Big Ears Announces 2025 Lineup With Esperanza Spalding, Sun Ra Arkestra & Yo La Tengo, Rufus Wainwright & More

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Big Ears Festival is returning to Knoxville, Tennessee, on March 27-30, and is set to feature performances from Rufus Wainwright, Waxahatchee, Esperanza Spalding, Sun Ra Arkestra & Yo La Tengo and more.

In 2016, Big Ears Festival was incorporated as a 510(c)3 non-profit and has been independently produced since 2022. The event was founded by Ashley Capps in 2009.

Capps spoke with Pollstar earlier this year, and he emphasized he aims to have the festival build upon itself year over year. “We’ve got this really exciting progression and it comes from the artist,” he said. “It comes from the audience. It’s just everybody coming together to make this really amazing music utopia for the weekend.”

This year’s lineup also includes special performances from Philip Glass Ensemble performing Philip Glass: Music in 12 Parts (50th Anniversary), James McVinnie and Eliza McCarthy performing Johnny Greenwood’s 133 Years of Reverb (North American Premiere) and more.

Tickets go on sale Sept. 12 at 9 a.m. ET.