It’s officially Billy Strings week in Asheville, as the bluegrass guitarist preps for another annual run in the Western North Carolina music hub. This year will see Strings stage four sold-out shows at the downtown ExploreAsheville.com Arena Tuesday–Wednesday and Friday–Saturday, and venues, breweries, and bars across town have amassed a staggering schedule of shows and events before, after, and between the concerts.
Even for a city as inundated with live music as Asheville, the amount of extra-curricular shows surrounding the 2026 Billy Strings run is overwhelming. Below, we have tried to codify the schedule into as clear and concise a guide as possible, but this is by no means meant to serve as a comprehensive list. That Herculean task has instead been accomplished by the good people at LiveMusicAsheville.com.
Related: Billy Strings’ Asheville Run Brings In $15 Million To Local Economy
Free, Downtown [Note: mostly pre-shows]
DSSOLVR — The brewery will host its second-annual Hollow Heart Festival, with free pre- and after-parties featuring live music, art market, special beer releases, and food. Musicians will perform before and after each night of Billy, including Alex Bazemore & Friends (2/10), Group Therapy w/ Neptune Spins (2/11), Mojo Mountain and Full Body Rhythm (2/13), and Coyote Road Bandits and V-Day House (2/14).
Jack Of The Wood — The Celtic pub will also host a weeklong festival-style series of Billy Strings pre- and after-shows. Each afternoon will feature free pre-show performances from Upstream Rebellion (2/10), Old-Time Jam (2/11), Shady Grove Stringband (2/13), and Nobody’s Darling (2/14), while after-show concerts will cost $10 at the door [Scroll down for more details under Not Free, Downtown]. The restaurant will extend its kitchen hours for post-show grub. Thursday night, former Billy Strings mandolinist Drew Matulich will host his regular Bluesgrass Jam. Stop in for bluegrass brunch on your way out of town on Sunday afternoon.
The One Stop @ Asheville Music Hall — As always, The One Stop @ Asheville Music Hall will be open late for free live music Tuesday–Sunday, serviving pizza slices, sandwiches, and snacks until the early a.m. Free One Stop pre- and after-shows inclu Sunnyside Strings & Things and Lenny Pettinelli (2/10), Alvitas Way and Ranford Almond (2/11), Big Fur (2/12), Radish (2/13), Mama Said String Band (2/14), and Coyote Rodeo (2/14). Additionally, the upstairs Asheville Music Hall will once again host its daylong Fuzzy Rainbows Festival on Saturday, February 13th. The two-floor takeover of the conjoined One Stop and Music Hall will feature free live music, craft vendors, food, and more.
Third Room — Similar to Jack of the Wood, Third Room will host a free vendor market pre-party each day with music by The Saylor Brothers (2/10), Hannah’s House Blend (2/11), “AsheBilly Goat Rodeo – A ‘Day Between’ BMFS Fan Convergence” (2/12, The Greenliners (2/13), and Phuncle Sam Acoustic (2/14). Then in the evening, headlining acts will take over for ticketed performances [See Not Free, Downtown]
One World Downtown — The subterranean brewery (located next to local hotspot Farm Burger) will stage free pre-shows by The Mendenhall Sisters (2/10), Eternally Grateful (2/11), and Rossdafareye (2/13–2/14), plus an off-day show by Timothy Kelley (2/12).
Sparky’s Bardega — The bar/general store will host free early afternoon pre-shows from The Real King of Soul (2/10), 5J Barrow Music (2/11), Lenny P (2/12), Lenny P (2/13), and Rocky Collins (2/14).
5 Walnut Wine Bar — Looking to add a touch of class to your pregame? Visit the downtown hole-in-the-wall wine bar for free pre-shows from The John Henry’s (2/10), Bam A Lam (2/11), Alien Music Club Trio (2/12), and Fancy Marie (2/13).
Areté — The closest pre-party to the arena that isn’t in a parking lot. See pillar of the local music community Melissa McKinney play a pre-show with Adam Dembele (2/10) and Tanasi play an off-day show (2/12).
Shakedown Street — The city of Asheville has authorized an official Shakedown Street pop-up market and vendor bazaar directly across from the arena at 68 Haywood Street on all show days from 3 p.m. until midnight. Pick up your trash. We had a hurricane here, you may have heard about it.
Mardi Gras Parade — If you’re sticking around Asheville on Sunday or are just taking your time leaving, check out the Mardi Gras Parade, starting at 3:05 p.m. and circling through the South Slope area of restaurants and breweries. Have some hair of the dog at Burial South Slope and enjoy an Asheville tradition.
