Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival Celebrates 10th Anniversary

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Lady A’s Charles Kelley performing with Better Than Ezra during Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival 2024. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Rain didn’t stop Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival’s 10th anniversary return to The Park at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin, Tennessee this past weekend (Sept. 28–29).

Allison Russell performing with Hozier during Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival 2024. Photo: Alive Coverage

Despite the two-hour opening delay on Saturday (Sept. 28), a sea of attendees lined the fences to enter the festival grounds. To ensure all artists were able to perform, organizers worked to restructure the schedule, with Chance Peña leading the charge on the Gold Record Road stage. Allison Russell also took that platform, where Saturday night’s headliner and her tourmate for the last 10 weeks, Hozier, made a guest appearance for a duet of “Requiem.” Returning the favor, Russell graced the Gold Record Road stage again in the evening to sing “Work Song” during Hozier’s set. The first day closed with a Dave Matthews Band performance on the Midnight Sun Stage. They invited out friend and festival co-billing act Trombone Shorty back on the stage to rock out, ending with a bang.

Produced by Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin, W. Brandt Wood and Michael Whelan, the event also highlighted the work of various chefs, artisans, jewelers and brewers, among others.

Better Than Ezra’s fiery set continued a decade-long tradition on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 29). President & CEO of Gibson Cesar Gueikian jammed out during “Mystified” and Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” before gifting the guitar to a lucky winner. Charles Kelley of Lady A also popped up to join the band for a rendition of Bryan Adams’ “Summer Of ‘69.” Matthew Ramsey of Old Dominion accompanied headliner NeedToBreathe for their song “Wasting Time.” The group also brought out Judah & The Lion members Judah Akers and Brian Macdonald for their hit “Brother.” Fans then migrated over to the Midnight Sun Stage to catch Noah Kahan. Marking the last performance of the weekend, Kahan stacked his set with tunes and a guest appearance from Ashe.

Additionally, the crowd experienced the musical stylings of Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Lukas Nelson, The Brook & The Bluff, Coin, Stephen Sanchez, Myles Smith, Sierra Hull and more.

Noah Kahan headlining Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival 2024. Photo: Alive Coverage

Liza Anderson
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