Celebrate early autumn at the 9th Suwannee Roots Revival from Thursday, October 9, through Sunday, October 12, at the renowned Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (SOSMP) in Live Oak, Florida. This family-friendly music festival includes four days and nights of camping and performances by some of the best in American roots music. There will be artist workshops, kids’ activities, arts & crafts, campground pickin’, and daily yoga.
Suwannee Roots Revival is excited to share the daily schedules → suwanneerootsrevival.com/schedule.
The 2025 lineup includes Friday night headliners Oteil & Friends (featuring Melvin Seals, Steve Kimock, Jason Crosby, Johnny Kimock, Tom Guarna & Lamar Williams Jr.) and Thursday night headliners Yonder Mountain String Band, with both preceded by Donna the Buffalo, who will be performing all 4 days. Donna the Buffalo & Friends will also close out the festival with their longstanding and treasured final Sunday set, bringing up many of the other performers to sit in.
Peter Rowan plays a performance workshop set on Saturday afternoon in the Music Hall and with his Walls of Time Band at Big Cosmo’s Amphitheater on Sunday. Peter will also lead a special Sunset headlining performance on Saturday, Peter Rowan’s Swamp Dwellers Jam, which includes David Grier, Larry Atamanuik, Tara Nevins, Jeb Puryear, and Jeff Mosier.
Jim Lauderdale & The Game Changers play on Friday before Donna and on Saturday in the Music Hall. Jim will also do a special set with Verlon Thompson on Saturday. Verlon will be performing from Friday through Sunday throughout the festival.
The festival is named the Roots Revival for a reason… Nestled in 800 acres of gorgeous Spanish moss-draped oak and cypress trees along the Suwannee River in northern Florida, it’s always been about keeping the music true to where it started. It’s roots, it’s revival, it’s family, it’s magic. It's Suwannee—where the roots run deep. The name honors the legacy that began with the Festival of Bluegrass in Lexington by the Cornett family, who went on to start SOSMP. It was carried forward by Beth and Randy Judy, who first brought this fall legacy to life at SOSMP as the Big Cosmo Sunshine Dream Festival in 1997.
Many of the artists at Suwannee Roots have a lengthy history of delivering spectacular Suwannee concerts, along with a history of showcasing some surprise one-of-a-kind collaborations—you never know who will give a surprise sit-in on stage (or in the campgrounds for that matter).
Festival Director Beth Judy says:
My festive heart is in serious need of some Suwannee family love! After missing last year, the Roots festival team can’t wait to make it all happen for us once again. Just thinking about all the smiling faces makes me very excited to be with you on the banks of the Suwannee River under the trees! The schedule is packed with really good stuff all around!
I'm thrilled with this lineup and always love when Oteil can join us! He has a long history of playing at the park, going way back to early MagnoliaFest days. It’s a real joy each time! He always leaves us with a stellar performance and a reminder that once you join our festival family, you are always home here.
With many acts playing multiple times, music will be staged in a variety of areas, including the Big Cosmo’s Amphitheater, The Tent, Music Hall, and the Music Farmers Stage at The Back Porch.
There are four new artist additions to the lineup: Virginia’s Bryan Elijah Smith (Big Cosmo’s Amp—Sat) is a two-time winner of MerleFest’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest and is known for songs on a couple of popular Netflix series—Virgin River and Sullivan’s Crossing. GRAMMY-nominated, Nashville-based Shannon McNally (Big Cosmo’s Amp—Sat) began on the jam band circuit of the 1990s and has since grown her catalog to span the whole of the Americana music spectrum with her soul-stirring musicality. Yet To Be Gold (The Tent—Fri & The Back Porch—Fri & Sat), from upstate New York, is Gregor Sayet-Bone, Jeb Puryear, Luca Greenspun, and Jonas Puryear. Florida-based 10-piece band LPT (2 sets on Sat) brings a hard-hitting and danceable salsa.
The ambiance of Big Cosmo's Amphitheater is enhanced by its natural setting tucked within the tall live oak trees. In addition to the bands listed above, the stage will welcome Walter Parks & The Unlawful Assembly and Henhouse Prowlers on Thursday. Friday brings Della Mae, Seth Walker, and late-night with John Mailander’s Forecast. Further highlights on Saturday at Big Cosmo’s Amphitheater are Jon Stickley Trio, Songs From The Road Band, and a late-night set with the Ain’t Sisters. Further Sunday highlights include the Mosier Brothers Band, The Lee Boys, and Verlon Thompson.
The Tent is the place to be immersed in the music! Further musical highlights in The Tent include the Grass is Dead, Snake Oil Medicine Show, Sauce Boss with Extra Sauce, Kaleta & Super Yamba Band, Frank Douglas & Friends, and a special performance by the Suwannee Spirit Kids Music Camp, and more. Each morning kicks off with Yoga with Ronda Bell.
