Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival has unveiled the artist lineup for its 2025 event, set to take place once again at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin, TN—just south of Nashville—on September 27th and 28th with a lineup led by John Mayer (full band) and Kings of Leon. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, April 17th at 10:00 a.m. CT here.
John Mayer and Kings of Leon top a curated mix of acts spanning the worlds of rock, country, blues, pop, and beyond including Turnpike Troubadours, Young The Giant, Father John Misty, Sam Fender, Grace Potter, Better Than Ezra, Colony House, Maggie Rose, The Heavy Heavy, American Aquarium, Taylor Hunnicutt, Eddie 9V, Angel White, and verygently. The event’s Americana Music Triangle will also feature special programming like Ben Chapman’s Peach Jam featuring JD Clayton and Meg McRee plus Will McFarlane and Sam Grisman Project featuring Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon) and Lindsay Lou plus Cristina Vane.
Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival is produced by Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin, Michael Whelan, and W. Brandt Wood. Now in its 11th year, it has become a tradition for an ardent community of annual attendees, while it continues to captivate newcomers as well. “The impetus of the festival goes back to Jazz Fest in New Orleans,” Griffin told Rolling Stone. “For 50 plus years, Jazz Fest was an outlier that celebrated the biggest international touring acts but also local acts. We wanted that to be the DNA of Pilgrimage and do that for Middle Tennessee. Be an incubator for country, for R&B, for indie, for alternative. That’s what we’re always looking for.”
Of note, John Mayer will appear at the festival with a full band, breaking from a recent preference for solo acoustic arena shows since his 2022 Sob Rock Tour. While Mayer has not revealed the lineup for his latest live band, the starting roster for that tour featured Mayer on guitar and vocals, Lenny Castro on percussion, Steve Ferrone on drums, David Ryan Harris on guitar and vocals, Jamie Muhoberac on keys, Pino Palladino on bass guitar, Tiffany Palmer on vocals, Greg Phillinganes on keys and vocals, Carlos Ricketts on vocals, and Isaiah Sharkey on guitar—though that lineup eventually shifted due to COVID-era obstacles.
As Kevin Griffin noted to Rolling Stone, “We’re always looking for who hasn’t played here in a while or who has underplayed. He hasn’t played a full band show here since 2022 and he’s an artist that just continues to grow in his stature. He has his fans who’ve loved him for his earlier stuff, and now all the fans from Dead & Co.”
Various ticket types are available for Pilgrimage Music Festival 2025 including GA+ (2-Day, Single Day), GA passes, 2-Day VIP, Single Day GA, and Single Day VIP. Parking passes are also available. Layaway plans start at just $25. Visit here for payment plan options. Find complete ticketing details here. Check out the complete lineup below.
If you’re itching for some Mayer before then, you can head to Las Vegas for Dead & Company’s ongoing Dead Forever residency at Sphere. Shows resume this Thursday, April 17th. Find tickets and a list of upcoming Dead & Company Sphere dates here.
