Cody Jinks, Turnpike Troubadours Headline 2022 Under The Big Sky Fest
In what is quickly becoming both one of the biggest and most important festivals in independent country and Americana in just its third year, Under The Big Sky Fest in Whitefish, Montana has announced its 2022 lineup for July 15-17, and once again it’s a doozy.
Drawing from an informed pool of talent that combines the biggest names in independent country, some of the most critically-acclaimed artists in the up-and-coming ranks, and even showing no prejudice against some of the best in the mainstream, Under The Big Sky Fest’s lineup is like an ideal illustration of what the top tier of country music should look like.
Along with monster acts Cody Jinks and the Turnpike Troubadours headlining, Under The Big Sky has also tapped Lord Huron, which as Saving Country Music assessed, showed sincere reverence and adroitness with classic country influences on their last record, while also remaining monsters of the indie rock realm.
Other big names include the surging Zach Bryan and Sierra Ferrell, Paul Cauthen and Jamey Johnson, Trampled by Turtles, American Aquarium, and the major label-signed Morgan Wade, and ample up-and-comers worthy of attention like Jaime Wyatt and Leah Blevins. Meanwhile, Midland and Lainey Wilson will represent the mainstream, which are two of the artists whose appeal crosses over to the true side of country quite easily. They even booked the singing, yodeling, whistling, mulleted and mustachioed country music weirdo of our time, Nick Shoulders.
And not to overlook the local talent in Montana who can use the opportunity to expand their name outside the mountain West, Under The Big Sky has also made room for The Lil Smokies, Hannah King, Michelle Rivers, and Emily Clark.
If you want to read what you can expect from Under The Big Sky, you can check out Saving Country Music’s 2021 recap of the fest. But after Saturday of last year’s festival got way out of hand when it came to the number of folks let in the gate, they have promised 2022 will feature more bathrooms, more free water stations & cheap bottled water, more parking, reduced attendance, and more open space at both stages, including the expansion of the “Creekside Stage” (the smaller of the two) to accommodate more folks. So yes, they listened after some of the logistical snafus on Saturday of last year.
Under The Big Sky Fest will commence on Friday, July 15th on the 350 acres of the Big Mountain Ranch with the Turnpike Troubadours and Paul Cauthen playing the kickoff party, with the rest of the performers playing on the two stages Saturday and Sunday. There will also be rodeo festivities on the grounds, as well as a petting zoo and other features.
For more info, camping and logging offers, visit underthebigskyfest.com . Tickets go on sale on February 4th at noon MOUNTAIN Time.
January 25, 2022 @ 2:21 pm
If I ever attended a music festival of this magnitude (multi days) it would be this one.
January 26, 2022 @ 3:16 pm
Went last year. Despite the issues thoroughly noted, it was still enjoyable. It’s a gorgeous setting and the Flathead Valley is great – though it willl be tough to top last year’s lineup. I don’t know I’ll ever see a full lineup of genuine headlining acts like Billy Strings, Tyler Childers, Dwight Yoakam, Emmylou Harris, Charley Crockett, Ryan Bingham, Jason Isbell, Mandolin Orange, Shovels & Rope, Brothers Osborne, and Drive-By Truckers – not to mention some other national-level notables like Paul Cauthen, Nikki Lane, Jesse Daniels, Jade Bird, and Orville Peck, no matter your view on any one of those individually. And I only paid $99 for a three-day ticket!
January 26, 2022 @ 5:30 pm
I like that lineup way more than this one not that this one is not a good one.
January 25, 2022 @ 2:53 pm
Great lineup. After the last experience (oversold and horrible planning of facilities not to mention hot and smoky) I am just not sure it is worth it but it sure is tempting.
January 25, 2022 @ 5:24 pm
I was definitely encouraged to see them address the issues on Saturday last year very directly with their lineup announcement. If they had not, I feel like that could have overshadowed this otherwise great lineup. They can’t control the smoke or the heat. But their commitment for more bathrooms, water stations, cheaper bottled water, better parking, and capping attendance I think is what everyone wanted to see. People voiced their concerns, and it appears they were heard.
January 25, 2022 @ 5:24 pm
I got a couple of questions for anyone more knowlegable than me.
How much did the tickets come out to last year?
And is more info going to be provided about who’s playing when? I might only be able to make it for a day because of work, and I’d kill to catch Felker if at all possible,
January 25, 2022 @ 5:31 pm
No schedule just yet, but I do know Turnpike and Paul Cauthen are playing on Friday, July 15th.
January 26, 2022 @ 10:31 am
Wifey and I have booked rooms and planned a week in Glacier after the fest. Now with the addition of Turnpike Troubadours and the recent problems with ticketing I’m worried we may lose out on getting tickets and our summer vacation plans may be in jeopardy. Any thoughts on how ticketing may go and if demand will be through the roof for this?
January 26, 2022 @ 10:48 am
What I can tell you is Under The Big Sky fest is by far the biggest festival I have ever attended. The site is massive, and so the ticket inventory is higher than most festivals. They are planning to “limit” tickets this year, but that might be more about the fact that they didn’t limit tickets on Saturday last year at all, and it got so packed, it was a shoving match or spilled beer away from becoming an Astroworld disaster.
What I can also tell you is similar to other situations involving Turnpike, Under The Big Sky’s website was crashed for a few hours after their announcement. I expect ticket demand to be high.
Also, Turnpike is playing on FRIDAY, and from my understanding, Friday will be an add-on, meaning you can either buy two or three day tickets, or perhaps individual day tickets as well (though this usually comes later on). Not sure how that will factor in, but something to consider.
Wishing you luck!
January 26, 2022 @ 2:43 pm
When did Friday events start last year?
January 26, 2022 @ 2:55 pm
I think Friday last year started mid/late afternoon. It was basically a full day of performers on both stages, but I believe it was a day they put together as sort of a customer appreciation for folks who had purchased tickets for the previous year’s fest that was cancelled due to COVID. If you held your money over, you could get in Friday. Otherwise, it was an add on to the two-day festival ticket.
I’m not really sure how that will shake out this year. The Turnpike Troubadours and Paul Cauthen are definitely playing on Friday. But it may only be on one stage and that’s it, or they may have some local bands or openers play on Friday as well. They may still be hashing that out themselves.
January 26, 2022 @ 11:37 am
I can’t wait to hear more about specific day’s line-ups and camping accommodations! I have tried so many damn shows all over (thanks to central Nebraska’s nothing is too far location) and had shit luck……maybe this is the one that will change that! Morgan and Zach and Sierra oh my!
January 26, 2022 @ 3:06 pm
I literally wouldn’t go if someone gave me a free trip after last year. The event itself was bad enough; the Outriders’ refusal to acknowledge any of the complaints in the aftermath was worse. Their promises this year are the first I’ve seen of them addressing the issues – and I don’t have a lot of faith since mid-festival last year they promised the addition of a water station and some other amenities and it really didn’t do squat to address the situation they’d created.
It was also telling for me that 100% of the locals I talked to absolutely HATE the festival. I know locals get kinda disgruntled about people invading their towns for this kind of thing, but there was a particularly strong undercurrent of negativity there that was kinda unnerving – especially from folks who live in a tourist town to begin with.
I dunno. Not my jam… there are other, better places to see these acts, IMHO. Hopefully people who choose to go this year have a better experience.