Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival: 5 Can’t Miss Artists

Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival will celebrate a decade on the Music City music scene the last weekend in September with its 10th-anniversary festival at the Park at Harlinsdale in Franklin, Tennessee.

Dave Matthews Band, Noah Kahn, Hozier, and NEEDTOBREATHE have top billing at the multi-genre festival this year. However, there’s a host of other artists that festivalgoers should circle in red.
Here are five artists that audiences shouldn’t miss at Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival’s 10th-anniversary festival:

Charlie Worsham

Nashville fell in love with Charlie Worsham more than a decade ago when he released his debut album Rubberband through Warner Music Nashville. Worsham’s fleet-fingered guitar skills, ability to master any instrument with strings, sweet singing voice, and stellar songwriting skills cued him up to be this generation’s version of Vince Gill. Yet, country radio wouldn’t get on board – and it was before the peak of streaming, so country radio had to get on board to ensure success. There may not be a more universally beloved member of Nashville’s modern music community than Worsham.
He’s touring with Dierks Bentley, working with many artists, including Kip Moore, and is the Academy of Country Music’s Acoustic Guitar Player of the Year.

Update: American Songwriter caught up with Worsham at this year’s Pilgrimage. In an interview presented by George Dickel, Worsham talked about his fandom of fellow artist Stephen Wilson Jr. and shared a message for aspiring artists.

Allison Russell

Russell is a Grammy-winning artist who is in such demand that she just had to reschedule her fall tour so she can join the cast of Hadestown on Broadway. She moved her tour to April and May 2025 and will debut as Persephone in Hadestown on Tuesday, November 12, at New York’s Walter Kerr Theatre in New York City.

“Impossible for me to fully convey how deeply meaningful, resonant, uplifting, and full circle it is to be making my Broadway debut, starring in the role of Persephone (a Goddess and archetype I have explored in both poetry and song myself since childhood) in this timeless instant classic,” Russell said in a statement. “I am proud to be joining the sisterhood of artists who’ve embodied Persephone, proud to be joining this extraordinary ensemble, proud to become a part of this living, growing legacy. This is a World I’ve dreamt of and one I get to live in now. I am excited and grateful beyond measure to be joining Hadestown! See you way down under the ground!”

Grace Bowers and the Hodge Podge

Grace Bowers is a critically acclaimed teenage guitar shredder who captivated artists ranging from Eric Clapton to Dolly Parton before she ever released a song.
The Nashville-based artist dropped “Tell Me Why U Do That” this spring.  On Wednesday, she was named Instrumentalist of the Year at the 23rd Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium.

Lukas Nelson

Nelson is flying solo these days after announcing in June that he and his longtime band Promise of the Real were parting ways. They were together for 15 years before deciding they wanted to chase their individual artistic pursuits. As the son of Willie Nelson, Lukas Nelson has been known to country music fans since birth, but it was the Bradley Cooper movie A Star Is Born that catapulted him onto an even larger stage. Nelson served as a consultant on the film, and then he and Promise of the Real was the backing band in the movie.

Recently, he teamed with Sierra Ferrell and The Travelin’ McCourys to release for a cover of Adele’s wildly popular “Someone Like You.”

Update: American Songwriter had the pleasure of chatting with Nelson at this year’s Pilgrimage. In an interview presented by George Dickel, Nelson talked his new album, his bluegrass cover of “Someone Like You, and more.

Band of Heathens

Texas-born rockers Band of Heathens includes members Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist. Recently, members revealed they’re expanding to include lauded Americana singer Hayes Carll for a new album. Entitled Hayes & The Heathens, the project will be available Oct. 4.
“Leaning into each other’s strengths, we found some sonic territory new to all of us, something between country-funk and good-time boogie,” Quist said in a statement. “The deciding factor for all of our creative choices on the record came down to the simple question of what sounds more fun.”

Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival is Sept. 28-29 at the Park at Harlinsdale in Franklin, Tennessee. Tickets start at $289 and are available here.

Photo Credit: Dana Trippe/Fantasy Records