Big Ears is an exceedingly eclectic festival. Most festivals stick to one genre, maybe two. Big Ears says, “Genre? LOL. How about ALL of them?”

This is the 10th year of Big Ears, drawing more than 20,000 fans March 30 to April 2 to see 100-plus acts at venues concentrated in Knoxville’s beautiful, artsy downtown. Park once and you can walk to all the venues. 

Big Ears is a choose-your-own-adventure kind of festival. Fest-goers can pick a genre and wallow in it – jazz, world beat, Americana, folk, classical, ambient country (did you know there’s such a thing as ambient country?) – or wander a crooked route among them.