Bragg Jam: Macon’s Absurdly Cool Progressive Music Crawl (2024)

My kids are at an age where they love live music, so when I heard about Bragg Jam, a progressive concert in downtown Macon, GA, we made a date to go with our teens. With multiple stages and dozens of bands, it's a lot to take in, and we weren't sure what to expect.

Photo bySue Rodman

Now, we're sharing what we learned with you! Here's your guide to Macon's hottest concert ticket, showcasing the best of the Southeast and creating community through music, arts, and culture in Macon, Georgia.

15+ Things You Need To Know About Bragg Jam

Bragg Jam is more than an impromptu jam session -- it has contributed nearly a million dollars in artist fees for paid performances, and tens of thousands of dollars in charitable support for community projects, like the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail and Amerson River Park.

This year's Bragg Jam will be held on July 27, 2024.

How Bragg Jam Began...

Bragg Jam is a tribute to Macon musicians and brothers Brax and Tate Bragg. The Bragg brothers were killed in a 1999 car accident in Texas while on a cross-country road trip. Friends and family gathered to remember the brothers, in what turned into a big local musician jam session.

Now, Bragg Jam has turned into the area’s largest music and arts festival, but it is still small enough to truly enjoy.

However, it is a bit different than a traditional music festival where you have a few stages in one large outdoor environment, so read on for the tips you need to know.

It's a Music Crawl

We went in 2017 and there were 19 different stages and more than 90 bands! That’s a lot of music. And that didn’t include the music pouring out of alleys from other venues.

We didn’t even scratch the surface, visiting only six of the venues, and one unaffiliated outdoor patio. We had a blast!

Get the Schedule, Keep It Close

Be sure you have a brochure with the schedule and map of all the locations. The 19 different stages were located within different buildings in Macon. Many are bars, restaurant patios and the like. Some are normal concert venues, or special events spaces.

Bragg Jam does offer a shuttle to the different venues, but we ended up staying in a small area and walking back and forth.

Bragg Jam 2024 Lineup

The headliner for 2024's Bragg Jam will be Digable Planets.

Featured artists include Evan Honer, TORRES, Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown, Hayden Coffman, Peter One, Post Sex Nachos, Nat Myers, Billy Allen + The Pollies, and Taylor Hunnicut.

See the full musical lineup here.

Research, or Just Go With The Flow

On our way to Macon, I had to laugh when I realized my husband hadn’t just printed out the schedule, he had researched the bands and brought with him five post-it notes full of band names with notations simply stating – yes, no, maybe.

As we drove the hour and a half to Macon, he and my 19-year-old perused Spotify refining their research. In the end, we did see some of those bands, but we also just went to convenient venues and took in the current act.

It's a Huge Block Party

One of the coolest parts of Bragg Jam is the city closes down several streets and it becomes a big block party. Police blocked off parts of Cherry, Second, and Third Streets for the event, and on-street parking outside the Bragg Jam zone was free on the weekend.

Open container is allowed, and it was nice to be able to grab a drink at one place and not have to finish it because you were ready to go see someone else.

It's Cool Inside

As I mentioned, this is not a normal music festival, but a progressive venue crawl, so you won't find any of the bands performing in the street. Given that it’s July in middle Georgia, it’s nice to have a mix of indoor and patio venues, as it can get pretty hot.

Thankfully, the weather wasn’t too bad when we went, and the hand fans provided were not only a fun keepsake, but very functional as well.

Free Concerts

If you don’t want to buy tickets for Bragg Jam, you can still enjoy the vibe, and there are several venues that are free.

We saw several shows at Bearfoot Beer Garden, which did not require a ticket -- my favorite being a The Lawsuits from Philadelphia.

Cool Venues

Of course, with a ticket to Bragg Jam, you can see all the bands, but you also get into some pretty cool venues too.

As soon as I walked into Grant’s Lounge, I knew there was something special about it. Come to find out Grant’s is a Macon institution and the original home of Southern Rock.

Bringing the Kids & Bragg Fam

We went to Bragg Jam with my 19-year-old and 13-year-old. Both like music, but it was a bit too much of a good thing for my 13-year-old, especially because there weren’t any bands he knew, so he didn’t recognize any of the songs.

In addition, there were a couple of venues where he couldn’t get in, even with us, so we had to break up our party. That said, we saw everyone from young children (during the daytime events), to older adults.

If you're looking for something for younger kids, though -- there's something for them too! Bragg Fam is held at Society Garden starting at Noon. This festival features crafts, a DJ, musical performances, and other kid-friendly activities. Tickets are $10 per adult with up to 4 kids. (Bragg Fam tickets can be added onto your concert crawl tickets.)

