Bristol's 2027 music year: a planning guide
Last checked Oct 19, 2026 on the organizers' own pages.
Country music's first big recording sessions happened in Bristol in 1927. In 2027 the town marks 100 years with a year of shows and two big weekends. This page lists the dates, prices, hours and parking we could confirm on the organizers' own pages. Dates and lineups change, so check the organizer link before you go.
In the Tri is an independent events site. We do not run these events and are not part of them.
The dates to know
| When | What | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 20, 2026 | Night 7: Her Song | Bristol Listening Room | $27 |
| Dec 18, 2026 | Night 8: The Holiday Sessions | Bristol Listening Room | $27 |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Night 9: New Voices | Bristol Listening Room | $27 |
| Feb 19, 2027 | Night 10: Outlaws & Renegades | Bristol Listening Room | $27 |
| Mar 19, 2027 | Night 11: The Echoes | Bristol Listening Room | $27 |
| Apr 16, 2027 | Night 12: The Gathering | Bristol Listening Room | $27 |
| May 28 to 29, 2027 | The 100th Session (finale) | Bristol Listening Room, per the series' home page | Not yet published |
| Sep 10 to 12, 2027 | Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion | Downtown Bristol, TN and VA | $180 for 3 days (current tier) |
Bristol Sessions Nights
A 12-night series run by the City of Bristol, Tennessee with the ETSU Appalachian Music Collective and Tennessee Hills Distillery. Every night is in the Bristol Listening Room, in the historic L.C. King Building at 24 7th St, Bristol, TN 37620.
- Time: doors 6:30 PM, show 7:30 PM.
- Tickets: $27 a night, or the Bristol 12 Passport for $300 (all 12 nights, VIP entry to the 100th Session). Each night is limited to 100 tickets, so popular nights can sell out. The organizer does not say whether fees are added at checkout.
- On sale now: the Bristol 12 Passport. Nights 7 to 12 and the finale say "On Sale Soon" on the series page (checked Oct 19, 2026).
- Lineups: Nights 7 to 12 have a theme but no performer names yet. Night 7 is described as an all-female lineup. Night 11 is a program with ETSU and the Birthplace of Country Music.
- Age limit: none published. Seating, accessibility and what food is sold: not published.
- Tickets and details: Bristol Sessions Nights and the ticket page.
The two big weekends
The 100th Session, May 28 to 29, 2027. The series finale. The organizer calls it the opening night of the Bristol Sessions Festival, with a headline artist and a multi-artist celebration. No lineup, schedule, price or ticket status has been published yet. We will add them when the organizer does.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Sep 10 to 12, 2027. The long-running downtown festival, billed this year as celebrating 100 years of the Bristol Sessions. All ages. Music starts at 3 PM on the first day. The ticket page shows 3-day general admission at $180, with all fees and taxes included. Prices are tiered, so the price can go up. The event runs rain or shine, and tickets cannot be refunded or exchanged. No lineup is announced yet. Tickets and details.
See the museum
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is at 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA (the Virginia side of State Street). It tells the story of the 1927 recordings and is a Smithsonian affiliate.
- Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM. Sunday 1 PM to 5 PM. Closed Monday. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Easter.
- Admission: $13 adults. $11 for seniors, college students with ID, military, children 6 to 17 and groups of 20 or more. Children 5 and under are free. Bristol, Virginia admission tax is added.
- Call before a snow or ice day: 423-573-1927. Museum visit page.
Getting there and parking
- Listening Room (Bristol, TN): the organizer says street parking is available along State Street and nearby blocks.
- Museum (Bristol, VA): free lot across the street at Cumberland and Moore Streets. Free two-hour street parking on Cumberland, Moore and Country Music Way. A paid honor-box lot is at Cumberland and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
- State Street is the state line. The Tennessee side is south of it and the Virginia side is north. Both venues are downtown, and the organizer says they are within walking distance. We have not measured the walk.
Eat and drink nearby
Places on or near State Street that already have pages on In the Tri. We list addresses only. Hours were not confirmed for this guide, so check before you go.
- Delta Blues BBQ, 724 State St, Bristol, TN
- O'Mainnin's Pub, 712 State St, Bristol, TN
- Stateline Bar & Grille, 644 State St, Bristol, TN
- The Corner, 501 State St, Bristol, VA
- The Axe and Ale House, 155 Moore St, Bristol, VA
Not downtown: Tennessee Hills (Bristol), the Bristol Sessions co-producer, is at 90 Tennessee Hills Way, Bristol, TN 37620. Its own page lists bar and Smokestillery hours of Monday to Thursday 11 AM to 10 PM, Friday and Saturday 11 AM to 11 PM, and Sunday noon to 9 PM (checked Oct 11, 2026).
More music in Bristol
- Hard Rock Live Bristol, 500 Gate City Hwy, Bristol, VA. All events are 21 and over. Door and show times differ by show.
- Paramount Bristol, 518 State St, Bristol, TN.
- Everything coming up: Bristol live music and Bristol this weekend.
What we do not know yet
- Lineups for Nights 7 to 12, the finale and Rhythm & Roots 2027
- The finale's price, schedule and ticket status
- Whether the Sessions Nights add fees at checkout, have an age limit, or have wheelchair access
- Hotel rates and walking times
Last checked Oct 19, 2026. In the Tri is not affiliated with the City of Bristol, the Bristol Sessions Nights, the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum or any venue named here.
Partner spots
No paid placement exists for this guide yet. If one is added later, it will be a clearly labeled box set apart from the picks above. The picks on this page are chosen by us and not paid for.