Mempho Music Festival will return to Radians Amphitheater at Memphis Botanical Garden on October 9th–11th. Now in its ninth year, the three-day genre-hopping gathering boasts a lineup that spans rock, soul, hip-hop, reggae, jam, electronic music, and more.

Electro hip-hop standouts Pretty Lights will headline the first night. Then, over the two subsequent evenings, beloved blues-jam band Widespread Panic will be the main attraction, performing two sets each night. The Athens, GA-bred band has built an impressive legacy at Mempho over the years, hosting sit-ins by Billy Strings, the Allman Brothers Band’s Chuck Leavell, and blues legend Bobby Rush during its headlining performances.

Spoon, Gary Clark Jr., Ziggy Marley, STS9, De La Soul, Broken Social Scene, Fishbone, JJ Grey & Mofro and Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs are just some of the other confirmed acts. A deep roster of performers will be spread across three stages.

“We set out every year to build a lineup that crosses genres the way Memphis always has,” Mempho Presents producer Jeff Bransford said. “This lineup has something for everyone, and that’s what Mempho is all about — bringing fans together around great music.”

Additional performers include Grammy-winning bassist and Memphis native MonoNeon, Maggie Rose, Dumpstaphunk, Sierra Hull and the Randall Bramblett Band, along with a special guest appearance from legendary keyboardist Chuck Leavell. Memphis artists Devil Train, Zoë Dominguez and Degenerate Breakfast will also represent the city’s thriving local scene.

For Mempho Presents, the festival is more than a carefully curated list of national acts. The independent Memphis-based promoter was founded in 2017 by a group of live-event veterans and Memphis business leaders with the intention of creating large-scale music experiences rooted in the city’s culture and musical history. Alongside Mempho Music Festival, the company also produces RiverBeat Music Festival, SmokeSlam BBQ Festival and Shell Daze.

“There’s something about Memphis that you can feel the moment you get here,” Bransford adds. “This city gave the world the blues, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll, and that same creativity, grit, and originality still show up every day in the artists, chefs, entrepreneurs, and people who call it home.”

That sense of place is central to Mempho’s identity. Rather than treating Memphis’ musical history as something confined to the past, the festival uses it as a starting point for a contemporary lineup that puts established legends, modern headliners and emerging local artists on the same stages.

The festival’s reputation for immersive programming will also return for 2026. The Incendia Dome is an interactive art and design environment housed beneath a fire-lit structure. The Dome will also host Mempho’s late-night silent disco, with DJs broadcasting directly to attendees’ headphones.

Food and beverage vendors, sponsor activations, and local nonprofit organizations will round out the festival grounds. Mempho will also bring back its Charity Auction, giving fans the opportunity to bid on autographed memorabilia, rare merchandise, concert tickets, and artist experiences. Proceeds will benefit the Soulsville Foundation/Stax Music Academy and Positive Legacy.

At its core, the festival remains a celebration of the city that inspired it. In keeping with that philosophy, Mempho Presents has partnered with local organizations like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Soulsville Foundation, Indie Memphis, Music Export Memphis, WYXR 91.7 FM, Project Green Fork, City Leadership and Choose901.

Mempho Presents’ area events help generate hundreds of local jobs and regularly utilize Memphis-based businesses, vendors and production crews. “Everything we do starts with Memphis — the music, the culture, and the people who continue to show up to support live music year after year,” Bransford says. “We don’t take that support for granted.”

Mempho 2026 also introduces two upgraded ticket tiers. GA+ offers a centrally located private hangout with enhanced amenities. Meanwhile, the Platinum tier provides a limited number of luxury suite-level passes at the Main Stage. Both join the returning VIP experience.

Three-day and single-day tickets are currently available. For the complete lineup and festival information, visit memphofest.com.