Get Ready For The Ultimate Music Weekend - 2026 30A Fest Headliners Announced

For the past 17 years, the 30A Songwriters Festival has brought music lovers from around the globe to the stunning beaches of South Walton to experience one of the country’s most unique and beloved music events. Produced by the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) and Russell Carter Artist Management, this iconic festival transforms the Gulf Coast into a music mecca, presenting over 125 artists in more than 30 venues for a weekend packed with 300+ unforgettable performances.

From January 16–19, 2026, the 17th Annual 30A Songwriters Festival promises another remarkable celebration of original music, storytelling, and artistic connection—and this year’s headliners are truly unforgettable.

We’re thrilled to welcome MAVIS STAPLES, TOAD THE WET SPROCKET, 10,000 MANIACS, I’M WITH HER, NIKKI LANE, and PAUL MCDONALD & THE MOURNING DOVES to the Grand Boulevard Town Center Main Stage in Miramar Beach. These acclaimed artists represent decades of songwriting excellence and musical evolution—from soul and Americana to alternative rock and folk.

Tickets On Sale Now

Weekend passes and VIP packages (with premium seating, gourmet food, and drinks) are available now at 30asongwritersfestival.com. CAA members receive access to discounted tickets, so now is a perfect time to join the CAA and support year-round arts programming in Walton County.

Why the Festival Matters

The 30A Songwriters Festival is more than an incredible music experience—it’s the CAA’s largest annual fundraiser, directly supporting our mission to foster creativity and connect the community through the arts. Proceeds fuel arts education initiatives, public art installations, artist grants, youth scholarships, the Flutterby Children’s Arts Festival, the Underwater Museum of Art, the Beyond Bars prison songwriting program, and more.

"The 30A Songwriters Festival is renowned for its signature 'in-the-round' performances, and having Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan, and Sara Watkins—three of my personal favorites—share the stage is a dream lineup," said Jennifer Steele, President & CEO of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County and Festival Co-Producer. "Thankfully, they've already made that dream a reality with the creation of the powerhouse trio, I'm With Her, and we’re thrilled to welcome them to the main stage, where their masterful songwriting and gorgeous harmonies can shine.” Steele adds that "our mission is to support the Arts by bringing together neighborhoods, resorts, bars, and restaurants to present the Festival music throughout our community. With over 125 artists performing across five days, from the Grand Boulevard Main Stage to rock-n-roll bars to intimate listening rooms, the Festival delivers an unforgettable and distinctly 30A musical journey.”

Russell Carter, President of Russell Carter Artist Management and Festival Co-Producer, explains that "for the headline stage on Saturday and Sunday afternoons of the MLK holiday weekend we have always booked heritage Artists, legends from different favorite decades and emerging artists gaining national star status in front of our eyes. 2026 is no exception. Mavis Staples brings her 70 years of performing brilliance back to 30A, Toad the Wet Sprocket and 10,000 Maniacs are seminal alternative rock bands that emerged from the 90s and rose to the top of the charts with multiple hits. Nikki Lane and Paul McDonald have both developed critically acclaimed careers as they have built regional followings. Both have new breakthrough albums that are now propelling their careers to new heights. It all adds up to two afternoons of very exciting live music. 

Adds Carter, "There is a direct correlation between the success of the 30A Songwriters Festival and the richness of cultural arts experiences led by the Cultural Arts Alliance, including a grant and scholarship program, Art in Public Spaces program (murals and sculptures), the Underwater Museum of Art off Grayton Beach, arts education for all ages, the Beyond Bars Prison Songwriting program, the Flutterby Children's Arts Festival, and the ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival."

2026 Featured Headliners

MAVIS STAPLES - A lifelong performer with an unparalleled career and voice, Mavis Staples turned 86 years old this July but continues to tour around the world, bringing her music and message to the people one show at a time. This time last year Staples spoke to the New York Times and said she has no plans to retire. Her voice, she explained, has changed with time, “having broadened and softened, like a steel sculpture pillowed with velvet.” “I’m the messenger,” Mavis Staples says. “That’s my job—it has been for my whole life—and I can’t just give up while the struggle’s still alive. We’ve got more work to do, so I’m going to keep on getting stronger and keep on delivering my message every single day.” That message —a clarion call to love, to faith, to justice, to brotherhood, to joy — lies at the heart of her music and her powerful performances.

TOAD THE WET SPROCKET - Toad the Wet Sprocket, the beloved alternative rock band from Santa Barbara, California, first captured audiences in the late 1980s with their heartfelt lyrics and melodic sound. Rising to prominence with albums like Fear (1991) and Dulcinea (1994), they became known for hits such as “Walk on the Ocean”, “All I Want,” and “Good Intentions.” Their ability to blend introspective songwriting with catchy, folk influenced rock has cemented them as a lasting presence in the music world. Throughout their career, Toad the Wet Sprocket has maintained a deep appreciation for their dedicated fanbase, whose unwavering support has allowed them to continue making music on their own terms. Whether through live performances, new recordings, or reimagining classic tracks, the band remains committed to delivering music that resonates with longtime listeners and new audiences alike. The band has re-recorded several of their songs acoustically including “Nanci,” “Something’s Always Wrong”, and “Fall Down”. This year the band released their fourth acoustic single “Good Intentions” which is also the name of their 2025 U.S. national tour.

