High Sierra 2026 Spotlights Artist Care With Backstage Wellness Village, Reveals Artist Playshop & Troubadour Session Lineups
The beloved festival moves to its new home in Grass Valley, California July 2 – 5.
By Scott Bernstein Jun 24, 2026 • 11:50 am PDT
High Sierra Music Festival will usher in a new era when the beloved event returns for its 34th annual installment next weekend, July 2 – 5 at its new home of Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, California. Along with a stacked lineup and the festival’s trademark sense of community, 2026 brings a notable evolution behind the scenes with the debut of the Backstage Wellness Village, alongside a robust slate of fan-favorite Artist Playshops and late-night Troubadour Sessions.
The newly announced Backstage Wellness Village marks a significant step forward in the already high level of artist care at High Sierra. Relaunched through the High Sierra Foundation in partnership with Harper House Music Foundation and Backline, the initiative creates a dedicated backstage hub offering free healthcare, mental health support, recovery resources and wellness services for artists, crew members and production staff.
Services available throughout the weekend will include eye care and vision support, chiropractic and bodywork recovery, massage practitioners, mental health case management and sobriety support. Backline will also host confidential daily recovery meetings and provide “Take Care” wellness kits stocked with practical items for life on the road. The effort arrives at a critical time, as studies show between 73% and 80% of independent musicians report experiencing symptoms associated with mental illness.
“Touring artists and their crews give in ways most audiences never see — physically, emotionally, financially,” said High Sierra Foundation Board Chair Bo Carper. “The Wellness Village is our way of honoring the hard-working music industry professionals who make all of this possible.”
Beyond the backstage initiative, High Sierra’s immersive programming remains central to the experience. Chief among those offerings are the festival’s legendary Artist Playshops. These are collaborative, often one-of-a-kind performances that blend tribute, experimentation and improvisation into sets you won’t catch anywhere else.
This year’s Playshops schedule once again leans into both creativity and community. Friday kicks off with the participatory session “Do Re Mi 101” led by Pamela Parker and Sean Leahy, before diving into inventive concepts such as The Walkaways’ meta “Phish Covers Cover Band” set and a New Orleans-meets-P-Funk tribute from The Rumble with special guest Ronkat Spearman. The day also features Hot Buttered Rum tracing bluegrass lineage from Bill Monroe to Billy Strings and a Stevie Wonder celebration from The Heeters and Friends.
Saturday continues with hands-on collaboration in “Songs On The Spot,” followed by themed tributes including Anna Moss & Friends honoring The Beach Boys and Steely Dead performing Steely Dan’s The Royal Scam in full for its 50th anniversary. Lebo’s always-anticipated “50 Years In The Rearview” returns with a 1976-focused deep dive, while Family Company explores the roots of soul, funk and R&B.
Sunday leans into both introspection and spectacle, from a gospel soul singalong to Zach Tenorio’s Miles Davis-inspired improvisational journey. Dylan LeBlanc will mark the 10th anniversary of Cautionary Tale with a full-album performance, while Steve Poltz joins photographer Jay Blakesberg for a Grateful Dead-themed multimedia Playshop. The weekend culminates with the high-energy “Guitarmageddon,” celebrating Bay Area guitar history with a rotating cast of players.
Late nights at High Sierra once again will feature the Troubadour Sessions, the festival’s intimate, songwriter-focused series held in the Mineral Building. Presented in a round-robin format with doors at 11 p.m. each night, the sessions offer a stripped-down counterpoint to the mainstage energy.
The 2026 Troubadour Sessions lineup features Boy Golden, Paul McDonald, and Maisy Owen on Thursday; Steve Poltz, Anders Osborne, Cassandra Lewis and Minor Gold on Friday; The Heeters, Sari Jordan, Handmade Moments and Marty O’Reilly on Saturday; and Kota Dosa, Mali Obomsawin, Dylan LeBlanc and Sway Wild closing things out on Sunday.
With its move to Grass Valley, a renewed focus on artist wellbeing and a thoughtfully curated mix of collaboration and discovery, High Sierra continues to evolve while staying true to its roots as a community-driven, artist-first festival experience.
The 2026 lineup is led by Steel Pulse, The Word and Don Was & The Pan-Detroit Ensemble. Others set to perform over the weekend include Dumpstaphunk, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Cymande, Eggy, (featuring George Porter Jr., Jay Lane, Holly Bowling and Jennifer Hartswick), Mountain Grass Unit and dozens more.
Tickets for the 34th annual High Sierra Music Festival are on sale now.
[JamBase is a media partner of HSMF.]
