FloydFest
FloydFest is a world music and arts festival held annually near Floyd, Virginia, in the Blue Ridge Mountains just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The event began in 2002, and spans five days each year with on-site camping and multiple stages featuring rock, bluegrass, reggae, folk, Yiddish, Cajun, or Zydeco, African, Appalachian, and world music performers. There'll be no event in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic was to blame; the 19th was deferred to 2021.
In addition to music, the festival features local arts and crafts, dance workshops, morning yoga lessons, story telling, poetry readings, and a "Children's Universe" tent.
Each year, FloydFest features a theme:
- 2002: Floyd County World Music Festival
- 2003: Out Of This World Music
- 2004: Midsummer's Dream
- 2005: Rock of Ages
- 2006: Roots Alive
- 2007: It's in the Mix
- 2008: Family Affair
- 2009: Revival
- 2010: Breaking Ground
- 2011: The eXperience
- 2012: Lovers Rock
- 2013: Rise & Shine
- 2014: Revolutionary
- 2015: Fire on the Mountain
- 2016: Dreamweavin'
- 2017: Freedom
- 2018: Wild
- 2019: Voyage Home
- 2021: Odyssey
Performers
2002: Floyd County World Music Festival
- African Showboyz
- Doc Watson
- John Scofield
- Rhonda Vincent
- Sam Bush
- The Neville Brothers
2003: Out Of This World Music
- Baka Beyond
- David Grisman Quintet
- Garaj Mahal
- Nickel Creek
- Old & In the Gray
- Reeltime Travelers
- The Hackensaw Boys
2004: Midsummer's Dream
- Acoustic Syndicate
- Culture
- Dar Williams
- Del McCoury Band
- Donna the Buffalo
- Railroad Earth
- Sam Bush
- Steep Canyon Rangers
- Tempest
2005: Rock of Ages
- Ani DiFranco
- Asylum Street Spankers
- Corey Harris
- Discordian Society
- Donna the Buffalo
- Hot Tuna
- J. D. Crowe
- Jackass Flats
- Jan Smith
- Jim Lauderdale
- Kruger Brothers
- Michael Farr
- Old School Freight Train
- Railroad Earth
- Scott Miller and the Commonwealth
- Soldiers of Jah Army
- Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys
- The Avett Brothers
- Tortured Soul
- Xavier Rudd
2006: Roots Alive
- Balfa Toujours
- Cyro Baptista
- Eddie From Ohio
- Iris Dement
- Los Lobos
- Rory Block
- The Avett Brothers
- Tim O'Brien
2007: It's in the Mix
- Carolina Chocolate Drops
- DeVotchKa
- North Mississippi Allstars
- Red Stick Ramblers
- Rose's Pawn Shop
- Sons of Bill
- The Duhks
- The Hackensaw Boys
2009: Revival
- Blues Traveler
- Blues and Lasers
- Donna the Buffalo
- EOTO
- Folk Soul Revival
- Forro in the Dark
- Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
- Grupo Fantasma
- Holy Ghost Tent Revival
- Hot 8 Brass Band
- Lee Boys
- Luminescent Orchestrii
- My Radio
- Nathan Moore
- Ollabelle
- Railroad Earth
- Raw Dawg
- Rooster Blues
- Rose's Pawn Shop
- Sxip Shirey
- The Belleville Outfit
- The Bittersweets
- The Duhks
- The Felice Brothers
- The Horse Flies
- The Old Ceremony
- The Sadies
- Toubab Krewe
- Yard Dogs Road Show
2010: Breaking Ground
- Old Crow Medicine Show
2012: Lovers Rock
- ALO
- Alison Krauss & Union Station
- American Aquarium
- Anders Osborne
- Chris Thile
- Brandi Carlile
- Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers
- David Wax Museum
- Dawes
- Drew Emmitt Band
- Drive-By Truckers
- Galactic
- Garage A Trois
- Gary Clark Jr.
