Now in its fifth year, CaveFest returns to The Caverns on October 10–11, 2026, for a two-day, boutique festival experience rooted in Americana, bluegrass, and roots music. This year’s lineup is led by Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Peter Rowan & Sam Grisman Project, Rising Appalachia, and Keller & The Keels, alongside a wide-ranging group of collaborators, tribute performances, and artist-in-residence Lindsay Lou.
Blending music with a one-of-a-kind natural setting, CaveFest features performances both above ground at The Caverns Amphitheater and underground inside the cave. The weekend includes kids’ activities, cave tours, cave yoga, a sound bath, local vendors, open jam sessions, late-night shows, and more. A 2-day ticket costs just $99 and includes camping, while kids 12 and under are free—making it easy for families to experience it all.
“CaveFest is my favorite weekend of the year. It’s such a communal weekend, with the camping and fall weather,” says The Caverns owner/founder Todd Mayo. “All the folks come together in celebration of great music—jam-friendly, family-friendly, hippy-friendly, happy-friendly—and there always seems to be such serendipity in the air.”
Full CaveFest 2026 Line-Up
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Peter Rowan & Sam Grisman Project, Rising Appalachia, Keller & The Keels, John Prine 80th Birthday Celebration featuring The Tree of Forgiveness Band with special guests, Bristol Sessions 100th Anniversary Celebration (feat. Carlene Carter, Elizabeth Cook, Dom Flemons, Jim Lauderdale, Ashley Monroe), Lindsay Lou, Dom Flemons & The Traveling Wildfires, Jim Lauderdale & The Game Changers, Fruition, Scott Miller & The Commonwealth, Airshow (2 Late Nights), Uncle B’s Damned Ole Opry, Slay & Stinson, HuDost, Modern Biology: Music from Plants & Mushrooms, Three Tall Pines, The Flea Market Hustlers, Slap Dragon
Special Sets, Tributes & Collaborations
CaveFest 2026 features a series of special album sets and tribute performances, including: Peter Rowan & Sam Grisman Project play Old & In the Way; Lindsay Lou performs Sublime’s Sublime celebrating 30 years since its release; Airshow performs Phish’s Billy Breathes celebrating its 30 year anniversary and a Bob Weir tribute; Uncle B’s Damned Ole Opry plays The Beatles’ Revolver; and Slay & Stinson play Hot Rize’s Hot Rize.
A centerpiece of the weekend is the John Prine 80th Birthday Celebration, honoring one of the most beloved songwriters in American music. Prine’s songs are a touchstone for the CaveFest community—woven into campfire circles, late-night jams, and the spirit of the festival itself—making this tribute set with The Tree of Forgiveness Band especially meaningful for artists and attendees alike.
The Bristol Sessions 100th Anniversary Celebration pays tribute to the recordings widely known as the “big bang” of country music, while highlighting the artists carrying that legacy forward. Carlene Carter, granddaughter of Mother Maybelle, brings a direct lineage to that history, joined by Elizabeth Cook, Dom Flemons, Jim Lauderdale, and Ashley Monroe—artists who each carry that tradition forward in their own way. This set will feature songs from the Bristol recordings and will be taped for later broadcast on PBS in 2027.
Also featured, Modern Biology: Music from Plants & Mushrooms transforms bioelectric activity from living organisms into sound. Using sensors that detect electrical fluctuations, these signals are translated into notes and rhythms in real time—turning plant and fungal life into an evolving musical performance.
Returning as artist-in-residence, Lindsay Lou—the “Queen of CaveFest”—continues her role as a connective thread throughout the weekend, collaborating across multiple sets and creating the spontaneous sit-ins and one-off moments that define the festival.
Attendees will have a unique opportunity to be a part of television history. Performances will be captured for PBS’s Emmy Award-winning The Caverns Sessions across the two days.
Above Ground and Underground
Drawing guests from across the country, CaveFest fully activates The Caverns’ landscape. The outdoor amphitheater hosts main stage performances with room for chairs and dancing, set against the backdrop at the base of the Cumberland Plateau.
Underground, the cave’s natural acoustics create a distinctly immersive environment for additional sets, late-night shows, and daily programming including workshops, jam sessions, and wellness offerings. Select performances will be recorded for broadcast as part of The Caverns Sessions on PBS.
A Festival Community
The campground serves as the heart of the festival experience, with a lively Shakedown Street of vendors and the Camp Caverns Kids Village offering activities for younger guests. In addition, The Caverns Tavern, located near the entrance to Big Room Cave, serves Limestone Lager on draft and provides another gathering space throughout the weekend.
Mindful Moments
Beyond the music, CaveFest offers space to slow down and tune in. A cave yoga session—highly popular and best attended by arriving early—invites guests to move and breathe together in the underground space, while HuDost’s immersive sound bath fills the cave with resonant, meditative tones on another day.
Exploring The Depths
CaveFest offers multiple ways to experience The Caverns beyond the stages. Guests can take guided tours of Big Room Cave or try additional adventure caving experiences, with all necessary gear provided.
Tickets & Kick-Off Party
CaveFest 2-day tickets are available for just $99 and include camping. Kids 12 and under are free. General on sale begins Friday, March 27 at 12p CT at CaveFest.com.
The weekend begins early with the CaveFest Kick-Off Party on Friday, October 9—an add-on event featuring a cave concert with Lindsay Lou and Slap Dragon, that includes early access to the campground. A separate ticket is required.
VIP & Accommodations
CaveFest offers a variety of VIP and upgraded stay options designed to match different comfort levels. VIP Packages include on-site yurt stays, hotel & transportation packages, large pre-pitched tent glamping set-ups, and VIP camping for those bringing their own gear. All VIP packages include access to exclusive viewing areas such as the VIP Lounge Tent, early entry to the campground, guaranteed admission to Friday’s Kick-Off Party, guided cave tours, daily meals, complimentary massages, and exclusive CaveFest merchandise. VIP guests also enjoy private bars, climate-controlled restrooms and showers, charging stations, free water, and dedicated staff throughout the weekend.
Giving Back
$1 from every CaveFest ticket will be donated to the local non-profit Sewanee Mountain Grotto to support cave conservation efforts.