BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C (828newsNOW) — The blues will return to downtown Black Mountain in September with a three-day music event built around live performance, regional connection and the preservation of blues traditions.
The Black Mountain Blues Society has announced the lineup for the 2026 Black Mountain Blues Experience, scheduled for Sept. 25-27 in downtown Black Mountain. The event will feature an array of blues sub-genres, including gospel blues, Americana, Southern rock, Chicago style, Delta, and roots music in an indoor, reserved-seat format.
The event is presented by the Black Mountain Blues Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports blues music programming, education and preservation.
A weekend built around listening
The 2026 Black Mountain Blues Experience is being planned as a smaller indoor event, with capacity limited to 200 seats. Organizers said the format is intended to create a more focused listening environment than larger outdoor festivals, where audiences may move between stages or contend with weather, crowds and overlapping performances.
Each ticket includes a reserved seat in a single indoor setting. The format allows attendees to stay with one stage throughout the day while hearing a range of blues-related styles. The downtown location also connects the event to Black Mountain’s business district, placing attendees within walking distance of restaurants, breweries, shops and other local businesses during the weekend.
Blues traditions from Memphis, Chicago and beyond
The lineup reflects several branches of the blues tradition, from Memphis and Chicago blues to gospel blues, Americana, Southern rock and contemporary roots music.
Scheduled performers include Ghost Town Blues Band, Mac Arnold, Selwyn Birchwood, Stacy Mitchhart Band, Derrick Dove and the Peacekeepers, MAMA featuring Melissa McKinney, Southern Avenue, Ra’Shad “The Blues Kid,” Seth Walker, Wendy & DaShawn Hickman, Peggy Ratusz & Daddy Longlegs, Rhoda Weaver & the Risers and Max Hightower.
The mix of performers brings together veteran musicians, nationally touring acts, emerging artists and regional performers. Organizers said that combination is part of the event’s effort to connect wider blues traditions with the music community in Western North Carolina.
Veteran performers and newer voices
Several scheduled performers represent long-running blues lineages. Mac Arnold, a veteran blues musician, is scheduled to appear. Arnold has performed with Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker.
Ghost Town Blues Band, based in Memphis, brings a sound that incorporates blues, horns and cigar-box guitar. Selwyn Birchwood, an Alligator Records artist, is also part of the lineup, with music that blends blues with contemporary songwriting and performance styles.
The lineup also includes newer and contemporary blues voices. Derrick Dove and the Peacekeepers are listed among the performers. Event information identifies the group as the first-place winner of the 2026 International Blues Challenge, with Dove recognized as 2026 Best Guitarist.
MAMA featuring Melissa McKinney is also scheduled. According to event information, the group placed second in the Band Division at the 2026 International Blues Challenge and won first place at the 2025 MerleFest competition.
Regional musicians part of the program
The event will also include musicians from Western North Carolina and the surrounding region.
Scheduled regional performers include Wendy & DaShawn Hickman, Peggy Ratusz & Daddy Longlegs, Rhoda Weaver & the Risers and Max Hightower.
Their inclusion gives the weekend a local and regional component which honors the Black Mountain Blues Society’s broader work to keep blues music active in Western North Carolina.
Gospel blues focus planned for Sunday
Sunday’s program will focus on women-fronted gospel blues acts, according to event information.
Southern Avenue, a Memphis-based Grammy-nominated group, is listed as a featured performer for the Sunday program. The group’s music draws from Memphis soul, gospel, blues and roots music.
The Sunday schedule is intended to highlight the influence of gospel traditions within blues music and close the weekend with vocal-driven performances.
Supporting blues education and preservation
The Black Mountain Blues Experience is more than a concert weekend for the organization behind it.
According to the Black Mountain Blues Society, ticket sales support the nonprofit’s work related to blues music programming, education and preservation. The organization’s stated focus includes supporting musicians, presenting live music and keeping blues traditions active in the region.
The 2026 event places that mission in a downtown setting, combining touring artists, regional musicians and audiences in a format designed around listening rather than large-scale festival crowds.
Ticket prices vary by performance day and seating option. Because capacity is limited to about 200 seats, organizers recommend purchasing tickets in advance.
Tickets and schedule information are available at blackmountainblues.org.
