Six-Week Festival Delivers Diverse Musical Programming

Dollywood's Harvest Festival presented by Humana runs from September 12 through October 27, 2025, offering guests more than 700 live performances across multiple venues throughout the park's 40th anniversary season. The extensive entertainment lineup spans bluegrass, Southern gospel, and country music genres, with all concerts included in regular park admission. The festival operates daily from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, providing visitors with continuous musical entertainment alongside the park's signature autumn attractions including Great Pumpkin LumiNights and more than 12,000 pumpkins displayed throughout the property. The comprehensive entertainment schedule represents one of the most ambitious musical offerings in the theme park industry during the fall season, showcasing both established artists and emerging talent across multiple performance venues.

Celebrity Theater Headlines Grammy-Nominated Artists and Chart-Topping Performers

DP's Celebrity Theater serves as the primary venue for headline entertainment throughout the Harvest Festival, hosting country, bluegrass, and gospel acts performing multiple shows daily. The venue's October lineup features bluegrass powerhouses Rhonda Vincent and The Rage performing October 5-7 and returning October 13-14, followed by Emily Ann Roberts taking the stage October 8-12, and Grammy-nominated duo Dailey & Vincent closing out the festival October 15-19. Earlier September performances included tribute acts Always Loretta honoring Loretta Lynn (September 12-14) and Here Come the Judds celebrating The Judds (September 15-16), along with gospel quartet Triumphant Quartet (September 15-19) and The Collingsworth Family (September 26-27). Country artists Keith Anderson, known for hits including "Pickin' Wildflowers" and "Every Time I Hear Your Name," performed September 21-22, while bluegrass band The Grascals held the stage September 22-24. Additional Celebrity Theater performers included Lee Roy Parnell on September 28 and contemporary Christian band Sidewalk Prophets running September 29 through October 3, demonstrating the venue's diverse programming approach throughout the six-week festival.

Pines Theater and Back Porch Theater Expand Musical Offerings

The Pines Theater hosts a rotating lineup of performers throughout the Harvest Festival, welcoming gospel quartet LeFevre Quartet October 7-8 and Southern gospel group Authentic Unlimited October 2-4. The venue also features The String Revolution, an ensemble recognized for fusing jazz, rock, classical and world music elements into captivating performances, alongside artists including Redd and The Paper Flowers, Jessica Willis Fisher, and Nashville-based group Rockland Road. These performers provide guests with alternative musical experiences beyond the headline acts, offering diverse genres and performance styles throughout each festival day. The Back Porch Theater's "NightTime at The Back Porch" series continues during Harvest Festival with The Young Fables performing October 6-10 and The Woods taking the stage October 16-20. Additional Back Porch Theater performers include Run Katie Run, New Zealand artist Tami Neilson, The Voice contestant Ruby Leigh, and Acadian party band Beauxmont, providing guests with evening entertainment options featuring contemporary and traditional acoustic performances. These secondary venues ensure continuous musical programming across different areas of the park, allowing guests to experience live performances while navigating between attractions and dining locations throughout their visit.

Additional Performance Venues Create Park-Wide Musical Atmosphere

Beyond the three primary performance theaters, Dollywood's Harvest Festival incorporates music throughout the park via multiple smaller venues including Stump Stage, Robert F. Thomas Chapel, Showstreet Palace, and Valley Theater. These locations host dozens of talented Southern gospel, bluegrass, and country artists performing shorter sets throughout each operating day, creating a continuous musical atmosphere as guests move between the park's themed areas and attractions. The distributed venue approach allows visitors to encounter live performances organically during their park experience rather than requiring dedicated attendance at specific show times, enhancing the overall festival ambiance while accommodating varying guest schedules and preferences. Artists performing at these supplementary venues represent both regional talent and touring performers, with schedules available through the Dollywood mobile app providing real-time showtimes and location details. The multi-venue strategy supporting over 700 performances throughout the six-week festival demonstrates Dollywood's commitment to live entertainment as a core component of the guest experience, particularly during signature seasonal events like Harvest Festival that celebrate the park's Smoky Mountain heritage and Dolly Parton's musical legacy through diverse programming appealing to multiple generations of visitors.