The Music Hall brings a special indoor listening experience, with stage lighting, air conditioning, and a cafe. Further musical highlights include Peter Rowan, Jim Lauderdale, Walter Parks & The Unlawful Assembly, Nikki Talley Band, Della Mae, and more.
The Music Farmers Stage at The Back Porch is like a “VIP section for everyone.” This new area debuted at Roots’s sister festival, Suwannee Spring Reunion. It will be open from the start of the music until the end of each night's performances, providing plenty of seating options for relaxation and right near the Vending Village with live video feeds from Big Cosmo’s Amphitheater to ensure you don't miss any of the action.
Special performances will take place at The Back Porch during the evening. The Music Farmers Stage’s new location inside the former Porch Stage building is a big and comfortable spot to host a wide range of hands-on workshops as well as intimate featured sets by festival musicians.
The Music Farmers Stage is sponsored by the festival’s nonprofit arm, Live Oak Music and Arts Foundation (LOMAF). A raffle with a variety of prizes donated by festival merchants, artists, and sponsors will be held on-site, located at a tent at the top of the hill at Big Cosmo’s Amphitheater, to benefit LOMAF, which supports music and arts programs in North Florida schools, including the Suwannee Spirit Kids Music Camp.
The Vendor Village showcases a wide range of arts and crafts, as well as culinary delights ranging from healthy to decadent. The park itself is a place where children of all ages can rediscover (or discover for the first time) why they fell in love with the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park's magical mixture of sights, sounds, and sensations that make for a weekend of paradise.
SOSMP offers guest comforts including a general store, a full-service restaurant, free showers, indoor bathrooms, and water stations. To upgrade camping (including RV hookups and cabin rentals) or reserve a golf cart, call the park office at (386) 364-1683. SOSMP is located between Jacksonville & Tallahassee, about 30 minutes south of the Georgia state line and about 45 minutes north of Gainesville. For more information, visit www.musicliveshere.com.
Suwannee Roots Revival offers a multi-day Weekend Ticket that includes admission Thursday-Sunday nights with primitive camping. Single-day tickets, as well as military and student discounts, are available. Children 12 and under are free if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Get tickets at www.suwanneerootsrevival.com/tickets.
Suwannee Roots Revival 2025 Lineup & Days to Play:
Oteil & Friends (Fri)
(featuring Melvin Seals, Steve Kimock, Jason Crosby,
Johnny Kimock, Tom Guarna, & Lamar Williams Jr.)
Yonder Mountain String Band (Thu)
Donna the Buffalo (all 4 days)
Peter Rowan & The Walls of Time Band (Sat & Sun)
Jim Lauderdale & The Game Changers (Fri & Sat)
Della Mae (Fri & Sat)
Bryan Elijah Smith (Sat)
Shannon McNally (Sat)
Seth Walker (Fri & Sat)
Henhouse Prowlers (Thu & Fri)
The Lee Boys (Sat & Sun)
Ain’t Sisters (Sat & Sun)
Jon Stickley Trio (Fri & Sat)
Walter Parks & The Unlawful Assembly (Thu & Fri)
John Mailander’s Forecast (Fri)
The Grass Is Dead (Thu & Sun)
Mosier Brothers Band (Fri & Sun)
Verlon Thompson (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Kaleta & Super Yamba Band (Fri & Sat)
Nikki Talley Band (Thu & Fri)
Songs From The Road Band (Fri & Sat)
Snake Oil Medicine Show (Fri, Sat, Sun)
LPT (Sat)
Sauce Boss with Extra Sauce (Sat)
Yet To Be Gold (Fri & Sat)
The Fried Turkeys (Fri)
Frank Douglas & Friends (Sat)
Sloppy Joe (Thu & Fri)
Quartermoon (Thu & Fri)
John Mailander Artist at Large (all 4 days)
Magic Moon Traveling Circus (all weekend activities) + Kids Talent Show (Sat) & Moon Tunes (Sun)
Special Shows & Workshops:
Peter Rowan’s Swamp Dwellers Jam (Sat)
(Peter Rowan, David Grier, Larry Atamanuik, Tara Nevins, Jeb Puryear, & Jeff Mosier)
Aisha Ivey (Fri - Fiddle)
Frank Douglas and Nikki Tally (Fri - songwriting)
Gaurav Malhotra (Sat - drums)
Jim Lauderdale and Verlon Thompson (Sat)
Mark Nelson and Richie Jones (Sat - bass & drums)
Jeff Mosier (Fri - banjo)
Jeff Mosier with Seth Walker (Sat)
Nikki Tally and Jason Sharp (Sat)
Suwannee Spirit Kids Music Camp (Fri)
Tom Nelly (Thu, Fri - guitar)
Walter Parks (Fri - 10 Years with Richie Havens)
John Mailander - (Fri - LOMAF Outreach at Suwannee Middle School with the advanced band students)
