Big Ears returns to downtown Knoxville, Tennessee from March 26-29. David Byrne, Robert Plant, Laurie Anderson, Flying Lotus, and John Zorn will headline the music, art, and film festival. Both Plant and Anderson are presenting new projects—Anderson’s, titled X², is a sequel to Let X=X, which she performed at Big Ears 2024—while Zorn will stage 12 works from throughout his five-decade career. In total, the festival spans over 250 events across more than 20 venues.
The 2026 edition of Big Ears will also feature performances by Richard Thompson, Los Thuthanaka, MJ Lenderman & the Wind, Lucrecia Dalt, Pat Metheny, Perfume Genius, Maria Somerville, Terry Allen, Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band, Annahstasia, Hayden Pedigo, Pino Palladino & Blake Mills, Model/Actriz, Dirty Three, Alan Sparhawk and Trampled by Turtles, Fine, Tunde Adebimpe, Florist, Shabaka, YHWH Nailgun, Julianna Barwick, S.G. Goodman, Haley Heynderickx, Deerhoof, Hand Habits, Moin, Mary Lattimore, Anna Tivel, Mei Semones, Tom Skinner, Eliana Glass, and Mary Halvorson. Check out the lineup poster below.
Read “A Guide to the Music Festivals of Summer and Fall 2025.”
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