Asheville's Music Scene

Dance to the Beat of Your Own Drummer in Asheville

Asheville's music scene is born of age-old traditions, nurtured by a spirit of independence and the muse of the mountain landscape. Here you'll find our rhythm is proudly rooted in old-time mountain music, but it's our full spectrum of innovative musicians who truly define our sound. Asheville offers a lively, and perhaps unexpected, experience for the musically-minded traveler. Whether you're catching a show at one of our iconic venues like The Orange Peel or Salvage Station, or joining in on the music-making at our legendary weekly drum circle, you can discover the toe-tapping sounds and soulful melodies propelling the Asheville songbook to the forefront of national attention.

Orange Peel Music Venu

Music Venues

Music Venues

Intimate music halls, iconic concert venues, mountain-view amphitheaters, lively brew pubs and even the streets of downtown set the stage for Asheville’s live music scene.

LEAF Festival Downtown Asheville

Festivals & Events

Festivals & Events

One look at our wide range of music festivals, and it’s easy to see why any time of the year is a good time for music in Asheville.

Harvest Records Music Store

Music Stores

Music Stores

Indie record stores are filled with albums featuring the mountain’s best local artists.

Why Asheville, North Carolina, Is the New Must-Visit Music City

Artists and fans alike have been flocking to the Blue Ridge Mountains town, drawn by its reputation for musical spontaneity

- BY JOSEPH HUDAK, Rolling Stone

Read the Rolling Stone Article

Live Music Events

  • That Distinct Asheville Sound
  • Sound Trek: A Music Lover's Guide to Asheville
    Tuning Into Asheville's Music Scene Asheville’s known for many things: natural beauty, an historic downtown, craft beer and great food. The local music scene is equally deserving of a top-10 list mention. Though hard to explain,
  • Sound Trek: A Music Lover's Guide to AshevilleSound Trek: A Music Lover's Guide to Asheville
    Tuning Into Asheville's Music Scene Asheville’s known for many things: natural beauty, an historic downtown, craft beer and great food. The local music scene is equally deserving of a top-10 list mention. Though hard to explain,
  • Asheville's Drum CircleAsheville's Drum Circle
    Every Friday night in the rounded outdoor amphitheater of downtown's Pritchard Park people join together to play thundering sounds on the drums, dance to the powerful rhythms, or just sit back and enjoy the show of individuality and diverse
  • Asheville's Busking Scene Keeps Music in the AirAsheville's Busking Scene Keeps Music in the Air
    Street performers from around the world bring their talent to Asheville When Peter Levitov blows into his homemade didgeridoo, an ethereal throbbing sound from the Australian aboriginal instrument echoes through downtown Asheville. A moment later, a
  • Pickin’ and A-Grinnin’: Where to Find Bluegrass Jams in Asheville, NCPickin’ and A-Grinnin’: Where to Find Bluegrass Jams in Asheville, NC
    It is no secret that Asheville, North Carolina continues to be a vibrant city for music. Whether its street buskers or in lively venues like the Grey Eagle, The Orange Peel, Salvation Station, Jack of the Wood and Asheville Music Hall, Asheville has
  • Classical Music Experiences in Asheville, NCClassical Music Experiences in Asheville, NC
    In a city where creativity is a way of life, it’s not surprising that the classics play an integral part of Asheville’s music scene in surprising ways. Take the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, for example. “Asheville is a musical
  • Shindig on the Green Music and Dance Festival in Asheville, N.C.Shindig on the Green Music and Dance Festival in Asheville, N.C.
    A celebration of the traditional mountain music and dance of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Shindig on the Green is a free, outdoor mountain bluegrass music and dance festival that takes place throughout the summer months in the heart of
  • Mountain Sounds, Legacy of DulcimersMountain Sounds, Legacy of Dulcimers
    Locally Crafted Instruments Lend Melodies a Blue Ridge Ring Enthusiasts of Appalachian music are likely familiar with the whimsical sounds of dulcimers, instruments that have a rich legacy tied to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Jerry Read Smith, a local
  • Moog Music: Pioneer of Modern SoundMoog Music: Pioneer of Modern Sound
    Much of the music we hear today can trace its roots back to the legacy of music pioneer and long-time Asheville resident Dr. Bob Moog. Moog is best known for his 1960s invention of the revolutionary Moog Synthesizer, which electronically recreates

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