FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 26: A view of the stage and audience during day two of the 2021 Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival on September 26, 2021 in Franklin, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival)

Stars Align For 2021 Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival brought back the healing power of music to Middle Tennessee this past weekend (September 25 & 26), as the two-day 200-acre event welcomed a crowd of 25K to The Park at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin, TN. Locally the first music festival of its magnitude in two years, The Tennessean deemed its comeback a “triumphant return” that’s now firmly placed “Franklin on map as a music destination.”

Led by “marquee-worthy performances” according to The Tennessean with back-to-back headliners both nights, Maren Morris and The Black Keys kicked off the festival on Saturday (9/25), as Cage The Elephant and Dave Matthews Band capped the party on Sunday (9/26). More than 50+ standout acts in total appeared across five stages – Midnight Sun Stage, Gold Record Road Stage, Simple Truth X Shady Grove Stage, Lil’ Pilgrims Family Stage, and Americana Music Triangle Experience (AMTE) – with American Songwriter hailing, “Live music is back and possibly better than before.” Paste Magazine’s Paste Studio on the Road: Pilgrimage Music Festival was also on-site livestreaming special backstage appearances. Watch multi-song performances from billed acts Hailey Whitters, The Harlem Gospel Travelers, Jamestown Revival, and Wax Owls.

“All the stars aligned for Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival this year. We were blessed with a full crowd, brilliant weather, and one of the best lineups that we’ve ever had. It truly seemed like every artist was giving their absolute best, knowing just how meaningful it was to finally be able to bring music lovers together,” shares event co-producer W. Brandt Wood. “People were smiling, kids were dancing, and the music was rocking. We wanted to give everyone a transcendent experience that truly brought joy, and the crowds really came out in mass to celebrate as one community. We’re already counting down until next year!”

About Jerry Holthouse

Music editor for Nashville.com. Jerry Holthouse is a content writer, songwriter and a graphic designer. He owns and runs Holthouse Creative, a full service creative agency. He is an avid outdoorsman and a lover of everything music. You can contact him at JerryHolthouse@Nashville.com

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