Big Ears Festival - November 27, 2025

Thank You! / Steven Bernstein on Sly Stone / David Byrne + Pre-Sale Details

Once again, you have brought us an extraordinary, record-breaking...

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Thank You!

Once again, you have brought us an extraordinary, record-breaking response to Big Ears 2026. Your enthusiasm and support—through purchasing passes and your generous contributions—make what we do possible. You challenge, energize, and inspire us.

This wonderful community of artists and music lovers that comes together each year around our special weekend is something to treasure.

We are grateful from the bottom of our heart for everyone who plays a part in making it so.

Wishing you and yours the very best on this holiday weekend! Share the love!

The Big Ears Family

WATCH THE VIDEO

Steven Bernstein

on Sly Stone

Big-band iconoclast Steven Bernstein brings Sly Stone’s music into sharp focus with the Millennial Territory Orchestra—not as nostalgia, but as the work of a daring American composer whose songs were always architecturally interesting, harmonically bold, and built for reinvention. It’s a reminder of Sly’s power as a songwriter whose ideas continue to resonate in surprising ways. This 2011 Village Voice Q&A with Bernstein remains a joyful lens on why Sly’s music demands to be reimagined again and again. Revisit it below, and get ready for MTO Plays Sly at Big Ears this March!

READ THE Q&A

David Byrne

on World Cafe

In his NPR World Cafe feature, David Byrne opens up about writer’s block, rediscovering joy, and teaming up with the dynamite Ghost Train Orchestra, revealing why his first new solo album in seven years landed with unexpected power. His Who Is the Sky? performances at Big Ears are a once-in-a-lifetime experience you don’t want to miss!

WATCH THE INTERVIEW

Yasmin Williams Receives

Rising Tide Award

Congratulations to Yasmin Williams on receiving the Rising Tide Award at the International Folk Music Awards! “Through her boundary-pushing artistry and principled activism, Yasmin Williams stands as one of contemporary music’s most visionary and courageous voices, fully embodying the values and ideals of the folk community.”

Pre-Sales Launch Tuesday!

Big Ears Festival pass purchasers get first access to additionally-ticketed, reserved-seat concerts for David Byrne’s Who Is The Sky?, Robert Plant’s Saving Grace ft. Suzi Dian, and the world-premiere live performance of The Avett Brothers & Mike Patton present AVTT/PTTN.

VIP Sonic Explorer and Premier pass purchasers have access to the pre-sale beginning Tuesday, December 2 at 9:00 am ET; all other pass purchasers gain access on Wednesday, December 3 at 9:00 am ET. If any tickets remain, they will open to the public Friday, December 5 at 9:00 am ET.

Pass Purchasers, be sure you’re signed up for our newsletter with the email you used to purchase your tickets to receive your pre-sale code and instructions approximately one hour prior to your pre-sale.

There's still time to secure your festival pass so you don't miss out on these highly-anticipated shows!

MORE INFO & GET PASSES

DONATE TODAY

READ OUR ANNUAL REPORT

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