Big Ears is set to take over downtown Knoxville, Tennessee again next April. Jeff Tweedy, Robert Glasper, Weyes Blood, Oneohtrix Point Never, Bill Frisell, and Dinner Party—the supergroup of Glasper, Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington, and 9th Wonder—top the billing for the music, art, and film festival. A second announcement included the first scheduled show since 2019 from core Deerhunter players Bradford Cox and Lockett Pundt, after Cox’s return with Atlas Sound at Making Time ∞ last month.
Listed with the first acts were Thundercat, the Roots, Marina Herlop, Nirosta Steel, Andy Stott, Wednesday, @, Ana Roxanne, Avey Tare, Jeff Parker, Mavis Staples, Courtney Barnett, Sylvan Esso, Jim James, and Kevin Morby. Shabaka and Rosali are also among the latest additions, the former playing in several ensembles, while Holy Modal Rounders’ Peter Stampfel will introduce a new project, the Atomic Meta-Pagans. In total, the festival packs more than 250 performances into two dozen venues. Check out the updated lineup poster below. Big Ears 2027 takes place from April 1-4.
Now in its 14th year, Big Ears has historically placed an emphasis on “Deep Listening,” the term coined by the pioneering 20th century electronic composer Pauline Oliveros. In a 2019 column for Pitchfork, Andrew Frisicano noted that the Knoxville event has played a significant role in spearheading a broader sea change towards highly curated—though not necessarily concise—lineups and a “focus on meditative experiences.”
Read The 31 Most Anticipated Music Festivals of 2026.
