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Billy Strings Announces His Inaugural ‘Ionia Freak Fair’ Festival In Michigan Featuring Sierra Hull & Many More
Prepare for some face melting.
For all intents and purposes, Billy Strings has become the “it” star in bluegrass as of late. After years of well-deserved hype among fans of the genre, the past five years, in particular, have been huge for the Michigan native. Beyond playing with the likes of famous jam bands such as Dead & Company, Phish and Widespread Panic, Strings has also scored major collaborations with Luke Combs, Dierks Bentley, Willie Nelson, Post Malone and Zach Top.
The “Dust in a Baggie” singer broke out in a big way commercially in 2024 with the release of Highway Prayers. Not only did the record top seven different Billboard charts, including Top Album Sales, Vinyl Albums, Bluegrass Albums and Most Added at Triple A Radio (“Gild the Lily”), it also became the first bluegrass album in 22 years to reach #1 on the all-genre Top Album Sales chart since the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack topped the chart for two weeks back in 2002.
Just when you thought the dust had settled on the overwhelming success of Highway Prayers, two weeks ago, Strings nabbed his third-career Grammy for the project, winning Best Bluegrass Album. Though he wasn’t there to accept the award, he’d take to Instagram to thank the Recording Academy.
“Thank you to all the Grammys folks for naming ‘Highway Prayers’ best bluegrass album!!! And congratulations to all the nominees, it’s an honor to be recognized along with such fine musicians.”
Shortly after his Grammy win, on February 3rd, Strings would take to his Instagram story to signal to fans that he had just completed his upcoming record, calling it his best one yet.
“Just made my best album yet. Fkn stoked.”
Of course, fans everywhere were beyond excited upon hearing the news. With that being said, however, Strings added more fuel to the fire yesterday morning when he posted a cryptic teaser featuring a man dressed in clown makeup reading the definition of the word, “freak.”
View this post on Instagram
As it turns out, the teaser wasn’t for the new album. Instead, it was for something arguably even more exciting: his first-ever festival.
Announced yesterday, the inaugural Ionia Freak Fair will be taking place at the Ionia Fairgrounds in Ionia, Michigan on August 28th and 29th. Along with Strings as the headliner and host of the event, he’s bringing along some extremely heavy hitters in the bluegrass scene, including fellow Grammy-nominee, Sierra Hull, as well as Greensky Bluegrass, Leftover Salmon, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, Lindsay Lou, Full Cord and more to be announced soon.
View this post on Instagram
In addition to the killer bluegrass acts, Ionia Freak Fair will also feature pinball games from the local music venue and pinball bar, Pyramid Scheme, as well as what the venue and Strings describe as a “metal tent,” which looks to be some sort of bluegrass-metal fusion of some sort.
Tickets for the festival are on sale today, starting at just $53 for single-day passes and two-day general admission costing $106. Additionally, pit tickets are also available. Given the fact that “locals only” passes are already sold out, it looks like tickets are going fast. If you’re in the Michigan area, I would not hesitate to snag tickets to see some of the best bluegrass musicians in the business today.
Before you go, fire up one of the standouts from the Grammy-winning Highway Prayers, “Don’t Be Calling Me (at 4AM).”
Billy Strings Tour Dates
February 13—Asheville, NC—ExploreAsheville.com Arena (SOLD OUT)
February 14—Asheville, NC—ExploreAsheville.com Arena (SOLD OUT)
February 20—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena (SOLD OUT)
February 21—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena (SOLD OUT)
February 22—Nashville, TN—Ryman Auditorium (SOLD OUT)
February 28—Nashville, TN—Opry House
April 2—St. Augustine, FL—St. Augustine Amphitheatre (SOLD OUT)
April 3—St. Augustine, FL—St. Augustine Amphitheatre (SOLD OUT)
April 4—St. Augustine, FL—St. Augustine Amphitheatre (SOLD OUT)
April 8—Tampa, FL—Benchmark International Arena
April 10—Savannah, GA—Enmarket Arena
April 11—Savannah, GA—Enmarket Arena
April 14—Greensboro, NC—First Horizon Coliseum
April 17—Charlottesville, VA—John Paul Jones Arena
April 18—Charlottesville, VA—John Paul Jones Arena
April 22—Charleston, WV—Charleston Coliseum (SOLD OUT)
April 24—Fishers, IN—Fishers Event Center (SOLD OUT)
April 25—Fishers, IN—Fishers Event Center (SOLD OUT)
April 26—Fishers, IN—Fishers Event Center (SOLD OUT)
July 14—Roanoke, VA—Berglund Center (SOLD OUT)
July 17—Portsmouth, VA—Portsmouth Pavilion
July 18—Portsmouth, VA—Portsmouth Pavilion (SOLD OUT)
July 21—Boston, MA—Agganis Arena (SOLD OUT)
July 22—Boston, MA—Agganis Arena
July 24—Portland, ME—Cross Insurance Arena (SOLD OUT)
July 25— Portland, ME—Cross Insurance Arena (SOLD OUT)
July 28—Hartford, CT—PeoplesBank Arena
July 31—Bethel, NY—Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
August 1—Bethel, NY—Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (SOLD OUT)
August 28—Ionia, MI—Ionia Freak Fair
August 29—Ionia, MI—Ionia Freak FairThe post Billy Strings Announces His Inaugural ‘Ionia Freak Fair’ Festival In Michigan Featuring Sierra Hull & Many More first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
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