Arkansas Music Week Turns Downtown Fayetteville Into One Long Setlist
Follow the music down a packed sidewalk and you could land inside a songwriter workshopping a brand new tune, a punk bill loud enough to rattle store windows, or a Sunday picnic where barbecue smoke drifts over a slow guitar solo. You’ll find nearly every corner of the local scene on stage somewhere, from up-and-coming acts to musicians who’ve spent decades on the road.
THE DEETS
🗓️ Sunday, August 23, 2026– Sunday, August 30, 2026
🕑 August 23, 12:00 PM – August 30, 9:00 PM
📍 Stages across downtown Fayetteville, including George’s Majestic Lounge, Kingfish, Nature Backs, and Roger’s Rec
🔗 More info and Full Schedule | Follow Arkansas Music Experience on Facebook for updates
The Week Runs on Repeat Performances
Arkansas Music Experience teamed up with Experience Fayetteville and the Downtown Fayetteville Coalition to pack more than 75 events into 22 venues this year, and one of the steadiest threads running through the week is a nightly songwriter series you can build a routine around.
Swing by Roger’s Rec at 406 W Dickson St and you’ll catch a different local songwriter every afternoon from Monday through Sunday, 3 to 5 p.m., as part of the Songwright Dickson St. series, a week-long expansion of the venue’s regular hometown show. Joe Conley, Patti Steel, Randolph Thomas, Jeff Kearney, Kelly Mulholland, Michael McKenzie, and Jackson Jennings each take a turn in what organizers call Fayetteville’s afternoon listening room.
Local Talent Gets the Business Side Too
If you’re on the industry side, head to George’s Majestic Lounge, 519 W Dickson, on Tuesday, August 25, from 6 to 9 p.m. for the Arkansas Music Experience’s free Music Industry Meetup, open to musicians, producers, songwriters, and venue owners looking to network.
You can follow that up on Saturday, August 29, at 1 p.m. at Nature Backs, 653 W Dickson St, for AME Breakout & Build, a block of masterclasses on marketing, business development, and direct artist-to-fan communication hosted by Travis Smith, including a conversation with the Recording Academy about its developing Arkansas chapter.
Punk Nite Crashes the Week
Cross town to West End Fay, 339 N West Ave #3, on Friday, August 28, at 8 p.m., and you’ll catch Punk Nite, a four-band bill with Count Your Cards, Speed Queen, Liquid Courage, and Happiness Beast that takes over as its own slice of Arkansas Music Week.
Grab Tickets for the Weekend’s Headliners
You can catch a run of ticketed headline sets at George’s Majestic Lounge, 519 W Dickson, as the week heads into the weekend. The Cate Brothers play with Dawn Cate Band on Friday, August 28, at 6 p.m., followed by a Lou Dog tribute to Sublime with FRAWG! at 9 p.m. Dirt Monkey headlines Saturday, August 29, at 8:30 p.m.
The Week Wraps Up With a Sunday Picnic
You can head to Kingfish, 262 N School Ave, on Sunday, August 30, for AME’s Sunday picnic, starting at 5 p.m. with acoustic sets from Justin Larkin, Sam Fagen, and Pete Masri, plus barbecue on-site from Secondhand Smoke.
Arkansas Music Week returns for a second year after last year’s debut. Ashtyn Barbaree plays Moxy Fayetteville, 530 W Streamside Bnd, on Friday, August 28, at 6 p.m., and Avery Lee joins the Lantern Sessions at Stonebreaker Hotel, 163 N Cabin Rdg, on Thursday, August 27, at 7 p.m. The week’s full calendar also includes art exhibits, industry workshops, panel discussions, DJ sets, open mics, and community gatherings. See the full schedule and build your own route at arkansasmusicexperience.com/musicweek. Grab a friend, pick a night, and see where the music takes you.
