Indigo Girls, Trampled By Turtles To Headline Third Evanston Folk Festival

SPACE Presents announced that indie folk mainstays Trampled by Turtles and Lilith Fair icons Indigo Girls are set to headline the 2026 Evanston Folk Festival. The third annual EFF will take place on Sept. 12 and Sept. 13 at Evanston’s Dawes Park. Since its inception in 2024, the festival has quickly become a centerpiece of the Chicago’s music tapestry, celebrating established and emerging sounds in the folk tradition.

Joining them across two days and three stages at Dawes Park, with an approximately 5K capacity, are an array of artists including Josh Ritter, Valerie June, Mdou Moctar, Kathleen Edwards, Sierra Hull, Hayden Pedigo, Margarert Glaspy, Tift Merritt and James McMurtry, as well as some of the genre’s most exciting new faces, including Appalachian-born country folk artist Angela Autumn and Australian three-piece Folk Bitch Trio.

The weekend will begin on Friday, Sept. 11, with Punch Brothers led by Chris Thiele performing a kick-off show at Cahn Auditorium. To complement the festival’s main programming, the Chicago Public Media Tent Talks series has planned a slate of speakers to discuss the history, legacy, and craftsmanship of folk songwriting and performance. Talks will feature John Prine’s Chicago with Mark Guarino and special guests, and Indigo Girls’ Emily Saliers and Amy Ray in conversation with NPR music critic Ann Powers, among other guests.

Jake Samuels, Director of Music for SPACE & 16 On Center, a Chicago independent promoter, championed the festival’s success and community-building potential, stating, “The warm embrace this festival has received since its inception in 2024 has been inspiring to see, and we have high hopes for this third edition building on that incredibly solid foundation. As Evanstonians, seeing our Lakefront filled with music fans and families enjoying artists from around the world and seeing some of what makes Evanston so special is so fulfilling for all of us.”

Evanston Folk Festival and Punch Brothers kick-off show tickets will go on sale for general audiences on Friday, March 20, at 10 a.m. CT, and can be purchased at evanstonfolkfestival.com. Additional festival After Shows at SPACE and Cahn Auditorium are to be announced.