Hot Damn This 2026 Under The Big Sky Fest Lineup is STACKED
Tell anyone you owe money “tough luck,” they’re gonna have to wait because you might be mortgaging the farm if that’s what it takes to make it to Montana next summer for the Under The Big Sky Festival. They just announced their lineup for 2026, and it’s loaded top to bottom.
One of independent country’s biggest independent festivals is bringing big names to Whitefish, Montana’s Big Mountain Ranch July 17-19. Chris Stapleton, Zach Top, and Cody Jinks have been announced at the 2026 headliners, with a huge list of talent beneath them like Ryan Bingham, Charles Wesley Godwin, Stephen Wilson Jr., Marcus King, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Benjamin Tod who’s hopped on and off a few freight trains in Whitefish in the past.
If you want hot up-and-comers, they’ve got that too with folks like Rattlesnake Milk, Cole Chaney, Waylon Wyatt, and Max McNown. You have to go down the list a little to find the women, but then you run into some big ones like Kaitlin Butts, Caitlyn Smith, and Gabriella Rose. Want to hear some bluegrass? They’ve got you covered there too with the killer Mountain Grass Unit, Greensky Bluegrass, and Leftover Salmon.
And like always, Under The Big Sky makes sure to feature local talent on their massive stages, with Michelle Rivers, Hannah King, and Tanner Laws all performing.
Along with all of this, there’s a full blown rodeo that happens all weekend coinciding with the event, with a creek and a train track running straight through the festival site surrounded by mountain ranges, only 60 miles from the Canadian border, and a skip away from Glacier National Park.
Under The Big Sky ranked #6 on Saving Country Music’s Best Country and Roots Festivals earlier this year, and is definitely a festival worth taking in, especially on a year when the lineup is so lush.
Presale starts Friday 11/7 @ 10AM Mountain Time, with General On Sale Friday 11/7 @ 2PM MT. For more information, go to underthebigskyfest.com.
November 3, 2025 @ 7:33 pm
I’ve been seeing Rattlesnake Milk’s name pretty often recently and finally got to see them live last month. They seem pretty overdue for a new album. Hopefully they got something in the works when they break from touring. I really didn’t hear anything new during their set, other than one song I wasn’t familiar with and a cover. Them, and the jamgrass folks in this tour sounds like it would make for a great show themselves, plus Marcus King. Not really into the headliners although I’d check them out if I had the opportunity.
November 6, 2025 @ 3:47 pm
Pretty sure they’ve been posting pictures of themselves in the studio recently. Somethings coming.
November 4, 2025 @ 7:23 am
We’re looking at going to this in 2027. For those that have been before, is VIP worth the price difference and are there any drawbacks?
November 4, 2025 @ 7:47 am
The VIP section definitely has upgraded bathrooms, shorter lines for food, more shade, and the ability to get to the front of the stage without having to fight with everyone else in GA. However, VIPs have complained previously that the space in front of the stage for VIP is limited, so you’re not guaranteed to get to the front of the stage, esp. during headliners, unless you cue up early.
The biggest thing to appreciate about this festival is the hill between the two stages. Both stages are great, with the 2nd stage set in sort of a natural amphitheater with a creek running through it. But it really is a hoof between the two stages, so you have to sort of plan your day accordingly. Having VIP does help you get closer quicker when going between the two stages.
November 4, 2025 @ 11:25 am
I’ve been to UTBS twice. Once in GA, once in VIP. The value in the VIP ticket depends on your budget and what you’re looking for. At the main stage, the “seating” for VIP is fairly far from the main stage and you could get closer in GA. VIP has a couch seating area that gets over run with personal chairs regardless of if you sprint to try and get a couch when the gates open. As Trigger pointed out, standing room up front can be as much of a fight to obtain as GA as well. In VIP, you’ll get more shaded areas, VIP bathroom area, VIP vendors for food and drinks and VIP parking. It really comes down to if you can afford the $400ish price difference and if the above seems worth it to you for these amenities.
Drawbacks: The tickets are the least of your worries price wise. Lodging is expensive and limited. Depending on where you are coming in from, flights are limited. (We have to fly into Missoula, rent a car and drive 2.5 hours to Whitefish). Regardless of what parking area you’re in, it takes forever to get out of the venue. If you stage hop, its a bit of a walk between the two stages.
All things considered, you will not be disappointed whether you’re in GA or VIP. Both time’s I have gone have been experiences of a lifetime.
November 4, 2025 @ 12:27 pm
At least as of this past summer, if you want to visit Glacier National Park through the west entrance (closest to Whitefish), you’ll need a reservation to get a vehicle into the park between 7 am and 3 pm. Reservations open 120 days before your desired date. Sooner is better on making the reservations. The park is amazing and wonderful, but VERY busy.
November 4, 2025 @ 3:03 pm
No mention of Jamestown revival who is also on the bill and are a lot of better than corny Zach top
And the other dimbasses you mentioned