The legendary North Carolina MerleFest music festival has announced it’s 2025 lineup. The annual event takes place April 24-27, 2025 on the campus of Wilkes Community College. This year’s leading acts include two North Carolina-based heavyweights: folk-rock trailblazers The Avett Brothers and Appalachian-rooted duo Watchhouse, as well as legendary singer/songwriter Bonnie Raitt and Canadian folk and bluegrass ensemble The Dead South. MerleFest 2025 will feature a surprise return of the Late Night Jam, hosted by Sam Bush, and additional festival performances by Kruger Brothers, Jim Lauderdale, and more. Also set to appear are industry forerunners like Wyatt Flores, The War And Treaty, The SteelDrivers, Asleep at the Wheel, Brent Cobb, Alison Brown, and Della Mae.
MerleFest 2025 will welcome The Avett Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, The Dead South, Watchhouse, Wyatt Flores, The War And Treaty, The SteelDrivers, Sam Bush, Asleep at the Wheel, The Lil Smokies, Brent Cobb, Tony Trischka’s Earl Jam, Alison Brown, Della Mae, Peter Rowan, Scythian, Donna the Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, Kruger Brothers, TopHouse, Big Richard, John R. Miller, Woody Platt and the Bluegrass Gentlemen, John McEuen & The Circle Band, The Waybacks, Andy May, Banknotes, The Barefoot Movement, Carol Mallett Rifkin, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Chao Tian From China to Appalachia, Charles Welch, Damn Tall Buildings, East Nash Grass, The InterACTive Theater of Jef, Jack Lawrence, Jeff Little Trio, Joe Smothers, Josh Goforth, Laura Boosinger, The Local Boys, Mark Bumgarner, Mattie Schell, Mitch Greenhill & Mitch’s Kitchen, Muireann Bradley, Paul McDonald, Pete & Joan Wernick, Presley Barker, Rev. Robert Jones, Roy Booker Binder, T. Michael Coleman, Todd Albright, Tony Williamson, Wayne Henderson, with additional artists to be announced in the coming weeks. For artist performance dates, visit merlefest.org/lineup.
MerleFest 2025 tickets are available now. For general admission passes, as well as covered patio seating, reserved seating, camping, parking, and more, please visit merlefest.org/purchase.
MerleFest was founded in 1988 as a fundraiser for the Garden of the Senses at Wilkes Community College to memorialize world-renowned flatpicker Doc Watson’s late son, Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including old-time, classic country, bluegrass, folk and gospel, and blues, and expanded to include Americana, classic rock, and many other styles. The festival hosts a diverse mix of artists on its 12 stages during the course of the multi-day event. MerleFest is the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, funding scholarships, capital projects, and other educational needs.