Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Expands 2025 Artist Lineup: The Devil Makes Three, Marc Ribot, Amos Lee, Dengue Fever and More

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, photo by Jay Blakesberg

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has unveiled the fourth wave of its 2025 artist lineup. From Oct. 3 to Oct. 5, San Francisco’s premier roots music festival will return to Golden Gate Park for its 25th annual staging with a top-tier lineup of performers rooted in the tradition of bluegrass and reaching out to a vast array of genres and styles. The fourth lineup announcement adds 10 new acts, bringing the total so far to 39.

The eclectic set of new entries to the highly anticipated event is led by hard-hitting roots reinventors The Devil Makes Three, who recently reunited for their 10th studio album, Spirits, and were profiled in a Relix feature. Other exciting additions include acclaimed soulful folk singer-songwriter Amos Lee, Ocie Elliott, Robert Earl Keen, Olivia Wolf, Madeline Hawthorne, Dengue Fever, TopHouse, Corey Harris and Marc Ribot: Map Of A Blue City, performing the storied genre-bending guitarist’s first solo vocal album, which was included in a recent round of Relix Staff Picks.

Other artists confirmed for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2025 include iconic Americana singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, a collaborative set from Low’s Alan Sparhawk and Trampled by Turtles, roots-rock powerhouse Natahniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy, jamgrass pioneers The String Cheese Incident, bluegrass innovators the Dan Tyminski Band, Northern Caliornia jam staples ALO, blues firebrand Jontavious Willis, folk duo Watchhouse, beloved Australian indie singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett, I’m With Her–the Americana supergroup of Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins–and the intergenerational bluegrass revival combo of Peter Rowan with Sam Grisman Project, playing the music of Old & In the Way and more.

“Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is always the great homecoming,” local legend Rowan offered in a release. “Sharing the stage with Sam Grisman and his band of young talented players, infused with the legacy of Old & In the Way, is a real treat. Warren’s legacy lives on.”

In the spirit of its founder, philanthropist Warren Hellman, HSB continues to honor and celebrate American roots music completely free of charge. For fans unable to attend, the festival will be available for streaming on the HSB TV platform (bitly). The festival also released an exclusive teaser medley of its performers, now streaming on the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass website.

“For 25 years, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has been a testament to the power of music to bring people together—free, inclusive, and rooted in the spirit of community,” said Sheri Sternberg, HSB’s Executive Producer and Co-Founder. “What started as a humble celebration of bluegrass has grown into a beloved San Francisco tradition that honors the past while embracing the future. We’re proud to carry forward the legacy of Warren Hellman and look forward to gathering once again in Golden Gate Park for a weekend of unforgettable music.”

On the evening prior to the event, a special show will take place at the Masonic. A Tribute to Emmylou Harris & 25 Years of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass will feature Emmylou Harris—the only artist to perform at every HSB—joined by Rosanne Cash, Sam Bush, Allison Russell, Margo Price, Patty Griffin, Rodney Crowell, Shawn Colvin, Steve Earle and others.

“For our 25th birthday, we’re turning the volume all the way up – the SF Symphony playing with Lyle Lovett at Davies Hall, a star-studded Emmylou Harris tribute at The Masonic, and Friday programming on our Rooster Stage,” said Executive Director John Caldon. “We’ve created a beautiful commemorative book of photos and stories, and have surprises you’ll have to be here to experience. This year is one big love letter to the music, the fans, and the joy that makes Hardly Strictly Bluegrass pure magic.”

Learn more about Hardly Strictly Bluegrass at hardlystrictlybluegrass.com. Get an inside look at last year’s festival here.