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New bluegrass festival to replace IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh

Following IBMA Bluegrass Live!'s announced departure from Oak City, a new bluegrass festival from PineCone will pluck its way into Raleigh in 2025.

July 30, 2024 • 
Allie Remhof
Attendees watch a concert at Red Hat Amphitheater.

Raleigh was the fourth home of IBMA World of Bluegrass with shows at Red Hat and throughout downtown.

Photo provided by IBMA and PineCone

Piedmont-based music nonprofit PineCone announced a new bluegrass festival called Raleigh Wide Open which will replace IBMA World of Bluegrass + Bluegrass Live! in 2025.

Raleigh Wide Open will take center stage Oct. 3-4, 2025 and is named in honor of the original Oak City bluegrass festival. IBMA Bluegrass Live! will rock Raleigh one last time Sept. 27-28 with acts like Sierra Ferrell + Steep Canyon Rangers. IBMA’s festival amassed 223,000 attendees from 2017 to 2023.

During the festival’s 10th year in the City of Oaks in 2023, IBMA announced that World of Bluegrass + Bluegrass Live! would leave Raleigh — the festival will head to Chattanooga, Tennessee starting in 2025.

“The festival will certainly include bluegrass but will be much more culturally expansive,” said David Brower, PineCone’s executive director, in a 2023 press release. “Gospel, funk, blues, and old time are deeply rooted in this community and a whole lot of fun. We want to make sure this new festival both looks and sounds like Raleigh.”

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