A broad mountain stream and towering red rock bluffs surround the Planet Bluegrass Ranch in Lyons, Colorado. It’s a stunning and peaceful refuge, and to the delight of music fans nationwide, there’s also a stage! For over 30 years, festivalgoers (or “Festivarians'' as they’ve been dubbed by Planet Bluegrass), have been making the trek to Colorado’s front range for the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival; three days of music, camping, and inspiration from songwriters of all genres. Today, the team at Planet Bluegrass announced the full lineup for Folks Fest 2023—August 11-13—which includes acts like Texas’s country, blues, and Americana troubadour Charley Crockett, funky New Orleans genre-benders Tank and the Bangas, and Swedish folk balladeer The Tallest Man on Earth. The entire lineup can be found below and at bluegrass.com/folks.
The Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriters Showcase is now open for submissions. The Songwriter Showcase is Folks Fest’s nationally-recognized singer-songwriter competition, open to anyone who writes and performs original music, and who is not currently signed to a major recording or publishing deal. Contestants are judged on the quality of the song’s composition (50%), vocal delivery (25%), and overall performance (25%). Ten finalists will be selected to receive a 3-day pass to the 2023 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival to compete in a live performance contest for cash and prizes. Online song submissions will be accepted for the 2023 Songwriter Showcase until July 14th and can be submitted by following this link.
Like all of Planet Bluegrass’s events, tickets for Rocky Mountain Folks Fest are going fast, but 3-day passes, single-day passes, camping passes, and more are still available for purchase at this link. For more information, please visit bluegrass.com/folks.
Rocky Mountain Folks Festival 2023 Lineup:
Charley Crockett
Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band
Larkin Poe
The Tallest Man on Earth
Tank and the Bangas
Shovels & Rope
Celisse
Katie Pruitt
The Secret Sisters
Stephen Kellogg
Leyla McCalla
Seth Walker
Caitlin Canty
Humbird
Dead Horses
Benjamin Dakota Rogers
Kuinka
The Sensational Barnes Brothers
The Pairs
Shanna in a Dress
Songwriter Showcase
About Planet Bluegrass: For over 30 years, Planet Bluegrass has been redefining the musical festival by creating exceptional experiences that protect the planet through environmental leadership and a strong community.
Fiercely and decidedly independent, their three festivals make a unique musical mark: each takes place in breathtaking natural Colorado environments, each features the world’s finest musicians and songwriters, and each embraces a “Leave No Trace” ethic that defines Planet Bluegrass as a leader in Sustainable Festivation. Planet Bluegrass presents Telluride Bluegrass, Rockygrass, and Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, bucket list musical gatherings for artists and fans alike. Planet Bluegrass is invested in the next generation of songwriters and musicians as evidenced by Rockygrass Academy and Song School.
