High Sierra Music Festival Details Return in 2025, Following Notice of “Significant Changes”

High Sierra Music Festival has formally announced its return for 2025, just as speculation had begun to stir about the beloved Northern California event’s future. The 33rd annual staging of the iconic festival will take place at its longtime home of Plumas-Sierra County Fairgrounds for Independence Day weekend, welcoming back its international community of attendees for camping, music and more from July 3-6. This update is breath of fresh air for fans of the festival, who were notified before its 2024 staging that an economic crunch would be cause for likely “significant changes in 2025.”

Prior to High Sierra 2024, the festival lost a guiding figure with the passing of founder and talent buyer Roy Carter on May 1. Though Carter’s guiding influence still looms large on the festival, Co-producer David “Dave” Margulies has stepped up to assume his role, now serving as the producer and curator for the event. Margulies will endeavor to preserve High Sierra’s reputation for closely tailed lineups centered in jam, bluegrass, Americana, international music, alternative and more, while upholding Carter’s commitment to welcoming new audiences by spotlighting innovative young artists.

“My goal is to turn people on to music they’ve never heard before, while also including the kinds of music that has made High Sierra one of the more highly regarded and longest-running multi-day music festivals in the country,” Margulies offers in a press release. “Our community of fans, staff, vendors, and artists are the heart of High Sierra. Their collective passion, support, and belief in what we do has not only been instrumental in helping us thrive and survive through 32 years, but they’ve also been responsible for creating and growing the culture in the most organic and loving way. We’re eternally GRATEFUL.”

News of High Sierra Music Festival follows forewarning that 2024 might be the final year of the event as we know it, which had been forced to contend with the same harsh post-Covid economic landscape that brought on financial difficulties and downsizing for festivals like Skull & Roses, Desert Daze, Peach Music Festival, Burning Man and Gem & Jam in the last year alone. In a post to its social channels, High Sierra called on its devoted audience to show support for this recent presentation, with the unassured hopes that the festival can return in some comparable form next year.

“As we navigate the post-Covid world, we find ourselves facing a new economic reality that threatens the future of High Sierra Music Festival,” the event organizers shared. “While we are committed to presenting this year’s festival in its familiar form, there will likely be significant changes in 2025. To continue our celebration of music, community, and family, we need your support more than ever… ​​We can’t predict the exact changes that are coming, but the High Sierra you know today must change if it’s going to endure… Together, we can face the obstacles and secure a bright future for our favorite gathering.”

With the notice that High Sierrra had weathered its recent tumultuous circumstances, artist-at-large Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz celebrated the good news: “High Sierra truly is a musical playground. The musicians know this, and that’s why they looooove being part of it! From the epic sets on the big stages to the pin-drop intimacy of the troubadour sessions, to the once-in-a-lifetime collaboration of the Playshops, it’s so much more than just a great music festival. It’s a convergence point from which fruitful lifelong relationships are born, both on stage and off! Viva High Sierra!”

Early Bird tickets for High Sierra Music Festival are available now. For more information, visit highsierramusic.com.