There will be endless ways to connect with music, art and community over three days when the 44th annual Blissfest Music Festival returns July 10-12 with one of its most expansive lineups yet.
The well-known summer festival draws tens of thousands to northern Emmet County each summer. Live performances spanning bluegrass, reggae, Cajun, country, blues, old-time, Celtic, soul and innovative new fusions are all part of the musical experience for guests to enjoy.
Caroline Barlow, artistic director and co-director of the festival, said Blissfest continues to lean into its folk and roots foundation while embracing fresh interpretations from around the globe
“I’m excited that we have more headliners than ever this year,” Barlow said. “For the first time, we have a major headliner on Sunday, The Original Wailers, and I think this will be such a beautiful way to end the festival.”
The group, featuring guitarist Al Anderson and known for carrying forward the sound pioneered alongside Bob Marley, will close out the weekend with a set rooted in the music and culture of reggae.
“The heart of reggae speaks very much to the vibe of Blissfest,” Barlow said. “What cooler way to wrap it up than with the music that pioneered it with the spirit of Bob Marley?”
The Original Wailers are joined at the top of the bill by Galactic featuring Jelly Joseph, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Michigan native Theo Katzman, who returns to Blissfest for the first time since his early appearances with My Dear Disco.
While Blissfest has always centered on Michigan performers, Barlow said this year’s lineup highlights just how far many of them have traveled.
“It’s great to see Michigan music reach across the country and the globe,” she said.
Among the homegrown standouts are blues legend Larry McCray, who will take the main stage alongside his son Bleau Otis, and nationally touring favorites Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, May Erlewine and The Rebel Eves. Appearing for the first time are August, Austin Benzing Band, Sweet Dee and The Wild Honeys, Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet and The Outfit, among others.
The Blissfest Music Festival has been a Northern Michigan summer tradition for more than four decades. It was established in the early 1980s when a small group of volunteers created a gathering rooted in folk music, community and shared cultural traditions. It has grown from a modest regional event into a nationally recognized celebration of folk and roots music. It is held each year at its permanent festival site north of Harbor Springs.
“This lineup reflects how deeply interwoven all music is,” Barlow said. “It’s about the melting pot of cultures, languages and rhythms. (At Blissfest), you can see the mosaic of music come alive; each artist maintains their individuality, yet their sounds intersect and resonate in real time. That is what excites me as a musical programmer.”
Beyond the primary stages, organizers are continuing to build out the immersive elements that longtime attendees cherish. Attendees will be able to experience hands-on drumming and dance workshops, yoga and sound baths, a kids’ tent, crafting, musical workshops, a late-night silent disco and more. Food trucks will be on hand all weekend.
“We have a rich culture developing around other areas in healing arts and the Drum Kiva,” Barlow said. “The offerings there are participatory, and we are enriching those areas with more support and recognition.”
This year, healing arts workshops will be consolidated into one dedicated space called the Michigan Healing Arts Oasis, designed as a quieter refuge from the main stage energy.
“It’s truly an oasis area away from much of the noise of the music,” Barlow said.
The mission of the Blissfest Music Organization is to preserve traditions and promote innovators of American and world music, arts and sustainable living through performance, education and community participation, Barlow said. For more information, ticket sales, camping details and a full schedule, visit blissfest.org.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Blissfest Music Festival announces 2026 music lineup
Reporting by M. Alan Scott, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
