David Byrne and Robert Plant confirmed for Big Ears as full line-up revealed
David Byrne and Robert Plant have been confirmed as the headliners of Big Ears Festival in 2026, as the rest of the line-up has also been revealed.
The former respective frontmen of the Talking Heads and Led Zeppelin are set to head to the festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, in March next year, along with a whole range of different names. These include the likes of Laurie Anderson, John Zorn, and Flying Lotus.
The festival, which is set to take place across a number of venues within the city, will also platform a slew of upcoming artists who are set to rub shoulder to shoulder with the headlining stars.
This part of the line-up features names such as MJ Lenderman, Perfume Genius, Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band, Model/Actriz, YHWH Nailgun, Los Thuthanaka, Lucrecia Dalt, Maria Somerville, Florist, and Hand Habits.
While artists have every right to perform their standard setlists at Big Ears, such as Byrne, for example, who will be using the slot as another show on his tour for his latest album, Who is the Sky?, they can also put on a performance that is entirely unique to the event.
Jazz experimentalist Zorn will present 12 new works that he has composed especially for the festival, and will team up with fellow performer Anderson for one of these pieces. For her own part, the avant garde icon will use her own set separately to premiere X2 with Sexmob, the follow-up to the piece she showcased at Big Ears last year.
Big Ears will run in venues across Knoxville from March 26th to 29th, 2026.
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