Every June—for the past five decades—music fans known as Festivarians have made their annual pilgrimage to the box canyon town of Telluride, Colorado, for the legendary Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Inspired by the beauty of the natural landscape and the skillfully played music from a multitude of genres, this legendary gathering has long been a bucket list destination for musicians and music fans alike. Produced by Planet Bluegrass, this year’s Telluride Bluegrass is set to be one for the record books, and it should be—seeing that 2023 is the 50th annual edition!
For their 50th, Telluride Bluegrass is happy to announce a laundry list of festival-veteran performers and only-at-Telluride collaborations fit for such a celebration. The full lineup announcement includes genre-crossing legends Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, long-time friends of the festival, The String Cheese Incident, another matchup of Emmylou Harris featuring Watchhouse, the grand return of now-supergroup Nickel Creek, the ever-venerable Sam Bush, and the original Béla Fleck & The Flecktones lineup—the last two, Bush and Fleck, have stepped foot on the Telluride Bluegrass main stage many times as part of a little band called New Grass Revival. A complete list of Telluride Bluegrass performers can be found below and at bluegrass.com.
“Fifty years is an incredible accomplishment in the music industry; one you don't see often. We are thrilled to have made it to this milestone,” says Grace Barrett, Director of Communication and Partnerships for Planet Bluegrass. “There is such plentiful history in Telluride, from the rich age of mining to the plethora of exceptional musicians that have serenaded the valley floor over the years, and we couldn't have made it here without the devotion of each and every one of our Festivarians. Here's to the next 50!”
Fans lucky enough to have obtained tickets can still purchase camping passes or enter a song in the Troubadour Contest by following this link. For those still trying to obtain tickets, Planet Bluegrass will be putting all refunded tickets back on sale in the coming weeks. You can find all information about the refunded ticket re- sale and other ticketing policies here.
Today’s full Telluride Bluegrass lineup announcement includes:
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
The String Cheese Incident
Sam Bush Band
Béla Fleck and The Flecktones
Emmylou Harris with Watchhouse
Gregory Alan Isakov
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Punch Brothers
Del McCoury Band
Greensky Bluegrass
The Infamous Stringdusters
Leftover Salmon
Nickel Creek
Yonder Mountain String Band
Telluride House Band
Sarah Jarosz
Tim O’Brien Band
The Peter Rowan Band
The Earls of Leicester
Chris Thile
Sierra Ferrell
Charles Wesley Godwin
Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy
Bella White
Yasmin Williams
Town Mountain
Two Runner
Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba
Full Cord (winners of the 2022 Telluride Band Competition)