A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER

Dear Friends,

Boldly, passionately, and exuberantly, with as much heart and soul as we can muster—this is how we have challenged ourselves to respond to these difficult and unpredictable times. This is the spirit behind Big Ears 2026, which we will announce and put on sale in just two short weeks, on Tuesday, September 9.

Over the years, an extraordinary community has evolved around this festival, bound together by a shared curiosity, passion, and love for music and culture that defies boundaries and expands traditions—wild, tender, searching, and sublime. Nurturing this community and its potential, seeking space for new ideas and possibilities to come to fruition, is at the forefront of our vision and planning.

Your observations and feedback play a vital role. This year, the familiar festival “footprint” will remain largely the same. Attendance will be capped to ensure an optimal experience for all. We will continue to explore and refine amenities—improved shuttle routes; expanded bicycle programs; quality on-the-move food options; a dynamic, informative festival app; and more. 

There will be a few changes. We have another spectacular Big Ears Festival to announce on September 9: four days of astonishing music, stimulating ideas, continual exploration, and unforgettable memories. After holding rather steady since the pandemic, prices for festival passes will increase this year, as the inevitable financial pressures of presenting an extraordinary experience like Big Ears cannot be avoided. We will also move to an “all-in” model, where the ticketing, processing, and venue fees, previously added to a purchase, will now be absorbed into the overall price of a festival pass.

This year, we will also introduce several “stand-alone” concerts that will require an additional ticket—beyond a festival pass—to attend. Festival passholders will be given first access to purchase these tickets, as well as preferred pricing. These concerts will also feature reserved seating. This allows us to offer some extraordinary experiences that would otherwise be impossible to present at the festival. 

The announcement on September 9 is only the beginning. In the coming months, we’ll reveal more about the programming and the slate of residencies, workshops, exhibitions, activations, and conversations that will take the festival weekend to new heights. Let us know what you think!

Thank you for your support, encouragement, and belief in what we do. We look forward to sharing what’s ahead and welcoming you back to Knoxville next spring.

Stay in touch—and take care of yourselves and those around you.

Yours,
Ashley Capps
Executive & Artistic Director

P.S. – In October, unfolding across Knoxville’s World’s Fair Park, composer Lisa Bielawa will lead Knoxville Broadcast, a large-scale, site-specific “spatial symphony,” performed by 14 ensembles and over 600 area musicians. This ambitious and joyful experience will be presented in three free public performances: at 6pm on Friday, October 17, and at 11am and 2pm on Saturday, October 18.  We hope you can join us!