Overview
- Big Ears announced Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, that the festival will take place April 1–4, 2027, and that public passes go on sale Sept. 16 after donor and past‑buyer presales.
- The bill is topped by Jeff Tweedy, Robert Glasper, Weyes Blood, Oneohtrix Point Never, Bill Frisell and Dinner Party, with a wide cast of artists spanning jazz, classical, electronic and singer‑songwriter traditions.
- Organizers say the 14th edition will present more than 250 concerts and performances across roughly two dozen walkable downtown venues, using theaters, churches, museums, warehouses and galleries.
- The program highlights include a 12‑hour continuation of Ragamala, a symphonic reimagining of David Bowie’s Blackstar, six concerts from Bang on a Can All‑Stars and Melvin Gibbs’ 'How Black Music Took Over the World' series.
- Built on Big Ears’ curator‑driven, genre‑blurring model, the festival aims to create unexpected collaborations and long‑form experiences that boost Knoxville’s cultural profile and bring concentrated audiences to downtown venues.