Note: Authored by David Menconi, this piece has been produced in partnership with Raleigh Arts. Menconi's latest book, "Oh, Didn't They Ramble: Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music," was published by University of North Carolina Press. His podcast, Carolina Calling, explores the history of the Tar Heel State through music.

A downtown Raleigh staple since 2010, the annual Hopscotch Music Festival will return the weekend of Sept. 10-12, 2026. This year’s model of the venerable alternative-music festival features more than 90 acts performing on eight different stages—six indoor venues and the City Plaza main stage on Fayetteville Street, plus a Moore Square Commons area set up with local food, crafts and music that is free and open to the public.

^{City Plaza main stage. Photo by Garrett Poulos.}

This year’s top-of-the-poster headliners playing the City Plaza main stage include Texas twang-grunge band Dexter and the Moonrocks on opening night, funk guitarist Cory Wong on Friday night and Brooklyn vocalist King Princess on Saturday. As always, the lineup also features a generous quantity of homegrown North Carolina acts—Weirs, Azul, Eugene Chadbourne, Kooley High and Sonny Miles among them.

[Update: The full schedule of shows was just released.]

^{Crowd at City Plaza stage. Photo by Garrett Poulos.} 

One change for 2026 is the return of single-day tickets, which had not been available for a number of years. But they’re back for this year, priced at $79 per day. Three-day passes range from $159 for standard general admission up to $349 for the VIP package.

You can get your tickets here. 

“That’s something we want to continue,” says first-year Hopscotch director Aaron Bare, who is also chief marketing officer for festival owner Etix. “A lot of the reasoning gets into ticketing strategy, and meeting customers where they are. We want to make Hopscotch more diverse as we try to grow the audience and appeal to different segments. So the one-day ticket allows people to dip their toe into the experience without a full-on commitment. Day passes have sold almost exclusively to new first-time buyers, which is exciting. Hopscotch has always been about discovery, and we are trying to stay true to that while also mixing it up a little more.”

^{Kumo 99 performing at Slim's in 2025. Photo by Sorena Dadgar.}

Also back this year will be the usual complement of free day parties at different venues around downtown and beyond, as far away as the Schoolkids Records at Mission Valley.

“One thing we’re really leaning into this year is the free experience at Moore Square,” says Bare. “There are free day parties all three days through 6pm, and then folks can go on to the clubs or the main stage. And we’re also bringing back ‘Totscotch’ this year, 10am to 2pm Saturday in front of Marbles [Kids Museum], with an instrument petting zoo, fun kid bands and dance-party-type stuff on the Moore Square stage. A lot of things for parents to get their kids involved with music.”

^{Moore Square Commons. Photo by Garrett Poulos.}

For more details and to keep up with the latest schedule information for Hopscotch 2026, download the Hopscotch Festival App.