Acclaimed folk duo Gillian Welch & David Rawlings join the list of artists performing at IBMA Bluegrass Live!®, a two-day festival of live performances and fan experiences, taking place Sept. 19-20 in Chattanooga, Tennessee
The IBMA World of Bluegrass® 2025 App is now available.
NASHVILLE, TN (September 12, 2025) – The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) announced the addition of celebrated folk/Americana artists Gillian Welch & David Rawlings to this year’s IBMA Bluegrass Live!® in partnership with Chattanooga Tourism Co. and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are pillars of the modern acoustic music world and their rich and remarkable careers span over twenty-five years. They have been hailed by Pitchfork as “modern masters of American folk” and “protectors of the American folk song” by Rolling Stone and the New York Times says “their combined voices operate beyond simple sonic harmony. There are emotional inquiries at play. If Welch’s voice delivers the good news or the hard news of the world, Rawlings’s voice comes underneath, asking how much deeper the sadness can go or what fresh heights the ecstatic can climb to.” Their latest album, Woodland, won Best Folk Album at the 2025 GRAMMY Awards and they are on tour in the US and UK/EU throughout 2025. They were awarded Duo/ Group of the Year at the 2025 Americana Music Awards.
Sierra Ferrell, previously announced, will not be performing.
“Our goal this year – and every year – is to host a music festival that elevates bluegrass music, with musicians that lean into traditional sounds as well as musicians that like to push the envelope musically,” said Ken White, IBMA Executive Director. “We’re honored and excited to have Gillian Welch and David Rawlings join us for this year’s IBMA Bluegrass Live!; they’re a welcome addition to the lineup. We look forward to welcoming Sierra to our stages in the future.”
IBMA Bluegrass Live!® is a two-day festival of live performances and fan experiences that will take place September 19-20 in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. Ticketed performances, family-friendly free music stages, food trucks and arts & crafts vendors stretching down Market Street, and additional festival activities will be available for all to enjoy.
Other performers for the ticketed portion of the festival include The Wood Brothers, Sierra Hull, The Infamous Stringdusters, Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, Alison Brown, Sister Sadie, Jim Lauderdale & The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Missy Raines & Allegheny, Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Woody Platt & The Bluegrass Gentlemen, East Nash Grass, Mountain Grass Unit, Authentic Unlimited, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Trey Hensley, Unspoken Tradition, Wyatt Ellis, Mason Via, DownRiver Collective, The Often Herd, and Kids on Bluegrass.
Performances are scheduled for the Tennessee Sounds Perfect Stage in Miller Park, Pinnacle Financial Partners Stage in Miller Plaza, and the Visit Chattanooga Stage in Patten Square.
For performance times/stages for all artists, refer to IBMA World of Bluegrass® 2025 App; users can easily access performance and activity schedules and details, festival maps and other valuable information for the full five-day event, including activities like:
- The City of Chattanooga Office of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy has established the One Chattanooga Stage, located at 11th and Market. Local Chattanooga talent will be showcased here, from bluegrass to hip hop, dance to spoken word – all styles will be represented on this stage, open and free to all.
- The IBMA Youth Stage will feature college groups, Kids on Bluegrass, and other youth bands.
- Along with a wide variety of food and beverages available from food trucks and local restaurants downtown, The Chattanooga Market has partnered with IBMA to organize an Arts & Crafts Vendor Market. The food trucks and Vendor Market will be located on Market Street from 8th – 11th St.
- Also accessible to all, in the Chattanooga Convention Center, are the International Stage, highlighting the best of bluegrass music from across the globe, and the many instrument manufacturers and music vendors located in the Exhibit Hall.
- Picking for the Prize Guitar Contest, sponsored by Martin Guitar, and hosted by the Ruby Falls IBMA World of Bluegrass® Artist-in-Residence, Luke Black, is scheduled to take place Friday morning in the Chattanooga Convention Center. In this flatpicking guitar contest, five finalists will compete live for a grand prize that includes a brand-new Martin D-28 Billy Strings acoustic guitar, donated by Martin Guitar.
- The IBMA Wide Open Bluegrass® Late Night Jam sponsored by Yamaha, the official IBMA afterparty, is the final event of the IBMA World of Bluegrass® week. Hosted by The Signal (Choo Choo Ave), doors open at 10:30pm Saturday, and music from 11pm – 1am. LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE, click HERE for more information and to purchase your ticket.
Additional information about IBMA Bluegrass Live!®, as well as purchase options for tickets, are available at worldofbluegrass.org.
