Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is adding even more talent to its 2026 festival, bringing another wave of acclaimed artists to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park for the free three-day event taking place October 2–4.
Among the latest performers joining this year’s lineup are Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Darrell Scott String Band with Rob Ickes, Dug, Ismay, Jesse Welles, Kam Franklin, Mama’s Broke, Sierra Hull, and A Tribute to Joe Ely with The Flatlanders and Friends.
These additions build on an already impressive first announcement, which featured My Morning Jacket, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Old Crow Medicine Show, Hiss Golden Messenger, Kathleen Edwards, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, El Khat, Tyler Ballgame, William Tyler & Yasmin Williams, and John Craigie with The Coffis Brothers. Festival organizers have also confirmed that more artists will be revealed in the coming months.
Reflecting on the festival’s continued growth, executive director John Caldon said the 2026 edition serves as both a celebration of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’s legacy and a bridge into its future.
Following last year’s 25th anniversary milestone, this year’s event will reunite longtime festival favorites, including Gillian Welch & David Rawlings and Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, while also paying tribute to artists who have helped define the festival’s identity over the years.
Before the festival officially begins, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass will host a special benefit concert honoring legendary singer-songwriter Steve Earle on Thursday, October 1, at The Masonic in San Francisco. A fixture of the festival since 2002, Earle will be celebrated during “An Evening Honoring Steve Earle,” featuring appearances from Buddy Miller, Elizabeth Cook, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Jackson Browne, Hot Tuna, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Molly Tuttle, and additional special guests. Buddy Miller will serve as musical director, while Reckless Kelly, joined by Greg Liesz, will perform as the house band.
Festival organizers also confirmed the return of the popular Out of the Park concert series, which raises funds for Sweet Relief’s Bay Area Musicians’ Fund. Throughout festival weekend, artists will perform intimate evening shows at venues across Northern California, including The Fillmore, Sweetwater Music Hall, The Little Saint in Healdsburg, and Stanford University’s Bing Concert Hall.
Fans can also preview the growing lineup through the annual artist medley, now available on the official Hardly Strictly Bluegrass website and mobile app, as anticipation continues to build for another weekend of free live music in Golden Gate Park.
HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS 2026
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA
October 2-4, 2026
SECOND LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT
Aaron Lee Tasjan
Darrell Scott String Band w/ Rob Ickes
Dug
Mama’s Broke
A Tribute To Joe Ely with The Flatlanders and Friends
Alison Krauss & Union Station F: Jerry Douglas
Ismay
Kam Franklin
Jesse Welles
Sierra Hull
INITIAL LINEUP
AJ Lee & Blue Summit
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
Hiss Golden Messenger
Kathleen Edwards
My Morning Jacket
Old Crow Medicine Show
El Khat
Tyler Ballgame
William Tyler & Yasmin Williams
John Craigie W/ The Coffis Brothers
ADDITIONAL ARTISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED
OUT OF THE PARK CONCERTS:
Molly Tuttle – Bing Concert Hall Stanford – Sep. 28
AJ Lee & Blue Summit & Bandits on the Run – Sweetwater – Oct. 2
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – The Fillmore – Oct. 2
John Craigie & Anna Moss – GAMH – Oct. 2
Tyler Ballgame – Cafe Du Nord – Oct. 2
El Khat – The Freight – Oct. 3
Old Crow Medicine Show & Ismay – Sweetwater – Oct. 3
Kathleen Edwards – The Guild – Oct. 4
Jimmie Dale Gilmore at Hopmonk (Novato) – Oct. 5
Hiss Golden Messenger – The Little Saint (Healdsburg) – Oct. 6
Leave a Reply