Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion celebrates 25th anniversary
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, a division of the nonprofit Birthplace of Country Music, is returning to State Street in downtown Bristol on Sept. 11-13, boasting a lineup including headliners Sierra Ferrell, Old Crow Medicine Show, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Los Lobos, and The War and Treaty, legendary favorites Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, and The Del McCoury Band, emerging artists Mon Rovîa, The Creekers, Trousdale, and The Band Loula, and local artists Chancellor Lawson, Ashton Davison, and Logan & McKenna, to name a few.
“We are so excited to be celebrating 25 years of Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion this year,” says Festival Director Richard Oakley. “Whether you’re returning or coming to the festival for the first time, we look forward to having you join us for three days of great music and community as we celebrate this milestone and look towards the 100th anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions next summer. We’ve got a lot of fun planned that you won’t want to miss.”
The festival’s schedule is filled with special collaborative performances, musical sets, and new elements as the Birthplace of Country Music celebrates the festival’s 25th anniversary.
On Friday afternoon, Jim Lauderdale and Donna the Buffalo will open the State Street Stage together for a special Anniversary Jam at 6:30 p.m. Later Friday evening, German music producer and songwriter Toby Gad and Bristol’s own cellist and composer Dave Eggar will take over Paramount Bristol with The Hitmaker Sessions featuring many special guests beginning at 7 p.m. On Saturday evening, Big Daddy Love will take the Country Mural Stage at 10:30 p.m. for a special Mo-Grass set featuring special guests.
A staple during Bristol Rhythm, Radio Bristol’s Farm and Fun Time, the popular re-imagining of the classic WCYB program, will serve as the official 25th Anniversary Celebration of Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion during the festival, with musical guests Cruz Contreras & The Black Lillies, Trousdale, and The Band Loula in Paramount Bristol at 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12.
Radio Bristol’s Farm and Fun Time, hosted by Kris Truelsen along with house band Country Casserole, will be a celebration of the last 25 years of Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, while looking ahead to the future. Elected officials, festival organizers, and festival supporters from the past 25 years are invited to be in attendance for recognition.
VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum Sept. 9-13, and provides visitors the opportunity to see and experience authentic works of art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. By way of VMFA’s Statewide Partners program, which includes 1,000 community centers, small museums, colleges, and universities, VMFA on the Road brings art experiences to thousands—literally meeting people where they are. This state-of-the-art mobile museum and education studio with its new exhibit Virginia as America: Navigating Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness will be open to school groups, drop-in visitors, and Bristol Rhythm festivalgoers.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, along with the Bristol Roots Project, will host the 2025-2026 Bristol Roots Tradition Bearer Fellows and Cultural Caretakers as they showcase their crafts and organizations through the Bristol Roots Showcase during the festival. Cultural Caretakers will have information booths, while the Tradition Bearers will present craft and artisan demonstrations, including basketmaking, woodworking, weaving, broom making, and more.
Saturday morning, Sept. 12 at 8:30 a.m., yoga instructor Christiane Popperwell and renowned cellist Dave Eggar will provide Music and Meditation hosted by Northeast State, on the lawn at the Lauderdale Stage. This experience includes a 60-minute Restore class followed by a 20-minute guided space meditation, all set to the soulful, soothing tones of the cello. Pre-registration is encouraged.
Hoot & Holler Storytelling, a live storytelling event based out of Roanoke, returns to Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion for their fourth appearance on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 12, at 1 p.m. in Theatre Bristol.
Saturday afternoon, the Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, led by Mary Munsey, will host a Songwriters Circle Song Swap from 2-4 p.m. just outside the Birthplace of Country Music Museum at the Bristol Sessions Super Raffle stage. This event is free and open to the public for anyone to join.
Sunday morning, Sept. 13, Bristol Yoga will present Yoga Rocks! on the lawn at the Lauderdale Stage beginning at 10 a.m. This wake-up session will be set to music and will serve as the perfect start to the final day of the festival.
Sunday afternoon, the Birthplace of Country Music will host the eighth annual Bristol Sessions Super Raffle, a fundraiser supporting the Birthplace of Country Music Museum that gives participants the chance to win more than $250,000 in cash and big prizes. The raffle drawings will take place Sunday, Sept. 13, from 12-4 p.m. just outside the museum. Winners do not need to be present to win. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at BristolSessionsSuperRaffle.org.
Ending the festival on a high note, the Birthplace of Country Music will host the first-ever official after-party of Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Party at the Paramount, presented by Raising Cane’s! Johnny Mullenax, Holy Roller, and Florencia & The Feeling will close out the evening in the Paramount Bristol beginning with doors opening at 8:30 p.m. Tickets to this event can be purchased online at BristolRhythm.com or at the door.
Children 12 and under can enter the festival for free with a ticketed adult. Kids Zone, sponsored by Brightspeed, will once again be held in Johnny Wood Memorial Park, with crafts and activities scheduled throughout each afternoon for families to enjoy, including Friendship Bracelets with Friendship Cars, Art the Dude’s Hohner Harmonica Workshop and more family-friendly activities.
The Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion mobile app “BCM Bristol” is now available for download on iOS and Android. 3-Day GA and Single Day GA Tickets are on sale now online at BristolRhythm.com or in person at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. VIP Experiences are also available.
For tickets, updates, and more information, visit BristolRhythm.com.
