1976, 1977, 1987, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1998
John Hartford
John Hartford & NewGrass Revival circa 1989
Telluride Bluegrass Festival
Unforgettable Musical Moments
Unforgettable Musical Moments
Unforgettable Musical Moments
Pushing the boundaries of Bluegrass
In 2023, we’ll celebrate 50 years of not-just-bluegrass. If you’ve been to the fest, you know what we’re talking about. If you haven’t, then you might be surprised to hear some of the headlining acts we’ve had over the years don’t quite fit into the Bill Monroe traditional bluegrass box. As they say, the grass is always bluer on the other side.
The incorporation of “wildcards” into our musical expression is intentional, and we love to lean into it. It’s our way of dodging norms, keeping things fresh, and introducing new and different acts to our febrile Festivarians. We deliver doses of musical medicine via melodies, harmonies, and these exploratory, soundful surprises.
Here are some (not all) of our genre-bending highlights through the years, as well as some indelible artists we look back on fondly time after time.
Do you have a favorite we haven’t mention here? Send us a message and tell us who/ why!
1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1996
Norman Blake
Spotted: Nancy & Norman
1982, 1999
Willie Nelson
1983, 1986, 1987, 1993
Doc Watson
1986, 1989, 1990, 2003, 2018
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
1989
Alison Krauss and Union Station
1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2014
Alison Krauss holds the record for the second most Grammy awards won by a female artist (a whopping 27). The number one spot belongs to Beyoncé who has 28 wins (we concede that she deserves that one).
Alison holds the 4th spot on this list if you broaden it to include the most Grammys won by any individual musical artist. Her group Union Station has won 14 Grammys, the 3rd most decorated band behind U2 and Foo Fighters.
We’ll let those statistics speak for themselves, yeah?
1990, 1991, 1995
James Taylor
Back in 1990, Telluride Bluegrass didn’t have capacity restrictions. James played his set to a mesmerized crowd of 13,000 people. It wasn’t “sold out,” because what is a sell out if you don’t have a limit on your capacity?
When he returned in 1991, thousands more tacked on that number. A crowd of 16,000 packed itself into the park, sacrificing their
Makes sense the two largest revolved around this superstar. We settled on an 11,500 capacity in 1992 and haven’t exceeded it since.
James returned to the TBF spotlight again in 1995.
James Taylor & Queen of Telluride Emmylou Harris
1990
Mary Chapin Carpenter
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003.
1991
The Chicks
Winners of the 1990 band contest, this early variation of The Chicks (pre Natalie Maines) was hot off their formation in Dallas. It’s a long road from Texas to Telluride, but boy are we glad they made the trip.
Wish we saw more outfits like this nowadays…
1992, 2014, 2022
Drepung Loseling Monks
1993, 2001, 2004
John Hiatt
1995, 2004
Ani DiFranco
1997
Johnny Cash
This one kinda speaks for itself, right?
1997
John Prine
John was a great friend of the festival and performed in 1997, 2006, 2012, and 2016. We miss him dearly.
1997, 2004
Guy Clark
1987, 1991, 1997, 2004, 2012
Lyle Lovett
2000, 2013
Jackson Browne
Got any photos from 2000? Send ‘em our way!
2000, 2002, 2006
Bonnie Raitt
2004, 2021
Mavis Staples
2006
Barenaked Ladies
2006, 2011, 2021
The Decemberists
2006
Neko Case
2007
Counting Crows
2007
The Avett Brothers
2008
Arlo Guthrie
2008
Ryan Adams
Remember when Ryan covered Taylor Swift’s 1989 in full? Or was that a fever dream? Either way, we’ve never been able to forget it.
2010, 2014, 2017, 2019
Brandi Carlile
2010, 2011
Mumford and Sons
It was a chilly, foggy evening in Telluride when Mumford and Sons took the stage for the first time.
2012
John Fogerty
Talented guitarist and core founder of Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Fogerty’s storytelling spans generations.
2014
Steve Winwood
Photo Credit: Candace Horgan
2015
Janelle Monáe
2015, 2019
Kacey Musgraves
2017
Nora Jones
2018
Sturgill Simpson
2018
Billy Strings
For all those asking (you know who you are), we fondly remember Billy Strings’ first performance on the Main Stage in 2018. Hard for him to top this one, maybe that’s why he hasn’t come back since?
2019
Gregory Alan Isakov
2007 troubadour winner
2021
Jierks Dentley
We still can’t believe this happened.
2022
Tenacious D
As it turns out, Festivarians have a lot more crossover with D fans than you’d imagine. Must be the overwhelming love for authentic songwriting and soft spot for saxabooms.