IBMA Bluegrass Live!® in partnership with Chattanooga Tourism Co. and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development would like to thank their sponsors and media partners for their support: Riverview Foundation, Benwood Foundation, Fletcher Bright Realty, River City Company, Acoustic Coffee, Acoustic Shoppe, Aloompa, Blood Assurance, Bluegrass Country Radio, Bluegrass in Japan, Bluegrass in La Roche, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Bluegrass Ridge TV, Bluegrass Situation, Bluegrass Standard, Blueridge Music Camp, BMI, California Bluegrass Association, CanTrip, Chattanooga Gas, Chattanooga Zoo, Coca-Cola United, Coker Museum, Collings Guitars, Creative Discovery Museum, Czech Bluegrass Music Association, D’Addario, Deering Banjos, Ear Trumpet Labs, Earl Scruggs Music Festival, Elderly, Folk Alliance, Fox and Fern Botanical Styling, Get It Played, Gold Tone, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, Hamilton County, Hopeless Hollar Trading, HXC-Calton Cases, IBMA Foundation, Jared Finck, Junior Appalachian Musicians, Krystal, Lodge Cast Iron, M&M Productions, Martin Guitar, National Medal of Honor Museum, Paige Musical Products, Papaw O’Dell’s, Paragon Printing, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Preston Thompson Guitars, Pre-War Guitars, Puckett’s, Rounder Records, Ruby Falls, See Rock City, SnapDragon, Sound Biscuit, Tennessee Entertainment Commission, The MLC, Tennessee Whiskey Trail, Token Made Incorporated, Tone Slabs, Tremont Tavern,Tri-Star Beverage, Turnberry Records, The State of Virginia, Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival, and Yamaha
Americana Music Association, Americana Rhythm Magazine, Banjo Radio, Blue Ox Music Festival, Bluegrass Country Radio, Bluegrass Situation, Bluegrass Today, Bluegrass Unlimited, Industrial Strength Bluegrass, Knee-Deep in Bluegrass, MerleFest, Nashville Scene / FW Publishing, No Depression, Smithville Jamboree, Sonic Planet,Your Roots Are Showing, WMOT 89.5 Roots Radio, and WUTC 88.1 Chattanooga
IBMA World of Bluegrass®, in partnership with Chattanooga Tourism Co. and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, runs September 16-20, 2025. The week, the most important in bluegrass music, encompasses four events: the IBMA Business Conference presented by Riverview Foundation, Sept. 16-18 at the Chattanooga Convention Center; the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble presented by Coca-Cola United, an innovative series of showcases taking place Sept. 16-18 in local Chattanooga venues; the 36th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, presented by Get It Played, scheduled for Thursday evening, September 18 at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium; and IBMA Bluegrass Live!®, Sept. 19-20, a two-day festival of live performances and fan experiences.
Tickets are now on sale for all IBMA World of Bluegrass® events; visit worldofbluegrass.org for details.
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About the IBMA:
The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) is the non-profit music association that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals and enthusiasts, honoring tradition and encouraging innovation in the bluegrass community worldwide. The organization hosts IBMA World of Bluegrass®, an annual event featuring a business conference, showcases, awards show, and street festival highlighting the best in bluegrass talent. The event supports the IBMA and the IBMA Trust Fund. Other special IBMA initiatives include the IBMA International Band Performance Grant, Leadership Bluegrass, and Kids on Bluegrass. Learn more at ibma.org and worldofbluegrass.org.
About Tennessee Department of Tourist Development:
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (TDTD) is dedicated to driving economic growth and tourism in all 95 counties. TDTD’s global marketing efforts increase visitation to Tennessee, which boosts tax revenue, creates jobs and attracts new investment across the state. Tennessee is a global destination of choice offering visitors world-class music, live entertainment, family-friendly experiences, charming communities, innovative and classic culinary creations, renowned scenic beauty and outdoor adventure—all centered at the crossroads of rich history and unrivaled hospitality. Vacations “sound perfect” in Tennessee. Visit TNvacation.com and follow @TNvacation on social media for travel inspiration.
About Chattanooga Tourism Co.:
The Chattanooga Tourism Co. is the official destination marketing organization for Hamilton County, dedicated to sustainably increasing visitation and connecting guests with authentic Chattanooga experiences. The organization aims to strengthen the local economy and enrich the community by establishing Chattanooga as a premier destination for meetings, conventions, sporting events, cultural festivals, and leisure travel. Annually, Hamilton County welcomes over 10.7 million visitors who contribute $70 million in local taxes, saving each resident household $1,205 in taxes and supporting more than 30,000 jobs. https://www.visitchattanooga.com/.
About Riverview Foundation:
The Riverview Foundation seeks to enrich the livability and stewardship of select communities and natural areas located within the Buffalo Bayou, Broad, Horsepasture, Lower Tennessee, Medina, and Oconee River watersheds. The foundation’s grantmaking priorities include the performing (musical) arts, habitat and wildlife conservation, parks and greenways, and other projects of interest to the Trustees.
About Coca-Cola United:
Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, founded in 1902 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is the second largest privately held Coca-Cola bottler in North America and the third largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in the United States. Historically significant franchises within our Coca-Cola UNITED family include Chattanooga, the world’s first Coca-Cola bottler. The company is engaged in the production, marketing, sales and distribution of a diverse portfolio of leading “sparkling” brands such as Coca-Cola®, Diet Coke®, Coke Zero Sugar®, Dr Pepper®, Sprite®, Fanta® and Topo Chico®, as well as “still” brands such as smartwater®, Dasani®, POWERADE®, Gold Peak®, Monster® and Minute Maid®, just to name a few of our non-alcoholic beverages under exclusive franchise agreements principally with The Coca-Cola Company® and Dr Pepper Snapple Group®. Coca-Cola UNITED has approximately 10,000 associates, located in 48 sales and distribution centers and eight production facilities throughout six southeastern states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Find out more at https://cocacolaunited.com/.
About Get It Played:
Get it Played is a service-based membership for musicians, producers, record labels and
industry personnel. Their media and radio distribution packages serve as an essential way for
artists and labels to get the attention of major mainstream media; reaching genre-specific and
mass communication outlets provide key opportunities for both seasoned artists and up-andcoming future stars to get their music seen by thousands of different publications & stations. Learn more at https://getitplayed.com/.
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Press/General Info: Elizabeth Dewey, IBMA
[email protected], 615-673-4811
