Mile 0 Fest Announces Initial 2025 Lineup of New & Returning Names
Premier Texas, Red Dirt, and Americana festival Mile 0 Fest in Key West, FL has announced its initial 2025 lineup, and it finds the return of many favored performers for the eighth year of the festival, as well as some new names and faces to keep things interesting and give fans something to discover.
The Red Clay Strays owe a portion of their recent success to the buzz they created at Mile 0 Fest a few years ago, and despite continuing to be one of the fastest-growing bands in all of roots music, will make their return to Key West and the relatively intimate setting on January 21st to 25th. So will headliners Shane Smith and the Saints, Randy Rogers Band, Steve Earle, along with Reckless Kelly, Wade Bowen, and another surging name in 49 Winchester.
Some names not seen on the Mile 0 Fest lineup previously include Ellis Bullard, Summer Dean, and The Wilder Blue, with Zane Williams of The Wilder Blue also making his Mile 0 Fest return. James McMurtry is also a new name for the festival, and Brent Cobb makes his return after being gone for a few years. Stephen Wilson Jr. is also a new edition to the fest.
Two names curiously absent from the roster currently are Silverada (formerly Mike and the Moonpies), as well as Jamie Lin Wilson. Both of these acts have acted like the de facto hosts of Mile 0 Fest over the years, with Silverada launching their new name at the fest in 2024. Jamie Lin Wilson has announced she’s taking a breather from touring for much of 2025, and this appears to include Mile 0 Fest. Silverada is still going strong though. We will have to see if they make a subsequent lineup addition as more names are added.
Mile 0 Fest is an immersive experience, with the island of Key West being just as much a character in the festival. Performances happen at key landmarks around the island, from the iconic Sunset Pier, to the Southermost point of the United States, to venues in between, and the Truman Waterfront Amphitheater where the main shows happen each evening.
To get a taste of what you can expect from the festival, you can read Saving Country Music’s 2024 Recap.
“Mile 0 Fest now belongs to the people. It doesn’t belong to us any more,” owner Kyle Carter told Saving Country Music after the 2024 festival. “It’s what they do with it. Can’t possibly have the reach that the people do, and what they do with it, what they say about it, what they post about it, becomes the reality of it. It’s theirs now. And that’s a pretty cool feeling.”
As Texas/Red Dirt and independent country explodes in popularity, it has put mid-sized festival in a precarious position since they can no longer attract some names.
“It’s gone from this very regional kind of thing to a much larger boundaries,” Carter explains. “Seven years ago I knew this scene was going to grow outside the boundaries it had. I didn’t see it growing as quickly as it has. I’m thrilled that it has, but that creates unique challenges. We had Cody Jinks on year one, and he’s now 10-times what he was then. We had Tyler Childers on year two, and he’s ten times what he was then. We had the Turnpike Troubadours, and they’re now ten times. There’s this ten times factor that happening.”
But Mile 0 Fest continues to be able to attract strong talent by the experience the bands get at the festival, and by finding performers and booking them before they blow up, giving fans an opportunity to see them before they’re playing massive stages. “It certain puts pressure on mid-sized festivals to keep finding mid-sized bands that are on their way up. And it’s great to see,” Carter says.
Public onsale starts on July 9th. For more information, visit Mile0Fest.com.
Initial Mile 0 Fest 2025 Lineup:
The Red Clay Strays
Randy Rogers Band
Shane Smith & The Saints
Steve Earle
Reckless Kelly
Wade Bowen
49 Winchester
Hayes Carll
The White Buffalo
Kaitlin Butts
American Aquarium
Brent Cobb
Stephen Wilson Jr.
Cody Canada & The Departed
The Band of Heathens
Sunny Sweeney
Bob Schneider
Darrell Scott
Adam Hood
James McMurtry
The Wilder Blue
Micky & The Motorcars
Kat Hasty
Jason Eady
Josh Grider
Bri Bagwell
Courtney Patton
Zane Williams
Josh Weathers
Drew Kennedy
John Fullbright
Summer Dean
Taylor Hunnicutt
Ellis Bullard
Topo Chico Cowboys
Maggie Antone
Mike McClure Band
Red Dirt Rangers
Walt & Tina Wilkins
J.D. Graham
Max & Heather Stalling
Jason Scott & The High Heat
Ben Danaher
Jeff Crosby
Low Water Bridge Band
Lucas Jagneaux & The Roadshow
Crow & Gazelle
July 4, 2024 @ 1:10 pm
NO JLW!!!!!!!
July 4, 2024 @ 1:12 pm
NO JLW!!!!!!!
I quadruple checked the email they sent and then came here today to see if you addressed this.
Sad.
July 4, 2024 @ 3:01 pm
My understanding is that after Jamie Lin Wilson makes her appearance at Born & Raised Fest in September, she is taking an extended period off from the road. She made an announcement on social media a few days ago. This will include Mile 0 Fest. My guess is that if she was available, they would have her, so no drama here.
One of the knocks on Mile 0 over the years has been the lack of churn in the lineup. As much as it won’t feel right without Jamie Lin Wilson there, it also frees up a spot for someone else to step up.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Silverada in a subsequent announcement, but maybe not. I know they are trying to expand their footprint, and that might mean shaking up their calendar. We’ll see.
July 4, 2024 @ 3:10 pm
Understood, I definitely didn’t think it was a drama situation, still shocking! I’ve attended once and read all the annual recaps and know she’s been the heart of that week.
As for Silverada, they probably don’t grow their fan base much at Mile Zero since most folks there probably already have them firmly on their radar.
Thanks for the follow-up to me!
My kids are 10 months and 3 years so I’m sidelined but I’ll be back to this fest when they are a little older, for sure.
July 4, 2024 @ 2:32 pm
Sorry to be way off topic but I will be refreshing this page for days until the Zach Bryan review. Might be a tough one. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
July 4, 2024 @ 3:03 pm
Please understand that the media did not get early copies of this album, and with 19 songs, it’s not like it can be listened to a couple times and a review composed overnight. In fact, I would question the depth of any review published at this point. It’s in the listening cue now and I will get a review up once I feel like I’ve digested it properly.
Thanks for the interest.
July 7, 2024 @ 7:15 pm
Trig, After you go ahead and digest the Zach Bryan review, good luck keeping it down.
July 4, 2024 @ 11:07 pm
Usual sausage fest, then.
July 5, 2024 @ 7:53 pm
You will probably have some reporting on it, but Key Western Fest’s website shows it has been cancelled for 2025. After your report on the dismal 2024 turnout, perhaps it’s not surprising. However, one would think a return to a more balanced selection of artists would have brought attendance back for 2025.
July 5, 2024 @ 8:31 pm
Just seeing that now. They also cancelled Rock Island Fest, which is the ’90s metal fest they do each year as well the week before Mile 0 Fest, and by all accounts, was always well-attended. I think Key Western really clobbered them, and so they’re pulling back to focus on doing a great Mile 0 Fest. Hopefully one or both of those other fests can come back. It helps them to have fests on consecutive weeks, because you don’t have to tear everything down and set it back up.
July 6, 2024 @ 12:25 am
I’ll turn 50 next year. I was thinking about spending all my money for Mile 0 Fest as a present. But no JLW cooled me down a little bit even if the line up is saucy.
July 6, 2024 @ 3:53 pm
My favorite week of the year. Have attended all seven years and have my ticket for January. Goodbye WI in winter and hello KW!