.
$36.13; "general admission child" $15.63.
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