I’M WITH HER - I’m With Her is a band rooted in a rare alchemy: three celebrated songwriters coming together to create music that reveals entirely new possibilities in their distinct and deep-seated talents. Since forming, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins have imbued their songs with a sharply detailed lyricism, graceful musicianship, and powerfully mesmerizing harmonies. The group's 2018 debut album, See You Around, garnered consistent critical praise. The band won Duo/Group of the Year at the Americana Awards, Artist of the Year at the International Folk Music Awards, and a GRAMMY Award for their 2019 single “Call My Name." On their sophomore LP Wild and Clear and Blue, I’m With Her now brings their luminous harmonies to a soul-searching body of work about reaching into the past, navigating a chaotic present, and bravely moving forward into the unknown. The new record presents a far more elaborate sound than the debut album informed by the band’s extensive touring and acclaimed performances at festivals around the globe.

10,000 MANIACS - In 2026, 10,000 Maniacs will mark an extraordinary milestone — 45 years as one of alternative rock’s most influential and enduring forces. From college radio trailblazers to platinum-selling pioneers, the band has carved out a legacy defined by poetic storytelling, socially conscious lyrics, and a sound that continues to resonate across generations. With over 10 million records sold and a catalog spanning more than a dozen acclaimed albums and EPs, 10,000 Maniacs shows no signs of slowing down. This fall, Rhino will release Candy Everybody Wants — a definitive box set celebrating their groundbreaking Elektra years of the '80s and '90s. This follows the 2024 reissue of their famous MTV unplugged performance which featured versions of many of their hit songs including "These Are Days," "Trouble Me," "Like the Weather," "What's the Matter Here," "More Than This" and "Because the Night." In early 2026, the band will debut Dawn Chorus, their first album of new material in 12 years, ushering in an exciting new chapter of creative rebirth. Expect a rich blend of all of the above music on the headline stage in January.

NIKKI LANE - A singer songwriter who mixes the honky tonk atmosphere of vintage country with the clever bite of indie rock, Nikki Lane is a barroom siren whose music is tough, witty, and bold inhabiting Nashville archetypes while upending them at the same time. Lane’s songs walk a fine line between sincerity and irony, but the passion and effectiveness of her vocals keeps her from sounding like a put on, and her melodies mix rootsy twang and rock & roll edge with confidence. Raised as a Baptist in Greenville, South Carolina, Lane discovered music as an outlet for creative expression at an early age, dropping out of school at 17 to move to Los Angeles, next to New York, and then Nashville to launch her songwriting career. She introduced her talent on her 2011 debut Walk of Shame and added a soulful edge on 2014's All or Nothin' (produced by Dan Auerbach) and Highway Queen from 2017. On her most recent album, Denom & Diamonds, produced by Queens of the Stone Age frontman, Joshua Homme, she eased off her country accents and added a harder rock edge to her mix. With the release in June of the moving confessional single, Woodruff City Limit, produced by Butch Walker, speculation and anticipation grows that the two may be be collaborating on a new album — let’s hope so!

PAUL MCDONALD & THE MOURNING DOVES - Born in Alabama and baptized in the dive bars of the southeast, Paul McDonald first made noise with the Grand Magnolias, a roots-rock outfit, before catching fire in the public eye during American Idol’s 2011 run. When the bright lights blurred and the cameras turned, the man behind the voice slipped into the shadows where he did what real artists do: he lived, he lost, and he wrote. Retreating to Nashville, that holy city of reinvention, Paul stitched himself back together with worn boots, hard songs, and a new band called the Mourning Doves. Now, in 2025, the giant has stirred with the release of So Long to the Dark Side — a gospel-tinged reckoning wrapped in cosmic Americana and lit with songs that sound like they were scribbled on the edge of a breakdown and sung back from the brink. Raised on Petty, Parsons, and pain, Paul McDonald is not chasing trends; he’s conjuring something older and truer. His live performances are equal parts revival and rock séance. In a breakthrough moment, Paul McDonald & the Mourning Doves will bring the songs of So Long to the Dark Side and more to the headline stage at the 17th Annual 30A Songwriters Festival.

More to Come!

The full 2026 artist lineup will be announced soon, featuring solo sets, band shows, and the Festival’s signature in-the-round sessions that let you experience songwriting up-close in intimate venues.

Join the CAA — Support the Arts

If you love live music and believe in the power of the Arts to transform communities, become a CAA member today. Not only will you support impactful local programs, but you’ll also enjoy early access and discounts on 30A Songwriters Festival passes and other exclusive events throughout the year.

Learn More + Get Your Tickets

Visit 30ASongwritersFestival.com for all ticket options, artist updates, VIP packages, and venue info. Follow the Festival and the CAA on social media for behind-the-scenes sneak peeks and the latest news.

Let the countdown begin — we’ll see you in January!