The full lineup for the 21st Annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival, which takes place Sept. 9-11 in Historic Downtown Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee, has been announced. Rosanne Cash, Tanya Tucker, JJ Grey & Mofro, Del McCoury Band, The Wood Brothers, Jerry Douglas Band, Fantastic Negrito, The War & Treaty, and Asleep at the Wheel are among the acts performing at this year’s event, which honors Bristol’s heritage as the birthplace of country music.
“This year marks the 95th anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is a celebration of that great history,” said Leah Ross, executive director of advancement for Birthplace of Country Music (BCM), the parent nonprofit of the festival, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, and WBCM Radio Bristol. “Our lineup is a reflection of the vast influence those recordings have made on the music of today and the rich music culture of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.
More than 120 acts are scheduled to perform on 16 stages over the course of the three-day event where Tennessee and Virginia meet along several blocks of State Street in Historic Downtown Bristol. The twin cities are world-renowned as the site where producer Ralph Peer recorded the 1927 Bristol Sessions, the event in history musicologists refer to as the “big bang of country music.” The 1927 Bristol Sessions included the first recordings of the Carter Family, the “First Family of Country Music” and Jimmie Rodgers, the “Father of Country Music.” Bristol is designated by U.S. Congress as the birthplace of country music and considered hollowed ground by artists all over the world.
A few other Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2022 highlights include the return of Bristol Rhythm’s free Children’s Day activities for families on Saturday, Sept.10 at Anderson Park and “1968: A Folsom Redemption,” a special exhibit at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum featuring a collection of photographs by two journalists who were among the fortunate few to be present at Johnny Cash’s historic concerts at Folsom Prison.Weekend passes to Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion are on sale now for $115. Single day passes to the festival are also on sale. To check out the lineup in its entirety, the artist schedule and to purchase festival passes visit BristolRhythm.com.Â
About Bristol Rhythm & Roots ReunionÂ
The award-winning Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival is a celebration of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia’s legacy as the Birthplace of Country Music. The festival is renowned for its diverse headliners, established touring acts, up-and-coming artists, and some of the Appalachian region’s finest music across a wide variety of roots genres. Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is also noted for its unique downtown setting along State Street, where Virginia and Tennessee meet to form the twin cities of Bristol. The festival hosts an estimated 45,000 attendees across more than a dozen outdoor stages and indoor venues with approximately 100 acts of live music throughout the three-day weekend. For more information about Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, visit BristolRhythm.com.
