All Festivals Kerrville Folk Festival

Kerrville Folk Festival

21 May - 7 June

USA

The Kerrville Folk Festival is a music festival held for 18 consecutive days in the late spring/early summer at Quiet Valley Ranch near Kerrville, Texas. The event has run annually since 1972.

🪕 Kerrville Folk Festival 2026: 18 Days of Music, Magic, and Community

Experience the soul of songwriting at the legendary Kerrville Folk Festival! Held annually at the scenic Quiet Valley Ranch in the Texas Hill Country, this iconic event is more than just a music festival—it’s a global gathering for folk lovers, storytellers, and creative spirits.

What Makes Kerrville Special:

The Longest-Running Festival of its Kind: Stretching over 18 consecutive days, Kerrville offers a unique immersion into the world of contemporary and traditional folk music.
Songwriters’ Paradise: Known worldwide for its “New Folk” competition, the festival has been a launching pad for legendary artists and rising stars alike.
The Campfire Culture: The music doesn’t stop when the main stage closes. The famous 24-hour campfire picking sessions offer an intimate, once-in-a-lifetime acoustic experience.
Family & Nature: With workshops, guided nature walks, and a dedicated kids’ area, it’s a peaceful retreat for families and outdoor enthusiasts.

Join the “Kerrverter” community this year for an unforgettable journey of melodies under the Texas stars. Whether you’re a lifelong folk fan or a first-time visitor, Kerrville 2026 promises a connection like no other.

Where?

Quiet Valley Ranch Kerrville Texas United States

Tickets

The Kerrville Folk Festival, the Foundation’s flagship event, was founded by Rod Kennedy in 1972. The 50th Kerrville Folk Festival was celebrated in 2022 and continues to be a Mecca for the songwriting community. For 18 straight days and nights, the Festival offers concerts and activities for all ages that are focused on nurturing and developing artistic expression, especially the art of songwriting.

The Festival is held at Quiet Valley Ranch in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, just 9 miles south of Kerrville, TX. (It’s about an hour drive from San Antonio and a two-hour drive from Austin.)

The Festival is celebrated by a community who considers itself family and are always delighted to welcome new folks! When gathered, it becomes the second largest community in Kerr county. During the 18-day Festival, attendance is approximately 30,000, with guests coming from all over the world to experience the magic many simply call “Kerrville”. Even so, each evening’s performance is attended by 800 to 2,000 guests, making everyone’s experience feel intimate.

Over 1500 outstanding singer-songwriters have been presented on the Festival’s stages. Through the years, the Kerrville stage has welcomed many nationally known artists, as New Folk Finalists, performers, and instructors in our schools and workshops.

While many folks come out just to see the evening shows, many say the heart and soul of the Festival is in the Campground. This is where folks can truly experience and appreciate the abundance of talent the community is blessed to have in their midst each year. Impromptu jam sessions pop up at any time around campfires, or anywhere folks are willing to listen; it is a 24-hour-a-day treat for musicians and music enthusiasts alike.

In addition to evenings of live music, there are daytime activities such as children’s concerts, YAPI (Young Artists’ Performance Incubator), a universities campus songwriters competition, the annual Grassy Hill New Folk Competition, a songwriters school, workshops in ukulele, harmonica and guitar, hill country bike rides, canoe trips on the Guadalupe River, guided nature walks, Texas wine and beer seminars, Saturday Shabbat services, and Sunday folk song services. There is something for everyone who enjoys music, camping, the outdoors, and making new friends.

Whether you come out for a day, a weekend, or for the entire Festival, you’ll find that the music, the ambiance, and the spiritual optimism combine to make this America’s most beloved and respected songwriters gathering.

The two words that seem to come up most when people describe the festivals is “magic” and “transformational.” We invite you to join us and create your own magically transformational experience, and learn why so many come back year after year.