Announcements
2026 Headliner The Lonesome River Band
The Lonesome River is one of the most respected names in bluegrass music with nearly a 40-year history. Five-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Banjo Player of the Year, and winner of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, Sammy Shelor, leads the group and with his band will lead a jam session after their 11 PM performance Friday, inside the Cozy Cove. All jammers are welcome to participate!
2026 Headliner My Brother's Keeper
My Brother's Keeper is an award winning, contemporary bluegrass band from Cincinnati, Ohio. John Cowan of New Grass Revival fame, summed up his experience about them: "Amazing vocals, stellar playing, tremendous songs, and superlative young human beings." My Brother's Keeper will lead a jam session after their Saturday midnight set, inside the Cozy Cove. All jammers are welcome to participate!
Celebrate Bluegrass Music With Good Friends
The Midsummer Bluegrass Festival provides a longstanding, annual opportunity in a natural, intimate setting to enjoy Bluegrass. Often flying under the radar in comparison to various pop brands of music, the premise behind this Bluegrass Show is the belief that by developing a taste for Bluegrass Music, you can set your quality of life apart to a higher degree by acquiring its appreciation. Bluegrass is sometimes referred to as that “happy” music because of the pep emoting from many of its tunes—so fun to toe-tap or dance to!
Those were some happy times when Bill Monroe (see picture above) founder of the original American art form, Bluegrass Music, stepped onto the Cove Cove grounds with his Bluegrass Boys, to perform on July 28, 1991. For more than 30 years since, everyone from tourists to camp counselors to bluegrass aficionados, could count on traveling to Manitowish Waters to see live bluegrass acts perform from all over the country (view this years Lineup/Schedule and also the Festival Archive to see list of Bill Monroe Bluegrass Boys who have performed on the Cozy Cove stage over the years, a mark of a true Bluegrass Festival).
You are invited to be part of Bluegrass history by attending the longest standing continuous annual Bluegrass Festival in the state of Wisconsin, the 37th Annual Midsummer Bluegrass Festival.
Patrons have also appreciated diversions in musical taste by including a limited number of performances from cousin genres such as jambase, blues, Texas Swing, rock, roots, Americana, acoustic jazz, Cajun and Celtic (press link Lineup/Schedule to see how the Lineup develops). Your suggestions for acts to perform at the festival are always appreciated.
Remember to bring your kayaks, canoes, bicycles or walking shoes. In between sets you may choose an excursion on the paved trail across the street from the festival grounds. There's 45 miles+ of winding trail through the beautiful Northwoods waiting for you. There are also swimming holes and waterfalls to discover within a relatively short drive from the festival.
Visit ManitowishWaters.org for a comprehensive list of fun opportunities in the area.