Big Ears lineup announced for 2025 festival, When tickets go on sale

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ( WATE ) — Big Ears Festival organizers announced the lineup for March 2025 on Tuesday amid its donor pre-sale of tickets.

Big Ears 2025 will be held March 27-30 in Knoxville. It’s the city’s largest music festival, first created in 2009.

The lineup consists of artists from near and far, including ANOHNI and the Johnsons, Anoushjka Shankar, Esperanza Spalding, Explosions in the Sky, Jessica Pratt, Les Claypol’s Bastard Jazz, Rufus Wainwright, Sun Ra Arkestra & Ya Lo Tengo, Waxahatchee, and many, many more.

Performances will be held at various venues during the festival, including historic theatres, churches, museums, clubs, and refurbished warehouses. Most events will take place in downtown Knoxville.

“Every spring, Big Ears presents nearly 200 concerts, talks, workshops, film screenings, residencies, and more in over a dozen venues across downtown Knoxville,” Big Ears states on its site. “With a program budget of $2.9 million and a local annual economic impact of $36.1 million, the Big Ears Festival is one of the highest-profile arts events in the Southeastern U.S., garnering regular national media coverage, hosting numerous world premiere performances, and helping to define the cultural character of the region for many across the country.”

The full lineup can be found here . Public ticket sales begin Thursday, September 12.

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