- Gregory Alan Isakov
- Ha Ha Tonka
- Hoots & Hellmouth
- Jackson Browne
- Jonathan Wilson
- Leftover Salmon
- Locos Por Juana
- MarchFourth Marching Band
- Marco Benevento
- Matisyahu
- Michael Franti & Spearhead
- Orgone
- Ozomatli
- Punch Brothers
- Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
- SOJA
- Steep Canyon Rangers
- Toubab Krewe
2013: Rise & Shine
- Ben Sollee
- Blitzen Trapper
- Bombino
- Brandi Carlile
- Bronze Radio Return
- Citizen Cope
- Delta Rae
- Donavon Frankenreiter
- Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
- Field Report
- GAUDI
- Gigamesh
- Gogol Bordello
- Hogmaw
- Hot Tuna
- Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
- John Butler Trio
- Lake Street Dive
- Larry and His Flask
- Lizzy Ross Band
- Megan Jean & The KFB
- Michael Kiwanuka
- Nahko and Medicine for the People
- Nick Driver Band
- No BS! Brass Band
- North Mississippi Allstars
- Old Crow Medicine Show
- Option 22
- Primate Fiasco
- Railroad Earth
- Rising Appalachia
- Sanctum Sully
- Spirit Family Reunion
- Tauk
- The Devil Makes Three
- The Hackensaw Boys
- The Infamous Stringdusters
- The Last Bison
- The Lumineers
- The Manx
- Trampled by Turtles
- Xavier Rudd
- Yonder Mountain String Band
2014: Revolutionary
- Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite
- Ben Miller Band
- Buddy Guy
- Carolina Chocolate Drops
- Conspirator
- Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands
- Donna the Buffalo
- Groundation
- JJ Grey & MOFRO
- Lauryn Hill
- Lettuce
- Michael Franti & Spearhead
- Paper Bird
- Quinn Sullivan
- Ray LaMontagne
- Rising Appalachia
- Robert Randolph and the Family Band
- The Campbell Brothers
- The Duhks
- The Hackensaw Boys
- The Lee Boys
- The London Souls
- Thievery Corporation
- Ziggy Marley
- Mighty Joshua
2015: Fire on the Mountain
- American Aquarium
- Blair Crimmins & The Hookers
- Brandi Carlile
- Chris Robinson Brotherhood
- Driftwood
- Drive-by Truckers
- Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
- Fear of Music
- First Aid Kit
- Folk Soul Revival
- Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
- Greensky Bluegrass
- Jerry Douglas Presents The Earls of Leicester
- Keller Williams
- Keller Williams' Grateful Grass with Jeff Austin & Others
- Leftover Salmon
- Lord Huron
- Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers
- Peter Rowan's Twang 'An Groove
- Rayland Baxter
- Shovels & Rope
- Sirsy
- Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds
- The Devil Makes Three
- The Oh Hellos
- Trampled by Turtles
- Trigger Hippy
2016: Dreamweavin'
- Gregg Allman
- Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers
- Leftover Salmon
- Nahko & Medicine for the People
- Railroad Earth
- Keller Williams w/ More Than A Little+
- Femi Kuti & Positive Force
- Shakey Graves
- The Wood Brothers
- Greensky Bluegrass
- Elephant Revival
- Anders Osborne
- Pimps of Joytime
- Rich Robinson
- Bombino
- Monophonics
- Otis Taylor Band
- The Larry Keel Experience
- Love Canon
- Con Brio
- The Legendary Shack Shakers
- Head for the Hills
- Liz Vice
- Los Colognes
- Roosterfoot
- Look Homeward
- The Midatlantic
- Bloodkin
- The Steepwater Band
- Dead 27s
- Mingo Fishtrap
- The Show Ponies
- Honey Island Swamp Band
- Polyrhythmics
- The Congress
- Banditos
- Caravan of Thieves
- Dead Winter Carpenters
- Dustbowl Revival
- TigermanWOAH!
- These Wild Plains
- Dirty Bangs
- Cask Mouse
- Cactus Attack
- The Hip Abduction
2017: Freedom
- Thievery Corporation
- Michael Franti & Spearhead
- St. Paul & the Broken Bones
- Rising Appalachia
- Leftover Salmon
- Steel Pulse
- Railroad Earth
- Shovels & Rope
- Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
- Buffalo Mountain Jam
- Xavier Rudd
- White Denim
- Turkuaz
- Fruition
- Keller Williams
- TAUK
- The Steel Wheels
- Larry Keel Experience
- Nicola Cruz
- honeyhoney
- Vurro
- BIG Something
- Shook Twins
- The Hip Abduction
- Baskery
- Zach Deputy
- The Mantras
- Aaron Lee Tasjan
- Fémina
- That 1 Guy
- Dave Eggar Band feat. Sasha Lazard
- The Lil’ Smokies
- People’s Blues of Richmond
- Rebekah Todd & the Odyssey
- Jack Broadbent
- The Suitcase Junket
- Black Masala
- Hillbilly Casino
- Urban Soil
- Blue Mule
- Che Apalache
- Jordan Harman Band
- M.C. Broom & the Jam
- T Sisters
- Banditos
- Jon Stickley Trio
- The Tillers
- Alanna Royale
- The Stash! Band
- Strange Americans
- Whiskerman
- The Brother Brothers
- Honey Island Swamp Band
- Edward David Anderson
- Dead 27s
- Davy Knowles
- McLovins
- Hayley Jane and the Primates
- Broccoli Samurai
- The Drunken Hearts
- Strange Machines
- Trae Pierce & the T-Stones
- Liver Down The River
- Sol Searchers
- G.O.T.E.
- Black Mountain Revival
- The Wildmans
- Fernandez Sisters
- Einstein’s Monkey
- Girls Rock Roanoke
- Community High School Band
- Jefferson Center Music Lab
- Howard Falco
- Dixon’s Violin
- Miss Kitty’s Cosmonauts
- Luna
- Party Liberation Front
Reviews
Voted "Best Large Music Venue in Southwestern Virginia" by Virginia Living
FloydFest '04
"Some larger festivals boast a similar peace, love and music philosophy, but Floyd actually lives it, not just for one weekend, but throughout the entire year."
FloydFest '05
"Floyd sits in a timeless, beautiful section of Virginia, far enough from bigger cities like Roanoke and Danville to feel like it's truly in the middle of nowhere."
"The only thing constant on the festival grounds was the flow of culturally powerful music and mud covered feet."
FloydFest '08
"Floydfest is an epicenter of culture for Southwest Virginia" - VA Senator, Mark Warner