Photos: BRISTOL RHYTHM & ROOTS REUNION Marks 25th Anniversary

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion has officially wrapped its 25th year, leaving festival goers with a weekend filled with performances and a renewed sense of the community that organizers say makes the festival a yearly family reunion for many. St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Sierra Ferrell, and Old Crow Medicine Show were among the standout acts who performed in Bristol, on the same streets where country music history was made nearly 100 years ago.

Photo Credit: Earl Neikirk, Billie Wheeler, Heidi Holloway, Cora Wagoner, Grace Carter

'This festival is yours, forever,' said Festival Director, Richard Oakley, to the crowd of fans, volunteers, and team members before Sunday's closing performance.

Friday

Festivities kicked off in the late afternoon with Jim Lauderdale and Donna the Buffalo opening State Street Stage with a special 25th anniversary jam. This year's event marked Lauderdale's 14th trip to the festival. Later that evening, fans packed Paramount Bristol for German music producer and songwriter Toby Gad and Bristol's own cellist and composer Dave Eggar. The duo performed renditions of hit songs written by Gad, including: 'Big Girls Don't Cry,' 'My Immortal,' and 'Viva La Vida.' As the sun started to go down, Los Lobos and St. Paul and The Broken Bones brought soulful rock to the Piedmont Avenue Stage and Johnny Mullenax closed out the night with an electric performance on the Country Mural stage.

Saturday

Day two saw performances from Josh Mitcham and Possum Creek Playboys before a rainshower passed through Bristol. Despite a brief rain delay for the outdoor stages, the party continued indoors at the Paramount Bristol with Radio Bristol's Farm and Fun Time. A festival staple, the popular re-imagining of the classic WCYB program served as the official 25th Anniversary Celebration of Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion including musical guests Cruz Contreras & The Black Lillies, Trousdale, and The Band Loula. The weather cleared and the festival continued on with sets from Acoustic Syndicate: 'The Bristol Reunion,' Franklin Jonas & The Byzantines, Johnson City, Tenn.-based band Florencia & The Feeling and the Del McCoury Band, to name a few.

At the Cumberland Square Park stage, attendees gathered for the headlining performance of Sierra Ferrell, who first performed at 6th Street Stage in 2021, and returned to the festival this year as the top-billing festival artist. Bringing the night to a close, Clay Street Unit and Braxton Keith performed on the 6th Street and Piedmont Avenue Stages, drawing crowds who continued to sing and dance from the first note to the last.

Sunday

Day three opened with musicians Virginia West, Logan & McKenna, and Erin Lunsford performing on the final day of Bristol Rhythm. The Bristol Sessions Super Raffle benefiting the Birthplace of Country Music Museum announced winners to more than $250,000 in cash and prizes. Denitia delivered her Texas-rooted blend of soul and country at the 6th Street Stage. Added to the lineup just before the festival began, River Shook performed on the Piedmont Avenue Stage. At the Cumberland Square Park stage, The Band Loula performed while at 6th Street, Fust took the stage, performing their indie-rock blend of Americana with their born-and-raised-in-Bristol frontman, Aaron Dowdy. Richmond, Va. native, Maggie Antone had fans singing along to her blend of country, soul, and Southern rock. Throughout Cumberland Square Park, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives performed, suited up in baby blue, black, and rhinestones.

The night came to a close with Old Crow Medicine Show's set on State Street. The band honored Dolly Parton by bringing Hannah Dasher to the stage for a rendition of the Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton duet, 'Just Someone I Used To Know.' Midway through the set, Old Crow paid tribute to Jimmie Rodgers, officially kicking off the Birthplace of Country Music's year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions. Tennessee and Virginia anthems 'Rocky Top' and 'Wagon Wheel' united both sides of State Street.

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion will return September 10-12, 2027 to celebrate the 1927 Bristol Sessions, also known as country music's 'big bang,' and once referred to as 'the single most important event in the history of country music,' by Johnny Cash. More information about next year's festival and milestone celebration is available at bristolrhythm.com.

About Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion

Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia is heralded as The Birthplace of Country Music, home to the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings. The Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is a celebration of that legacy and is known for its diverse headliners, established touring acts, up-and-coming artists, and music across a wide variety of roots genres. It is also noted for its downtown setting along State Street, where Virginia and Tennessee meet to form the twin cities of Bristol. More information is available at BristolRhythm.com.

About the Birthplace of Country Music

Located in Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia, the Birthplace of Country Music (BCM) is the parent nonprofit organization of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival, and Radio Bristol. BCM's mission is to perpetuate, promote, and celebrate Bristol's music heritage; to educate and engage audiences worldwide regarding the history, impact, and legacy of the 1927 Bristol Sessions from which BCM derives its name; and to create recognition, opportunities, and economic benefit for BCM's local and regional communities. More information is available at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.