Knoxville, Tennessee’s Big Ears Festival has long been a beacon for adventurous music lovers, offering a stunning blend of experimental, avant-garde, folk, jazz, and genre-defying performances. This year boasts some huge names like Beth Gibbons, Taj Mahal, Bill Frisell, Waxahatchee, and Anoushka Shankar. While the festival’s bigger names might draw plenty of attention, the lesser-known, boundary-pushing artists often provide the most unforgettable experiences. With Big Ears taking place March 27th – 30th, here are eight must-see acts that deserve a spot on your festival itinerary, along with a handful of tips for navigating the festival.
múm – Sunday, 3/30 7:45pm – Bijou Theater
The Icelandic experimental collective múm has spent over two decades crafting whimsical, ethereal soundscapes that blend electronic textures with organic instrumentation. Emerging from the same fertile Reykjavík scene that birthed Björk and Sigur Rós, múm’s music is often comprised of delicate, glitchy beats that float over hushed vocals and glistening melodies. Their live performances are immersive, often incorporating improvisation and unexpected sonic detours. múm was originally scheduled for the cancelled 2020 festival and rarely tour in the states, making their performances an essential stop at Big Ears.
Brìghde Chaimbeul – Friday 3/28 1:30pm – Knoxville Museum of Art & Saturday 3/29 3:15pm – Boyd’s Jig & Reel
A rising star in the world of Scottish folk music, Brìghde Chaimbeul (pronounced “Bree-duh Haim-biel”) is redefining the role of the Great Highland bagpipes in contemporary music. Her hypnotic, drone-heavy compositions take traditional Gaelic piping and stretch it into something trance-like and meditative, often drawing from Eastern European and Nordic influences. Her latest work showcases a deep reverence for tradition while feeling entirely modern. In the acoustically rich settings of Big Ears, expect her set to be nothing short of mesmerizing. All performances at Knoxville Museum of Art are open to the public, while shows at Boyd’s Jig & Reel tend to fill up quickly.
Meshell Ndegeocello – Friday 3/28 3:15pm – Tennessee Theater
For over 30 years, Meshell Ndegeocello has been a genre-defying force, blending funk, jazz, R&B, and rock with poetic lyricism and deep grooves. A virtuoso bassist and visionary composer, she’s worked with legends like Chaka Khan and Alanis Morrisette while carving out her own fiercely independent path. Whether she’s diving into sultry neo-soul, politically charged spoken word, or experimental jazz fusion, every Ndegeocello performance is intimate, raw, and deeply felt. Her set at Big Ears will see her performing her album No More Water – The Gospel of James Baldwin, as well as some fan favorites.
David Grubbs – Saturday 3/29 12pm – The Point
Post-rock icon and avant-garde guitarist David Grubbs is a key figure in the evolution of underground music, from his time in Gastr del Sol (alongside Jim O’Rourke) to his collaborations with modern composers and free improvisers. His solo work often explores the intersection of minimalism, folk, and noise, creating compositions that feel both cerebral and emotionally potent. Expect his Big Ears set to be a fascinating journey through shifting textures, fractured melodies, and moments of quiet transcendence. Grubbs will also be performing with his band Squanderers on Friday at 7:15pm in Regas Square.
Chanel Beads – Saturday 3/29 2:30pm – The Standard
One of the newer names on this list, Chanel Beads is the moniker of Shane Lavers, a rising experimental pop artist who crafts glitchy, melancholic soundscapes that blur the lines between indie rock, ambient, and deconstructed club music. His work feels like a fragmented, late-night hallucination—layered, lo-fi production meets disaffected vocals, creating an atmosphere that is both intimate and unsettling. Fans of artists like Yves Tumor or Black Dresses will find something deeply compelling in Chanel Beads’ fractured, beautifully chaotic sound.
DakhaBrakha – Saturday 3/29 8:30pm – Tennessee Theater
If you’ve never experienced DakhaBrakha live, you’re in for a revelation. This Ukrainian quartet describes their music as “ethno-chaos,” blending traditional Ukrainian folk with elements of punk, trance, and global rhythms. Their performances are visually striking—dressed in towering fur hats and elaborate folk attire, they create a ritualistic, almost shamanic atmosphere. But it’s the music that leaves audiences spellbound: thundering percussion, hypnotic harmonies, and raw, emotionally charged vocals that can shift from delicate whispers to fierce battle cries. Their set at Big Ears is certain to be one of the festival’s most powerful experiences.
Tindersticks – Sunday 3/30 2pm – Tennessee Theater
With their brooding, cinematic sound, Tindersticks have spent over three decades crafting melancholic, orchestrally rich indie rock. Stuart Staples’ deep, velvety voice is instantly recognizable, often compared to Leonard Cohen or Nick Cave, while the band’s arrangements evoke a world of late-night longing and old film scores. Their Big Ears performance marks the band’s first US tour in 16 years. Known for their stunning live performances, often featuring lush string sections and dramatic storytelling, Tindersticks’ set at Big Ears promises to be a masterclass in mood and atmosphere.
Macie Stewart – Sunday 3/30 4:30pm – Regas Square
Multi-instrumentalist and composer Macie Stewart is best known for her work in the Chicago music scene, particularly with the art-rock duo Ohmme and her collaborations with jazz and experimental musicians. Her solo work is delicate and introspective, weaving intricate piano and violin arrangements with poetic lyricism. Her music sits at the intersection of folk, chamber music, and avant-garde composition, making her an ideal fit for Big Ears’ boundary-pushing lineup. Expect a performance that is both intimate and exploratory, balancing quiet beauty with unexpected moments of dissonance.
Big Ears 2025 promises another year of breathtaking performances, and these eight artists exemplify the festival’s spirit of musical discovery. Whether you’re drawn to Icelandic dreamscapes, bagpipe drones, cinematic indie rock, or Ukrainian folk-punk, there’s something here to challenge and inspire.
Some tips and tricks for navigating the festival:
While most venues are within walking distance of each other, a few are a bit further out, like the Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville Civic Auditorium, and The Point. While they are all walkable, allow yourself extra time to get there from downtown. There will also be KAT buses with special festival routes throughout the weekend.
You will spend a lot of time walking around, so wear comfortable shoes and bring a light jacket for cooler weather at night.
Parking is pretty abundant in the downtown area with quite a few parking garages and street parking. Beginning March 1st, Knoxville ditched parking meters for a pay-by-app system. Download the ParkMobile app ahead of time to save some time. Parking is free after 8pm on weeknights and all day Saturday and Sunday (except the Market Square Garage, which charges a flat $3 fee on Saturdays).
The larger venues are Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Tennessee Theater, so these performances will be easier to get into. You can use the official Big Ears app or website to see how many people added certain artists to their schedule to help determine the demand for certain shows. If you really want to see someone, get in line early. If you don’t get in initially, often people leave early to go catch someone else and it’s a one-out, one-in situation, so you’ll likely get in eventually.
Always have a backup if you can’t get into a performance and don’t want to wait for people to leave. Sometimes, some of the best performances you’ll see during the weekend might be of artists you’ve never heard of and just popped in to see randomly.
Knoxville has done a great job of keeping the downtown area full of local businesses, so make sure to stop by some of the local shops and restaurants. Tomato Head is great for vegetarians, Petro’s Chili is a nice quick stop to grab something on the go, and Marble City Market is a food court with quite a few options for every taste. Beer lovers should definitely stop by Pretentious Beer in Old City for excellent sours and IPAs, Xul for award-winning IPAs and sours, Gypsy Barrelhouse for cider, or Craft Bastard for a wide variety of solid beers.
