A century-old boom fuels a brand-new sound.
Downtown Asheville's free Labor Day weekend celebration, the Boomtown Arts and Heritage Festival, returns Sept. 4-6 for its third year, grounded in history and wide open to what's next, with a newly announced musical lineup at Pack Square Park headlined by Lettuce, Cimafunk, and Groundation.
Boomtown FestAVL is a three-day celebration that weaves original music, heritage storytelling, and hands-on workshops, all built on the idea that Asheville's colorful past and its ever-evolving present belong on the same stage.
Here's everything you need to know before you go.
Who's playing Boomtown FestAVL in 2026?
The newly released 2026 lineup is colorful and eclectic, leaning into funk, jam, and global rhythms. Pack Square Park's stages host Lettuce for two sets, plus Cimafunk, Groundation, Toubab Krewe & Friends, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Empire Strikes Brass, Jon Stickley Trio, StephanieSID, Electro Lust, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, Atash, Wolph, New Dawn Starkestra, The Jlloyd Mashup, Auspicious Golden Fish, Suns of Stars, Las Montañitas, Black Sea Beat Society, Adama Dembele & Les Amis (also playing twice), Coconut Cake, and Dancing Drum. The Asheville Symphony returns with a performance in the park, and family favorite Secret Agent 23 Skidoo headlines The Big Secret, the festival's surprise-packed finale, complete with its own Big Secret Family Stage featuring collab sets, circus acts, and interactive kids programming.
The free portion of the festival spreads across downtown's connected Pack Square Park, including the Green, the Terrace, the Dobell Stage, and the Pack Stage, plus the Asheville Art Museum and Pritchard Park. It's an easy, walkable footprint that makes it simple to wander between stages, tour groups, food vendors, and heritage exhibits over the course of the weekend.
NOTE: Full set times and the complete festival schedule are still being finalized. Check back soon for updates.
Are there ticketed events?
Once the sun goes down, the music moves to five ticketed venues around downtown: The Orange Peel, Asheville Music Hall, One Stop, Nightshade, and Barleys. Late-night highlights include Saxsquatch, Birocratic & G Mills, an Adam Deitch producer set (twice), Earthcry Live featuring Anthony Thogmartin and Mike Healy of Papadosio, Elf Machine, a surprise-lineup Allman Brothers Band tribute from Trouble No More, Jeff Sipe & Friends' "Boomtown Super Jam," GFE (Granola Funk Express), Jelly Ellington, Josh Blake's Jukebox paying tribute to Jamiroquai, Melissa McKinney & Friends, The Jlloyd Boomtown Mashup, and DJ sets from DJ Topaz, John Trufant, Osiah, Dobarae, DJ Bowie, and DJ Mookite, with surprise guests woven in throughout the weekend.
How do Boomtown FestAVL passes work?
General admission is free with an RSVP, which visitors can reserve directly through the festival's website, and it covers Pack Square Park and the other daytime venues.
VIP ticket tiers are in the works, with a presale window opening Aug. 30-31 ahead of the festival.
The late-night shows at The Orange Peel, Asheville Music Hall, One Stop, Nightshade, and Barleys are ticketed separately.
What else can I do between musical acts?
Beyond the music, the festival offers several ways to immerse yourself in Asheville's history in person. Guided walking tours, including the Boomtown '26 Trail, the Urban Trail, and an Asheville Music History tour, depart from the Asheville Art Museum on Pack Square and connect the architecture and pioneering stories woven into downtown's streets.
Stay close to downtown for easy access to many stages, leave time between shows, and make room for Asheville’s restaurants, breweries, galleries, and mountain views while you’re here.
What's the parking situation?
One practical note before you head downtown: parking is limited around Pack Square Park due to street closures for the festival, so plan on a nearby garage rather than street parking.
The College Avenue County Parking deck
The Aloft Hotel garage on Biltmore Avenue
The Rankin Avenue City garage
The Harrah's Cherokee Center garage
Photos courtesy of Boomtown FestAVL
