As we look back on Big Ears 2025, we are filled with immense gratitude. This year was an incredible journey through sound, film, and conversation that reminded us why this community is so vital.
To the artists who poured their hearts out, the staff and volunteers who kept the gears turning, and most importantly, you—the listeners who show up with open minds and open hearts—thank you. You are the heartbeat of Big Ears.
We can’t wait to tell you more about SML’s residency at Big Ears 2026: three nights, two sets each night: one SML, the other SML (XL). In his JazzTimes review, A.D. Amorosi caught their set at Solar Myth in Philadelphia early this month and offers his perspective on what one might expect from at least that first set each evening: "by the stunning set’s end, I determined that the whole of this live-in-Philly SML affair was like Byrne-Eno’s My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, mixed up, made more fluidly melodic and played by the Art Ensemble of Chicago à la Nice Guys.”
Boston’s Either/Orchestra is back in time to celebrate its 40th Anniversary and we’re celebrating with two concerts at Big Ears 2026. The ten-piece E/O will be joined by legendary Ethiopian vocalist Teshome Mitiku and younger-gen vocalist Munit Mesfin for a dive into their Ethiopian songbook, including selections from their new release éthiopiques 32: Nalbandian the Ethiopian as well as 2005’s éthiopiques 20: Live in Addis. Delving back into the archives with this video from 2004. We’ll be celebrating much more of the rich legacy of Ethiopiques this year. That info will be coming in the near future.
A sharp El País profile tracing Warren Ellis’s winding musical path—from Melbourne punk scenes to Dirty Three and decades of collaboration with Nick Cave. Candid, funny, and reflective, it’s an interesting read on the instincts and history that shape his playing—as we eagerly await Dirty Three’s March arrival at Big Ears.
One of the many intimate, special treats at BIg Ears this year will be this exceptional duo. Enjoy this performance of Brian Marsella and Sae Hashimoto performing Hashimoto’s “Tunnel Vision,” vibraphone and piano interlocking in a quietly insistant, riveting musical conversation.
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