Online Ticket Sales

We had our tickets prior to going to Bragg Jam, but we noticed as we stopped for lunch that online it said Bragg Jam tickets were sold out. However, those were just the online tickets. Organizers were still selling tickets on site when we arrived.

Moral of the story: if you can't get tickets online, don't be deterred, you may still be able to get tickets on site.

Come Early, Stay Late

We missed the Friday night VIP party, but we did arrive in Macon early on Saturday to catch a Rock Candy music tour and have lunch at The Rookery before checking in at the Hilton Garden Inn.

On Sunday, we went to see the Ocmulgee Indian Mounds before heading back to Atlanta. Still on my list is the Tubman Museum, The Ocmulgee Heritage Trail (proceeds from Bragg Jam go toward it's upkeep), Rose Hill Cemetery, and the Hay House.

Need more ideas? I learned about Bragg Jam reading an awesome article, 23+ Best Things To Do In Macon, from Kate Gelsthorpe. Check it out for even more fun ideas.

The First Ever Bragg Brunch Will be Held in 2024

New in 2024, Visit Macon will be hosting the first ever Bragg Brunch the morning after Bragg Jam. On Sunday, July 28 from 11am - 2pm. you'll find brunch favorites, live music, bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys, and more at Fall Line Station.

Tickets for just brunch will be $20 and the bottomless bar and brunch ticket will be $40. Although they will allow walk-ups, ordering your tickets online in advance is recommended. You can purchase your Bragg Brunch Tickets HERE.

Rock on with Rock Candy Tours

We took the 2.5-hour walking tour through the residential district with Rock Candy Tours. The tour begins at H&H Soul Food Restaurant, an iconic Macon eatery itself (with amazing biscuits).

The tour focused a good bit on the Capricorn Records era, showing the crash pads for the Allman Brothers, Blind Willie and others, but it also included a lot of Macon history and architecture.

I enjoyed strolling through the beautiful old neighborhoods, and hearing the stories. This is a wonderful way to experience Macon. My boys felt it was a bit long – mostly because they weren’t overly interested in the Allman Brothers, and they had to walk.

Rock Candy has several tours, including a shorter 1.5-hour Free Birds & Night Owls tour of the Macon commercial/nightlife district, or a shuttle tour if you’re not up for walking.

Historic Macon Music Registry

During Bragg Jam, the Rookery was handing out fans with a scavenger hunt using the hashtag #HistoryMeetsMusic. These fun fans are a promotion for Historic Macon's Music Registry. Throughout the city you'll find green circle plaques denoting a significant event in Macon's music history.

Find a map of the sites on the Historic Macon site.

Second Sunday

If you can't make it to Bragg Jam this year, maybe try to make it to the free Second Sunday concert series.

On the second Sunday of the spring months, enjoy a free concert at Coleman Hill. You'll find beautiful views of Macon, music, and a whole lot of fun.

These family-friendly concerts are popular, and guests bring picnics, lawn chairs, and their pups to join in on the fun. The Second Sunday concert series is also hosted by Bragg Jam.

Eat Where It All Started

The first ever Bragg Jam was a jam session at The Rookery. It seemed only fitting that we began our Bragg Jam weekend enjoying a burger that Garden and Gun Magazine has voted one of the best in the South. The locally-sourced milkshakes are pretty darn awesome too.

The Rookery is owned by the Moonhanger Group, which also owns the iconic H&H Soul Food. Moonhanger purchased H&H from Mama Louise, the Macon restaurateur who famously fed a group of skinny hippies with no money who had been at nearby Capricorn Records. Those long-haired boys were the Allman Brothers.

In addition to delicious southern cooking, the walls are a mini-museum to great musicians who have come through the doors.

Bragg Jam FAQ

How much are Bragg Jam tickets?

Advanced tickets for Bragg Jam are $40 for general admission, and $125 for VIP Access. With both General Admission and VIP, you get access to all the shows at all the venues. VIP Access tickets also include unlimited access to the air-conditioned VIP lounge featuring complimentary drinks, and a T-shirt.

Where will the headquarters be for Bragg Jam?

Headquarters will be at the Blacksmith Shop located at 665 Poplar Street in Macon, GA. They will open at 12:00 PM on 7/27 for check-in.

What if it rains?

If it rains...you'll get wet! Bragg Jam is a rain or shine event, and there are no refunds.

This article is not at all sponsored, affiliated or a paid promotion. We just love sharing the best of the Southeast with you via NewsBreak. Sign up to receive daily stories like this right to your inbox.