Renewed Roots
Lineup announced for Old Settler's Music Festival's return to Driftwood
Old Settler's Music Festival is returning to Camp Ben McCulloch.
A longtime Austin-area music festival is returning to its roots — which couldn't be more on-brand. The 39th annual Old Settler's Music Festival will take place April 17-19, 2026, at Camp Ben McCulloch in Driftwood, where it previously spent 15 years. This year's festival is dubbed “OSMF 2026: Back to Ben," and a lineup has been announced.
The festival, a volunteer-led nonprofit, focuses on Americana, roots, and bluegrass, and is known for being a low-key, outdoorsy good time. In addition to the regular music lineup, there's camping and late-night jams fostering a sense of community among attendees. Like many Central Texas festivals, it's family-friendly.
The 2026 lineup is as follows:
- Railroad Earth
- The Brothers Comatose
- The Last Revel
- Lindsay Lou
- Shinyribs
- Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
- Shelby Means
- Two Runner
- Magoo
- Warren Hood Quartet with Emily Gimble
Billy Bright Band - Foggy Memory Boys
- Feeding Leroy
- Brother Thunder
- Louisiana Surf Department
- Ira Thorne Clifton (2025 Youth Talent Contest Winner)
The camp at 18301 Ranch to Market Rd. 1826 will offer shade, places to park RVs, toilets, and access to Onion Creek. It isn't the festival's original location, but it still holds nostalgia for many. The festival started in Round Rock at Old Settlers Park in 1987 and relocated to Camp Ben McCulloch for camping and Salt Lick Pavilion nearby for music in 2002. It relocated again in 2018.
This festival is seen as a bit of "old Austin" that's still standing, and it's now beloved by generations of music fans. Many see it as running counter to the mass taste that now governs more mainstream festivals like Austin City Limits Music Festival and South by Southwest.
Despite catering to a specific niche, the festival isn't contrarian or unfriendly; last year's lineup included well-known groups with local ties like Heartless Bastards and Wild Child. Past performers have included icons such as Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile, Béla Fleck, Shakey Graves, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and more.
Tickets are available now at oldsettlersmusicfest.org. Buyers can choose three-day general admission, youth, and child passes. Early entry and parking are also available for additional fees. A press release warns that tickets are limited and will sell out.
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This story was originally published November 25. It has been updated December 10 to include new information about the lineup and tickets, along with a new photo.
