Live Music in Highlands NC and Cashiers NC

Bear Shadow Music Festival returns May 29 – 31 with a genre‑spanning lineup and a new setting that lets every note breathe across the Highlands landscape.

Mavis Staples headlines a powerhouse Bear Shadow weekend, bringing high‑altitude energy to the Highlands stage.

Tickets for the 2026 Bear Shadow spring music festival will go on sale Thursday, Dec. 11, at 12 noon ET, according to an announcement from Highlands Festivals, Inc.

Singer-songwriter Mike Kinnebrew returns to The Farm at Old Edwards for a heartfelt holiday concert filled with music and memories.

The 2026 Bear Shadow music festival lineup features headliners Trombone Shorty (Saturday) and Charley Crockett (Sunday). Mavis Staples, Margo Price, Marc Broussard, Kashus Culpepper, Pony Bradshaw and J & The Causeways will also perform, according to an announcement from Highlands Festivals, Inc. today. The music festival is set to return to Highlands, NC, from May 29th-31st, 2026.

The wait is over. Bring on the music, mountains, and revelry!

On October 8, Erick Baker brings his soul-stirring voice to The Orchard at Old Edwards—an intimate evening where music becomes pure connection.

On Sunday, September 21, the heart of Highlands will pulse with rhythm, harmony, and hometown pride as Porchfest returns for its fifth year of free, feel-good music and community celebration.

Highlands welcomes September with a weekend concert lineup as colorful and varied as the season itself.