Things Just Work: 3 Delightful Days At Blue Ox Music Festival 2026

Maybe it was because of the nearly perfect weather. Or maybe it was because it was my fourth straight year in attendance. Perhaps it was the eclectic and captivating lineup of musicians I heard over three days.

Most likely it was the combination of each of those elements, along with countless others, that made the 2026 Blue Ox Music Festival an absolutely delightful experience of community and live music.

The lush and insulating Pines Music Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, once again provided a scenic setting for many memorable musical moments. One of the weekend’s stage emcees, Justin Bruhn of host band Pert Near Sandstone, surveyed the audience on day three, and while many responded acknowledging previous Blue Ox attendance, plenty of first-timers cheered when called upon.

The Blue Ox production staff and crews working for the various artists kept music flowing from midday to beyond midnight. Music bounced seamlessly back and forth from the Main Stage to the smaller Saloon Stage (as well as at the campground’s Backwoods Stage) without delay and sounding crisp and clear from around the venue.

Dynamic Daily Delights

Each day included a Main Stage set that stood out among the others and continues to resonate with me days later.

On Friday, Dom Flemons & The Traveling Wildfires enriched the Blue Ox audience with a set comprised of music culled from the deepest roots of blues, bluegrass and country traditions. An instrumental version of Elizabeth Cotton’s “Freight Train,” a delightful rendering of “Going Down The Road Feelin’ Bad” and songs by the likes of Bill Monroe, Roy Acuff and the Tennessee Chocolate Drops paid homage to many of the influences heard prominently throughout the weekend.

Mdou Moctar, a late addition to this year’s lineup, played a mesmerizing solo set on Thursday’s opening day. While he was blanketed with bubbles, his electric guitar blanketed the park with swirling West African Tuareg desert blues as he repeatedly encouraged the crowd to clap along as an impromptu rhythm section. The cross-continental connection was inspiring to witness and the smile on Moctar’s face continued to grow along with the size of the audience in front of the stage.

The first set on the Main Stage on Saturday was the musically and visually colorful Valerie June, whose interaction with the crowd was equally bright and joyful. June was one of several performers outfitted with a crown, styled from flowers by Eau Claire’s Sound Beauty, with flowers provided by Lily Beez. Switching between banjo, acoustic and electric guitar, June’s poignant songwriting was matched by her impressive musicianship. She’s one hell of a picker and ripped bluesy electric guitar lines. June also read poetry and briefly jokingly chatted with her banjo.

These three sets, inviting, illuminating and idiosyncratic, exemplified the rest of my Blue Ox experience by recognizing various rich musical traditions and emphasizing their contemporary importance.

Headliners Rise To The Occasion

There were milestone aspects to all three headlining performances at this year’s fest. Making their Blue Ox debut, The Marcus King Band pumped the crowd up for the final Main Stage set of the weekend. Guitarist Marcus King and his bandmates filled the stage and brought a bombastic set of soulful blues-oriented rock ‘n’ roll, punctuating the final day in front of one of the biggest crowds of the weekend.

Singer-songwriter Charley Crockett made his highly anticipated return to The Pines Music Park after his 2023 set was cut short by rain. Moving up slots to headline on Friday, the brightly emblazoned “Charley Crockett” signage flanking the sharply dressed Texan emphasized his top-line billing. Crockett’s sizable backing band deftly rolled through selections from his deep catalog, showing off an impressive musicianship that met the big stage moment.

Another previous Blue Ox performer, Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country made the move up to headliner this year as well. The four piece — guitarist Daniel Donato, keyboardist/guitarist Nathan “Sugar Leg” Aronowitz, drummer Will “Bronco” Clark and bassist Will “Mustang” McGee — showed they have the musical muscle to be the last Main Stage performers of the day. The country rockers produced a gumbo of sounds that traversed through deep improvisational passages, passionate originals and fun covers. This group has reaped the benefits of the hard road work put in over the past several years and the trajectory to more headlining slots is well deserved.

Main Stage Standouts

Shadowgrass played the Main Stage and left me satisfied with a healthy dose of explorative jamgrass. Encapsulating two common components of Blue Ox: collaborations and Grateful Dead covers, the five-piece string band summoned Daniel Donato to add electric guitar to “Franklin’s Tower.”

When the Blue Ox lineup first dropped, the I’m With Her set on the final day was one I was particularly excited for, having not been able to see the trio of Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan in concert before. The blend of the trio’s voices mirrored their matching yellow jumpsuits (and flower crowns) as they showcased songs from their 2025 album Wild, Clear & Blue and 2018 debut See You Around, plus a cover of Paul Simon’s rhythmic classic “Obvious Child.” The three are masterful musicians, putting the “super” in supergroup.

Masterful mandolin player Sierra Hull was back at The Pines with the same backing band she brought to Blue Ox in 2023, opening her set with “Boom” from her 2025 album, A Tip Toe High Wire. Hull’s picking prowess was proven with a selection from her recent The Movements EP and versatility with her take on Tears For Fears’ moody “Mad World.”

Kurt Vile & The Violators made their Blue Ox debut on Saturday on the heels of the recently released album, Philadelphia’s Been Nice To Me. Frontman Kurt Vile moved between an array of electric and acoustic guitars playing songs from the new record, like the endlessly catchy “Chance to Bleed” and from other releases like “Pretty Pimpin” and “Wakin on a Pretty Day.”

Bronwyn was the first Main Stage performer of the weekend, having appeared on the same stage before as a member of Molly Tuttle’s band. The set gave on-time arrivers the opportunity to see Bronwyn leading her solo band and playing songs from her upcoming new album, Rattlin’ Bones.

Blue Ox co-hosts Pert Near Sandstone embody the community spirit they help foster at The Pines, welcoming a parade of special guests across their sets on Friday and Saturday evenings. The Minnesota-based band, guitarist J Lenz, bassist Justin Bruhn, mandolinist/fiddler Nate Sipe and clawhammer banjo player Kevin Kniebel, were joined on Friday by Sierra Hull, Shauncey Ali and Tray Wellington.

Pert Near Sandstone’s original fiddler, Ryan Young, currently of fellow Minnesota-based string band Trampled By Turtles who produced their 2026 album, Side By Side, was one of the guest players on Saturday. Blue Ox performers The Lowest Pair were also among those who shared the stage with Pert Near on the final day.

Saloon & Backwoods Stages Standouts

The lack of overlapping sets and continuous music from the Main Stage to the Saloon Stage makes it easy to see a ton of music over three days and nights at Blue Ox (and hard to get away to the Backwoods Stage, which I wish I got to more).

Consider this my “Awards show ‘wrap it up’ sign flashing” approach to other artists whose sets impressed and inspired:

Wild Horses, Folk Bitch Trio, The Mighty Pines, Maygen & The Birdwatcher, The Steel Wheels, Fabrizio, Molly Brandt, Hogslop String Band, Sprig of That and Hemma, plus a few others I know I’m missing.

A special shout out goes to Eau Claire’s own Them Coulee Boys. This was the final Blue Ox performance for the local band, who have been on every lineup since 2017 and announced their disbandment later this year.

A Final Refrain

Perhaps the best compliment I can give Blue Ox organizers is to note how little I noticed production and logistical aspects of the event. The space is welcoming and well-maintained, the facilities clean and accessible, the amenities abundant and intelligent and the family-friendly space comfortable, full but not overstuffed. Most importantly, the performances stayed on schedule and sounded excellent across all the stages.

It’s a fun chance to touch grass and dance outside for three days. It’s a Midwestern party celebrating live music played by musicians from Africa to Australia to right there in Eau Claire.

Things just work at Blue Ox.