The Moab Folk Festival celebrates 23 years on November 7-9, 2025. Set in the stunning red rock canyon country of southeastern Utah, this intimate festival presents an outstanding lineup of singer-songwriters, Americana, roots, and bluegrass music. The Festival will take place at our outdoor venue, the Moab City Ballpark, and indoors at Star Hall. Tickets range from $63 to $400, not including discounts for kids and locals. You can buy tickets here!
The Festival begins with a concert on Friday, November 7th from 7-9:30pm at historic Star Hall. Three female folk musicians will join forces as Mother Tree to kick off the weekend. Mother Tree is the collaboration of three nationally acclaimed songwriters and close friends Susan Cattaneo, Sloan Wainwright and Cosy Sheridan have created a set of music that will lift your spirits. The Festival is excited to welcome back beloved singer songwriter and 4 time Grammy nominee Darrell Scott. Darrell's lyrics allow us to make sense of the world, what is at stake here, and our place in it. He will headline both evening Star Hall shows.
There will be two performers at Star Hall on Saturday, November 8th from 7-9:30pm. Opening the evening will be Emily Scott Robinson, a North Carolina native turned Colorado songwriter. She travels the dusty highways of America's wild country, capturing the stories of the people she meets and expertly crafting them into songs. With hints of bluegrass, country, and folk, her talent for storytelling and pristine soprano will be a performance you won’t want to miss. Darrell Scott returns Saturday night for another memorable set.
Eight performances will take place between Saturday, November 8th and Sunday November 9th on the Moab City Ballpark mainstage, from 11:00am-4:30pm each day. Our lineup is a work in progress, six more artists will be announced. Elephant Revival will be returning to the Festival for the first time since 2013 to headline Saturday’s ballfield show.
Elephant Revival is a unique collection of multi-instrumentalists blending elements of Celtic, Americana, Folk and Indie Art Rock. The music they create together is like weather systems meeting in the sky, Bonnie’s warmly haunting voice either merging with the rhythms and melodies of the band or providing a counterpoint and transforming it. Among the most prolific artists on the Americana scene today, Seth Walker is a multi-dimensional talent who combines a gift for melody and lyric alongside a rich, Gospel-drenched, Southern-inflected voice with a true blue knack for getting around on the guitar. He's released twelve albums, broken into the Top 20 of the Americana Radio Charts, reached No. 2 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart and received praise from NPR, American Songwriter, No Depression and Relix, among others. A troubadour of truth, Nashville resident Crys Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. An award-winning, prolific lyricist and composer, Matthews blends Country, Americana, Folk, Blues, and Bluegrass into a bold, complex performance steeped in traditional melodies punctuated by honest, original lyrics. She is made for these times. Opening the Festival on Saturday will be Tanasi, a collaboration of celebrated Asheville, NC musicians, featuring the tight sister-like harmonies of MerleFest-winning songwriter Anya Hinkle and Mary Lucey (Biscuit Burners, Uncle Earl) with the inimitable dobro musings of Billy Cardine.
We are excited to have Yonder Mountain String Band headlining on Sunday. They have been a driving force in roots music for nearly three decades. Yonder continues to exist at the forefront of the progressive bluegrass scene as undeniable innovators and pioneers of the modern jamgrass movement. Yonder’s high-energy acoustic sound blends bluegrass with elements of rock, alternative, psychedelic and improvisational music. IYKYK, their shows are lively and fun! Della Mae will also be performing Sunday. They are a GRAMMY-nominated all-woman string band hailing from across North America, and reared in diverse musical styles. Their live shows are foot-stomping, crowd-pleasing riots, full of high-octane instrumental skills. Their mission as a band is to showcase top female musicians, and to improve opportunities for women and girls through advocacy, mentorship, programming, and performance. Since exploding onto the Colorado scene in 2021, the four women of the supergroup Big Richard have been on a wild ride. From the first few notes of their tight vocal harmonies, dazzling string virtuosity, and clever arrangements, no one had any choice but to take them seriously. Big Richard is currently touring their debut full-length studio album Girl Dinner, showcasing their honest songwriting, chilling vocals, and fiddle-driven barn-burners. Sunday’s show will begin with a collaboration of artists doing an inspirational/gospel set. Don't miss this supergroup set!
In addition to the many performances spanning three days, we are excited to host Camp Coletrain Pop Up Music Camp for kids at the ballpark! This mobile music camp will offer instrument show and tell, participatory instruction, and a creativity station. Camp Coletrain was founded by Coleman Smith, current fiddler for Yonder Mountain String Band.
We will continue to offer several free public workshops on Saturday and Sunday of the event. For more information: www.moabfolkfestival.com or 435-260-1756. If you are interested in volunteering for the event, please visit moabfolkfestival.com/volunteer.