MerleFest has unveiled another rousing layer of its annual entertainment schedule. After previously sharing the initial participants for its upcoming April 23-26, 2026, gathering at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, N.C., the folks behind the beloved event have released a list of artists taking part in the Old Crow Medicine Show-led Late Night Jam. 

Participating in the beloved moonlit tradition are Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr, Maggie Rose, The Creekers, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, DUG, Donna the Buffalo, and more. The newly shared list of musical participants joins a staggering lineup of already announced talent, including lineup leaders and 14-time Grammy winners Alison Krauss & Union Station. Also performing are Charles Wesley Godwin, Blackberry Smoke, Molly Tuttle, Sam Bush, The Jerry Douglas Band, Steep Canyon Rangers, and Peter Rowan & The Walls of Time Band. 

The event, which honors North Carolina’s musical treasure Doc Watson, is under the traditional-plus umbrella, with even more bluegrass, roots, folk, and blues acts represented. Also on the bill are The Creekers, Trey Hensley, Sister Sadie, Jake Shimabukuro, Hogslop String Band, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Dom Flemons & The Traveling Wildfires, Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Melissa Carper, Leon Timbo & The Family Band, DUG, Scythian, Donna The Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, and more. 

MerleFest was founded in 1988 as a fundraising initiative for the Garden of the Senses at Wilkes Community College as a way to memorialize Watson’s late son, Eddy Merle Watson. With a mix of stellar acts each year, the event celebrates the sounds of the region and beyond with an expansive lineup of talent performing over four days across 12 stages. 

Multi-day tickets and festival packages are available.