Keene Music Festival Sets Return for Sept. 5 Across Downtown

The event will use seven stages this year and is scheduled to run from late morning into the evening.

Downtown Keene is set to fill with live music on Saturday, Sept. 5, when the Keene Music Festival brings free performances to multiple sites across the city center during Labor Day weekend.

The event will use seven stages this year and is scheduled to run from late morning into the evening, with music starting as early as 10:30 a.m. The listed program runs until 10 p.m. and includes an official afterparty downtown after the daytime performances wind down at 6 p.m. for stage teardown.

Organizers said this year’s edition, expected to be the festival’s 25th, has been reshaped in response to ongoing construction in the downtown area. One stage that would normally have been placed in Central Square has been moved to Black Cloud Brewing, while Chapters at Toadstool Bookshop has been added as a new venue.

The lineup was drawn from about 150 submissions, with roughly 55 to 60 performance slots making the final cut. Samantha Martel, the festival board treasurer, said the process depends on fitting together a wide mix of acts, including returning performers, first-time applicants, different genres, set lengths and family-oriented programming.

Martel said past participation does not ensure a place on the schedule, since the organizers have to build a lineup that works across the entire festival and encourages attendees to move between downtown locations.

The day’s performances will be spread across the city. At the Monadnock Food Co-op, the music starts at 10:30 a.m. with Matt Litzinger and continues with Jess Hutchins, Trinity Nay, Tod Born, Marcus’ Meercats, Eve Pierce and Riley Walter.

Railroad Square is set to open at 11 a.m. with Ian Galipeau, followed by JD & The Stonemasons, Congregation X, PARRIS, The Upstart Crows, Gwell-0, Vale End, Lobotomobile, Tumbletoads and Hug The Dog.

Gallery Alley will begin at 11:30 a.m. with Esther Rhatigan and later feature B. Snair & Vincent Tessoro, Horsefly Gulch, Pointless Culture, Mimi Fang, Faux In Love, Chodus and Wired For Sound.

The City Tire Stage begins at noon with Cole Philips & The Early Morning Weather and later includes Times The Enemy, Side Effects May Include, Chiburi, Vices Inc., 6 Minds Combined, Dead By Dawn, Hemlok, The Forest Forgets and Humdinger & The Bucksnort.

Lamson Street will lean toward electronic music, with Salt The Pot, Astral Underground, Bosey Joe, Shiny New Toyz, Coffin Flop, Hobo Wizard, Helixx and Psidemica among the scheduled acts.

Black Cloud Brewing will host Garrett Gleason, Ragz To Stitchez, The Negans, Oziem, Jonee Earthquake, The Champlain, Shoregasm, Etch & The Youngs and Jennifer Tefft & The Strange.

At Chapters at Toadstools, the lineup includes Joel Eaton, Lady Heron, The Timothy, Gager Uno, Lyle Hutchins, James Baucom and Angela Stewart.

Festival organizers said electronic music has become more visible in the lineup, with Helixx and Psidemica helping expand that part of the event.

After the main festival, local DJs are expected to take over for an official afterparty, with more details still to come. Maps, schedules and updates will be posted through the festival’s social media pages and at the information table on Railroad Square. T-shirts will also be sold at the event.

The festival depends heavily on volunteers, especially for setting up and taking down the stages. Martel said organizers are still looking for people who want to help.

Although the group behind the event operates with an eight-member board and a relatively informal setup, building the schedule takes weeks. Applicants are reviewed online, a selection committee helps narrow the field and the band booking process alone takes about a month and a half.

The festival was not held in 2020 and continued in 2021 despite uncertainty, but it has remained a staple for free, all-ages original music in downtown Keene.

Keene Music Festival 2026 When: Saturday, Sept. 5 Where: Downtown Keene Admission: Free Festival hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with daytime festival programming beginning as early as 10:30 a.m. and stage breakdown beginning at 6 p.m.