Article Contributed by Gabriel David Barkin
Published on 2026-04-03
High Sierra Music Festival | photo(s) by Gabriel David Barkin
The 34th annual High Sierra Music Festival (HSMF) will bring smiles, good vibes, and tons of amazing, world-class music to Grass Valley CA on Fourth of July Weekend – and you’re invited!
Spread the word. Because The Word, a supergroup featuring Robert Randolph, John Medeski, and the North Mississippi Allstars, is among the acts at the top of the bill. Don Was and the Pan Detroit Ensemble will be there too, recreating the entirety of the Grateful Dead’s seminal Blues for Allah record and also playing a full set of other tasty tunes. And just added to the lineup – reggae superstars Steel Pulse!
A big New Orleans vibe will be in the air at this year’s HSMF. Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, The Rumble, and guitar whiz Anders Osborne are just a few of the acts rep’ing NOLA. Galactic's Stanton Moore's is on board with the Breaks, his new trio alongside Eddie Roberts (New Mastersounds) and Robert Walter (Greyboy Allstars). There will also be next-gen virtuosos in the Trombone Shorty Foundation Band (featuring brass band students from the Trombone Shorty Academy), and 16-year-old piano prodigy River Eckert, continuing the New Orleans piano legacies of James Booker, Dr, John and Professor Longhair.
Top that all off with an appearance by OG funk legend George Porter Jr. Let the good times roll, baby!
HSMF is the only music festival in the western United States held during the Independence Day holiday weekend. It also happens to be one of the oldest continuously running music festivals of its kind. Although to be fair, it’s really a one-of-a-kind experience, not like all those other festivals. Where else can you play kickball at sunrise with Holly Bowling?!
The real headline for 2026 is that the fest is moving to the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley. Never fear, HSMF fans: the magic won’t be left behind at the old location. HSMF Producer David Margulies assures attendees that, “Every element people know and love – sunrise kickball, Silent Disco, troubadour sessions, morning yoga, Family Village camping, Rockin’ Nannies, the wine swirl – all of it will be present. You’re not missing a beat.” With pride and optimism, Margulies says, “I actually think the experience will be improved!”
One of those improvements is the relocation to an area with more hotels and AirBnB’s for people who have perhaps aged out of camping onsite or who want a quieter crash pad than the “Hillside” campground. That being said, the onsite camping at the new site (included with the price of admission for a four-day pass) continues the tradition of providing shady areas and ample room for anything from a small tent up to HSMF’s famous camp collectives – the people who come year after year to pitch tents, hang tapestries and trippy doo-dads, and host campground jams with their festival friends.
The stages won’t exactly mirror the facilities in Quincy, which was the host location of HSMF for the past two decades. Still, there’s a similar approach. The largest stage will be simply the Main Stage (there’s no “Grandstand” to name it after). The Vaudeville Tent will now be the Vaudeville Pavilion – because it’s not in a tent, it’s set up under a shaded steel frame that’s almost the exact dimensions of the old tent. The Big Meadow stage, the second-largest stage at HSMF, is now the Far-Out Amphitheater.
A fourth, smaller indoor stage with air conditioning will provide escape from the heat in the midday and will serve as a second site for late night shows. The High Sierra Music Hall remains intact, and is actually a bit bigger than the one in Quincy. This space will be air-conditioned, which is great for Playshops during the day and even better for late nights. (HSMF’s famous Playshops are one-of-a-kind showcases for musicians who typically do not perform with each other. Playshops often revolve around unconventional and offbeat themes, artist tributes, and alternative genre explorations.)
Sax player Karl Denson (from Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Greyboy Allstars, and some unheard-of band named The Rolling Stones) will be in attendance for his umpteenth time. At least, “umpteen” is the official count. It may be higher. Denson can attest to the significance and HSMF’s magic, having performed many times on the festival’s stages over the past three decades. “It’s the OG hippie music festival,” he says. “Being part of the jam band scene, it was definitely there in the formative years. It’s a staple.”
Denson will be performing a tribute set to Jimmy Cliff on the opening night of the festival with his band Tiny Universe. They’ll also do a late night set playing their own music and other funky stuff.
Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz of ALO is another long-time HSMF performer. This year, he’s assembled a stellar crew of musicians for two sets of Lebo & Friends performance with superstar jam world musicians George Porter Jr. (the Meters), Jennifer Hartswick (Trey Anasazio Band), Jay Lane (Dead & Co.), Vicki Randle (the Tonight Show Band), and Holly Bowling (Holly Bowling!). Like Denson, Lebo has a deep fondness for HSMF.
“It was the first music festival I ever went to, before I ever toured or anything like that. I had the time of my life there. So High Sierra holds all of that emotional memory for me. You say the word ‘High Sierra’ and something in my body gets excited.” Lebo’s excitement clicked up a notch when he talked about the lineup with Porter, Lane, Hartswick, and Bowling. “I’m so psyched … one of my favorite things about putting lineups together is setting people up to soar. This band has some really powerful wings.”
Steve Poltz (yes, it’s his umpteenth appearance at HSMF this year too) is often incorrectly referred to as the “Mayor of High Sierra.” He says that title still belongs to troubadour Nathan Moore. “I really believe Nathan deserves that title. I have so much immense respect for Nathan”
Poltz has however been dubbed the “Clown Prince of High Sierra.” (This happened during a HSMF Playshop with Lebo a few years ago, who was simultaneously dubbed the “Crown Prince” of the festival.) Given that stature, Poltz has earned a lengthy allotment of column inches here to wax prosaic in his own words about the HSMF experience*.
“I love the feeling of everybody walking around, especially at the beginning of the festival, and there's all this sort of trepidation and wonder and anticipation. And everybody's putting on their best selves because they've entered Festival Land – and in Festival Land, you're able to suspend all disbelief. You're more accepting once you enter those gates of High Sierra. You're with this family that you haven't seen in a year, maybe two years, maybe three years. You're running into people, and everybody's got their party face on, and they're willing to help out, and they're happy.
“And then the music starts, and … there are people wandering around dressed like fairies, and it's not even nighttime yet. And then nighttime kicks in, and it's a whole ‘nother scene.
“I just love the whole vibe of the feeling. And then by the second, third, fourth days, everybody's just looking a little ragged, and they're like, ‘Oh my god,’ and they're hugging each other, and they're like, ‘We're leaving now – see you next year!’
“When you enter [HSMF], it's a beautiful blank page. It becomes this painting of memories … and it's a beautiful thing.”
* I’ll just mention here that when Poltz and I spoke, he closed our conversation by saying, “Dude, this is the greatest interview I've ever done!” Which, if you know Poltz, might or might not be true. But that’s Poltz. In return for his kindness, I am telling you all (not asking, this is a requirement for reading this footnote) to go buy umpteen copies of his new record JoyRide, and you are instructed to play “The Son of God” on endless repeat for the next three weeks.
Let’s see now, where were we?
Oh yes, Grass Valley! High Sierra 2026!
Margulies is thrilled about the new location. “It took a lot of hard work to get here,” he says. “We invited long-standing staff and foundational theme camps for a walkthrough before we even signed a contract. People came in with doubts – and by the end everyone was saying, ‘Wow, this place is awesome.’ We got the buy-in, and we have real community support.”
That buy-in includes the community of Grass Valley too, which was the result of a proactive effort. “We got out in front of it,” Margulies said. “We met with the mayor, the Chamber of Commerce, the Nevada County Arts Council, and all the hotels. Everyone is excited to help High Sierra succeed long-term. It feels really good.”
For those interested in an elevated experience – act fast to score a spot at the Grass Valley RV Family Resort, located directly across the street from the Fairgrounds. This option combines proximity to the action with the ability to easily step out and relax in the RV park, which features a swimming pool, games and BBQ grills. All this is available as part of High Sierra's expanded VIP FestivALL program
For more info, visit http://www.highsierramusic.com
For tickets, including general admission, RV & parking passes, FestivALL VIP packages, and late night shows, visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/highsierramusic/events/high-sierra-music-festival-2026-159891
