Music

Festivals headline Missoula’s summers—like the River City Roots Festival, Celtic Festival and Travelers’ Rest Fest. They take over the downtown streets, city blocks, parks and community spaces, bringing the whole town together. Missoula thrives with a broad and vibrant music scene. It runs the gamut from orchestral to bluegrass to country. Music can always be found among the streets of Missoula. This truly transcendent place really does have a river running through it, along with a whole lotta good music.

Every three years, Missoula hosts the International Choral Festival. Choirs from around the world- Argentina, Congo, Estonia, Finland, Macedonia and Zimbabwe, to name a few, flock to Missoula in order to share different cultures and unite in music. The next Choral Festival will be in 2016, mark your calendars!

River City Roots Festival is one of the city's biggest events. Held annually in late summer, Roots Fest turns downtown into a veritable arts extravaganza. The two-day celebration features live performances on stage in west Main Street, a juried art show, entertainment for children and families, and a 4-mile run through the heart of the city.

Bars and restaurants throughout Missoula feature live and local talent as often as they can. For a list of who's playing and where, check out our events calendar.