Big Ears Festival has never been especially interested in staying in its lane — and its 2027 edition appears determined to erase the lane altogether. The boundary blurring Knoxville, Tn., gathering will return April 1-4 for its 14th iteration, bringing more than 250 concerts and performances to roughly two dozen venues across the city’s walkable downtown.
The lineup stretches from classical innovators Jennifer Koh, Ursula Oppens and Maya Beiser to jazz heavyweights Brad Mehldau, Thundercat, Bill Frisell, David Murray, Robert Glasper and Chucho Valdés. Singer/songwriters including Norah Jones, Jeff Tweedy, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Natalie Merchant, Nathaniel Rateliff, Rosanne Cash, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (performing acoustic Grateful Dead covers) will share the bill with electronic and experimental figures such as Suzanne Ciani, Sylvan Esso, Oneohtrix Point Never, Mouse on Mars, Tyondai Braxton, Tristan Perich, Kali Malone, Pamela Z and Valentina Magaletti.
Indie representation arrives courtesy of Courtney Barnett, Wednesday, Weyes Blood, Kevin Morby and U.S. Girls, while the international contingent includes Gustavo Santaolalla, Yasuaki Shimizu and Midori Takada. Newer voices such as Yilian Cañizares, Fabiano do Nascimento, Tim Bernardes and El Khat round out a festival that treats genre boundaries as mere suggestions.
As ever, the real Big Ears experience lies in the unexpected collisions. Bang on a Can All-Stars will perform six concerts, including Philip Glass’ Glassworks, Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians and Ryuichi Sakamoto’s 1996. The Big Star Quintet — the Posies’ Jon Auer, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, Wilco’s Pat Sansone, the dB’s’ Chris Stamey and surviving drummer Jody Stephens — will revive the spirit of the legendary Memphis band, while Trio of Bloom, featuring Nels Cline, Craig Taborn and Marcus Gilmore, will make its live debut.
Elsewhere, Evan Ziporyn and Beiser will join the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra for a symphonic reimagining of David Bowie’s Blackstar. Santaolalla will perform his acclaimed 1998 album Ronroco, Penguin Cafe will revisit music connected to the late Simon Jeffes’ Penguin Cafe Orchestra and Petra Haden will return with an a cappella reworking of the King Crimson catalog.
The festival’s expansive programming also includes the 12-hour continuation of Ragamala (A Garland of Ragas), following last year’s eight-hour debut, as well as a curated series from electric-bass legend and scholar Melvin Gibbs exploring his How Black Music Took Over the World. That program will include a celebration of Gullah Geechee traditions and performances by Grammy-winning Charleston group Ranky Tanky.
Beyond the music, Big Ears will offer films, artist conversations, workshops, exhibitions and interactive experiences in historic theaters, churches, clubs, museums, warehouses, galleries and other unconventional spaces throughout downtown Knoxville. Passes go on sale Wednesday (Sept. 16) at 9 a.m. ET, following an early presale for festival donors and previous pass purchasers.