Bluegrass icon Sam Bush, with local officials, announced Chattanooga’s three-year deal to host the World of Bluegrass starting in 2025.
The city of Chattanooga is set to become home to one of the world’s largest and most prestigious bluegrass music events, beginning in September 2025.
The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) announced its five-day World of Bluegrass event has a new home in the Scenic City.
Chattanooga will host the annual World of Bluegrass event for three years starting next year. The festivities include a large conference, trade show, the IBMA awards show, special artist showcases, and a two-day live music festival.
The World of Bluegrass has taken place in Raleigh, North Carolina since 2013, making Chattanooga just the fourth city to host the IBMA event in its 39-year history. The event regularly drew more than 200,000 people to downtown Raleigh and generated over $88 million in economic impact for the city since 2013.
Chattanooga Tourism Co. CEO Barry White told the crowd that 30 other cities competed to lure the festival, but Chattanooga, using state and local grants, as well as community and foundation support, came out on top. Officials emphasized their commitment to making Chattanooga the permanent home for the festival beyond the current three-year contract.
GRAMMY Award-winning mandolin player and International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame inductee Sam Bush spoke at the press conference and brought along his mandolin to play a quick tune.
The Chattanooga Tourism Co. led the project to bring the event to Chattanooga. They estimate the economic impact could include 45,000 visitors and a total economic impact of $30.1 million.
You can view their full press release here.
Find more concerts in and around Chattanooga at our concert calendar.
