BE 2026

“Music liberated from the confines of category and overt commercialism” –WSJ

We’re simply blown away by all of the positive reviews Big Ears Festival 2017 has received from fans and critics alike. Jim Fusilli’s Wall Street Journal review was particularly glowing, describing Big Ears as a “silo-destroying festival” with “music liberated from the confines of category and overt commercialism.”

A few more snippets from Fusilli’s piece…

On Big Ears artists: “Their cross-genre meanderings, eclectic and eccentric in any other context, encouraged fruitful alliances, thus serving to demonstrate why the silo-destroying Big Ears is a premier festival unlike any other.”

“Whether it appeared in the aural equivalent of found art or in the complex precision of a jazz big band or a classical orchestra, what was valued most here was collaborative risk, independence and a willingness to experiment.”

“Big Ears 2017 was a reaffirmation of the vitality of global contemporary music occurring far from the center.”

You can read the full article here.

BIG EARS
03.26_03.29.26
Knoxville, TN · USA

Festival

Learn more about what The New York Times calls “one of the world’s greatest music bashes.”

Support

Be part of what makes Big Ears possible—give, volunteer, shop, or support emerging artists through scholarship to keep the music and mission alive.

Connect

Discover, learn, and get in touch—connect with Big Ears through stories, updates, and the people behind the festival.

Beyond

Explore ideas, concerts, and collaborations that take Big Ears beyond the festival stage.