Free, Not Downtown
French Broad River Brewery — Located in the Biltmore Village area (named for the nearby Biltmore Estate that draws thousands of visitors to Asheville each year), French Broad River Brewery will host free shows from The Saylor Brothers (2/11, 6 p.m.), Jerry’s Dead (2/12, 6 p.m), and Sunday afternoon reggae from Chalwa (2/15, 3 p.m.).
The Grey Eagle — Asheville’s oldest rock club will open early on Saturday, February 14th for the Strings and Things local craft market in the afternoon.
Not Free, Downtown [Note: Mostly after-shows]
Jack Of The Wood — After the free daytime shows, Jack of the Wood will charge a $10 cover at the door for concerts by Andrew Wakefield & Friends (2/10), Cast Iron Bluegrass (2/11), Rudy’s Bluegrass Revue (2/13), and Florencia & The Feeling (2/14).
Asheville Music Hall — Each evening, the Asheville Music Hall—located upstairs from The One Stop—will come alive for Billy Strings after-shows by Larry Keel & Jon Stickley Duo (2/10), Larry Keel Experience (2/11), Red Clay Revival & Tanasi w/s/g Isaac Hadden (2/12), Hustle Souls w/s/g J Lloyd & Kyle Snuffer + Cactus Kate and The Pricks (2/13), and Suns of Stars (2/14). Admission to the Music Hall allows attendees to bounce up and down between the two venues.
Third Room — Following Third Room’s daytime vendor markets with free live music, the immersive venue will reopen for ticketed shows by Guitarmageddon ft. Isaac Hadden & Shadowgrass’ Kyser George (2/10), Songs from the Road Band (2/11), Airshow (2/13), and Sicard Hollow (2/14).
Fitz And The Wolf — Located just 3.5 football fields away from the arena, this new downtown haunt will stage Billy Strings pre- and after-shows each night and a $10 cover gets you into both, all night. The dual-stage lineup includes (pre) Pickety Split and (post) The Well Drinkers (2/10), (pre) Redbud Bluegrass and (post) Chisholm String Unit (2/11), (early) McFalls & Free and (late) Rudy’s Bluegrass Revue (2/12), (pre) Tanner Burch & The Hill Hippies, (post) Bryce Hensley, and (post) Matha Spencer & The Wonderland Country Band (2/13), and (pre) A.P. Rogers, (post) North State Grass, and (post) Braelyn (2/14).
One World Downtown — The downtown, downstairs brewery will host Billy Strings after-shows by Clouds of Delusion (2/10, $10), North State Grass (2/11, $5), Osprey Orchestra (2/13, $5), and Gabriel Van & Friends (2/14, $5).
Barley’s — Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman and his son Silas Herman will take the stage at old-school local pizza and beer joint (2/13–2/14, $20).
The Orange Peel — Lauded venue at the crest of South Slope will stage two nights of Shadowgrass: a Friday the 13th performance that is already sold out and a Saturday the 14th show featuring special guest Lindsay Lou.
Revival — One of the newest additions to the downtown Asheville music scene will host late shows from Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (2/10), Take The Wheel – Live Band Honky Tonk Karaoke with Ween’s Claude Coleman Jr (2/11), Jon Stickley Trio with Josh Blake Acoustic Band (2/12), Kyle Tuttle Band (2/13), and Kanika Moore & The Brown Eyed Bois (2/14).
Not Free, Not Downtown
One World West — The West Asheville outcropping of the downtown bar will host an off-day Phish tribute by Fee Fi PHaux fISH (2/12, 8:30 p.m.) and pre-parties by Songs From the Road Band (2/13) and The Stolen Faces (2/14). If you aren’t able to get a ticket to Saturday’s Valentine’s Day finale, One World West will also be showing the livestream.
Pisgah Brewing Company — Take a short afternoon drive down I-40 East to the charming town of Black Mountain, where one of the old guards of the Asheville craft brewery scene will host pre-parties celebrating the music of Jeff Austin (2/13) and Valentine’s Day with Jerry’s Dead (2/14).
The Grey Eagle — Viral Billy Strings statistician @train_songz will present a Thursday off-day show by The Asheville Mountain Boys (2/12), promising “no plugs, no pedals, only bluegrass”.
Whether you’re into train songs, Grateful Dead cover bands, live honky tonk karoake with the drummer for Ween, or wine bar lounge jazz, there’s something for you in the pantheon of live music surrounding Billy Strings’ 2026 Asheville run. And if not, you can always stay home and watch the shows on nugs.
See you out there, somewhere.