After 13 years of shaping Raleigh’s music culture and a widely celebrated return in 2025, the Raleigh Wide Open Music Festival is set to take over Downtown Raleigh once again on Oct. 1–3, 2026.
The festival, produced by PineCone (the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music) and presented by PNC Bank, showcases Raleigh’s support of live music, the arts, and community. It’s a cornerstone annual event that brings people together around bluegrass, Americana, folk, and other traditional music. And because the event is free, there is no barrier to entry. All are welcome, and everyone can find something to love about this festival.
The fun will start on Thursday evening, Oct. 1, with a free kickoff celebration at N.C. State’s Centennial Campus. This tradition started in 2025, and it will once again feature multiple sets of music on an outdoor stage, food trucks, and plenty of space for families to set up chairs, dance, and play amid The Corner’s festive string lights and colorful repurposed shipping containers.
Then, on Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3, downtown Raleigh will come alive with multiple outdoor stages, an art market, food trucks, beer gardens, and more along Fayetteville Street. Neighbors and friends will mingle with visitors and newcomers against the backdrop of our vibrant city to enjoy a weekend of culture and fun that’s free and welcoming to the whole family.
Look for an artist lineup announcement, as well as application info for volunteers and vendors, in the coming months.
Where to Stay
We encourage festival attendees who want to stay close to the action and make the most of their time in downtown Raleigh to book a room with our partner hotel, the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, with an entrance on Fayetteville Street just steps from one of the festival’s main stages. Block pricing is available.
Festival Map
This map may change as details come together in the coming months, but it’ll give you an idea of the size of the festival and location of stages and other cool stuff.
Festival History
The “Raleigh Wide Open” name is a nod to the city’s past and an embrace of a bright future of growth, creativity and connection. Early “Wide Open” festivals began in the mid-2000s to celebrate an important era in Raleigh’s story, and PineCone and its partners revived the name last year after the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass event moved to a new town. It signaled a return to the festival’s local roots and an eagerness to be a part of a new chapter in the city’s cultural story.
The 2025 festival drew an estimated 155,000 attendees downtown and generated millions of dollars in economic impact for local businesses. The 2026 event is expected to continue putting Raleigh on the map as a cultural tourism destination, a town that welcomes music, art, and visitors and can host a successful, safe, and fun event.
Check out some highlights from last year’s festival in this short video!
Help Keep Raleigh Wide Open Free
We’re proud that our festival is free and welcoming to anyone. But the festival isn’t free to produce. Donations from people who love music and community ensure that we can pay artists and vendors fairly and produce an event that is safe and accessible to all. Please use the button below to make a tax-deductible donation. Any amount is appreciated!
Sponsorships are another great option for supporting the festival. We have several options that maximize your support and put your business name in front of tens of thousands of people in a meaningful way. If you’d like to be a sponsor of the festival, please use the contact button at the top of this page to get in touch.