Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on December 16, 2025
Photo: Courtesy of Planet Bluegrass
Editor’s note (Dec. 16, 2025): This announcement was originally issued ahead of the on-sale date. Tickets for Telluride Bluegrass Festival 2026 went on sale Thursday, December 11, and are on sale now.
Telluride Bluegrass Festival returns for its 53rd annual gathering on June 18–21, 2026, bringing four days of adventurous acoustic music back to Town Park in Telluride, Colorado. For longtime fans and first-timers alike, the festival remains a summer-solstice pilgrimage—banjos, mandolins, and fiddles echoing through the San Juan Mountains as music lovers become part of what Planet Bluegrass calls a community of Festivarians.
“It’s not about who you’re watching play on stage in front of you,” says Zach Tucker, Vice President of the festival’s promoter, Planet Bluegrass. “It’s about who’s sitting next to you and sharing in the moment.”
That sense of togetherness is the gravitational pull. “Telluride Bluegrass is pure magic!” says the recently four-time Grammy-nominated Sierra Hull, who first played on the Telluride Bluegrass stage in 2016. “It’s like a big ole beautiful homecoming for all of my favorite musicians.” And for Telluride Bluegrass veteran and absolute legend Peter Rowan, the route might change, but the destination never does: “Telluride is where it all began for me.”
With tickets and camping passes historically moving fast, Planet Bluegrass encourages newcomers and old-heads alike to secure plans early—and to lean on the festival’s growing library of helpful resources for first-time attendees.
Telluride Bluegrass Festival 2026
Dates: June 18–21, 2026
Location: Town Park, Telluride, Colorado
Tickets: On sale now via shop.bluegrass.com
Festival info: bluegrass.com
Planet Bluegrass has also published a first-timers guide and a dedicated Telluride Bluegrass with Kids guide to help families and newcomers plan their first trip.
The term Festivarian comes from a reinterpreted version of C.P. Cafavy’s poem “Ithaka,” first printed in a 1994 Planet Bluegrass brochure. The word stuck—eventually becoming shorthand for one of the most tight-knit communities of repeat ticket-holders (and performers) in live music.
“When you set out for the festival, ask that your way be long…”
Founded in 1974 and held annually during the summer solstice, Telluride Bluegrass Festival invites music fans to the historic mining town of Telluride for four days of adventurous acoustic music set inside the stunning Telluride box canyon. Over the decades, the festival’s uniquely expansive spirit—sometimes described as the sound of “Telluride Bluegrass”—has embraced a wide-ranging family of artists including Sam Bush, Robert Plant, Mumford & Sons, Brandi Carlile, Norah Jones, Janelle Monáe, Greensky Bluegrass, Emmylou Harris, and many of the world’s most virtuosic acoustic instrumentalists.
With music on the main stage, intimate workshop performances at Elks Park, late-night indoor NightGrass concerts, and pickin’ in campgrounds and condos ‘til dawn, Telluride Bluegrass has been called the “granddaddy of the modern festival circuit” (Relix). Telluride Bluegrass is presented and produced by 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 take place in breathtaking natural Colorado environments, feature world-class musicians and songwriters, and embrace a “Leave No Trace” ethic—defining Planet Bluegrass as a leader in sustainable festivation.
Planet Bluegrass presents Telluride Bluegrass, Rockygrass, and Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, and supports the next generation of artists through programs like Rockygrass Academy and Song School.
