New England Americana Festival brings 2025 celebration to Bellforge Arts Center
The 14-band, all-day, all-ages, outdoor music fest goes down across two stages at the historical landmark site in Medfield on Sunday, June 29
The eclectic lineup features Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners, Other Brother Darryl, Nate Perry & Ragged Company, Sunfisher, The Displayers, Sam Reid and the Riot Act, Jimmy Ryan's Wooden Leg, Dirt Road Souls, Comanchero, Fauxmenco, Wayward Vine, Zion Rodman, Elisa Smith, and Molly Pinto Madigan
FREE with RSVP: Hit bellforge.org for the latest info
Media Contact: Michael O’Connor Marotta, Knyvet PR, at michael@knyvet.com
Festival Contact: Kier Byrnes, Event Coordinator, at info@newenglandamericana.org
Venue Contact: Paul Armstrong, Director of Programming, at booking@thisisredefined.com
BELLFORGE ARTS CENTER: HOMEPAGE . EVENTS . ABOUT . INSTAGRAM . FACEBOOK . TWITTER . YOUTUBE
NEW ENGLAND AMERICANA FESTIVAL: NEW ENGLAND AMERICANA ASSOCIATION . INSTAGRAM . FACEBOOK
Photo Credit: Bellforge Arts Center
MEDFIELD, Mass. [June 28, 2025] – Let's take it outside! The New England Americana Festival is going big for 2025, bringing the annual folk, roots, bluegrass, blues, country, and rock and roll fest down to the scenic outdoor setting of Bellforge Arts Center in Medfield for a free, all-day, all-inclusive celebration to help kick-off summer on Saturday, June 28 Sunday, June 29.
WEATHER UPDATE: Due to the expected rain on Saturday, the New England Americana Festival will now take place on its scheduled rain date: Sunday, June 29, from 1 to 8 p.m.. That's the only change and everything else is going on as planned. Thanks and see you on Sunday at Bellforge Arts Center in Medfield!
Since launching in 2007, the New England Americana Festival has been a showcase for the region’s rising talent, holding court across several venues around Massachusetts and hosting hundreds of bands and artists. This year’s event, its first at the historical landmark site of the Medfield State Hospital and its expansive 87-acre campus, welcomes 14 bands on two stages over seven hours, with food trucks, a full bar, and positive community vibes.
And the lineup is absolutely stacked with rising talent, offering a unique showcase to a spectrum of Americana sounds with a distinct New England flavor. This year’s fest features performances by Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners, Other Brother Darryl, Nate Perry & Ragged Company, Sunfisher, The Displayers, Sam Reid and the Riot Act, Jimmy Ryan's Wooden Leg, Dirt Road Souls, Comanchero, Fauxmenco, Wayward Vine, Zion Rodman, Elisa Smith, and Molly Pinto Madigan.
“We are thrilled to host this event at Bellforge Arts Center,” says Kier Byrnes, the festival organizer and frontman of the Kettle Burners. “It's a true hub of art and culture, drawing from all over New England. Additionally, its picturesque location and its high fidelity in-house sound systems make it a ‘dream come true’ for a location of a great summer festival.”
Now in its fourth season of programming, Bellforge Arts Center is equally situated between Boston, Providence, and Worcester, and the non-profit arts and culture space currently is undergoing a $25 million renovation and expansion that will soon deliver a new 300-person music venue, recording studios, and arts education classes.
Bellforge continues to host events out in its field around the iconic Lee Chapel, With media support from The Boston Globe, WBUR, Chronicle, WGBH’s The Culture Show, Rock 92.9 FM, WBZ-TV’s Morning Mix, MassLive, and others, and last year alone the space welcomed 12,000 attendees with RSVPs from more than 200 zip codes from across the country.
New England Americana Festival is part of an inspired lineup of spring programming, which includes Pride in the Field-Fest (June 8), Rising Stars youth music showcase (June 14), Juneteenth celebration (June 21). It’s a bridge from spring to summer, and continues to showcase homegrown sounds.
"The New England Americana Festival has long been a trusted curator of talent in this region, and we’re proud to welcome it to Bellforge,” says Paul Armstrong, Director of Programming at Bellforge Arts Center. “This partnership speaks to what we’re building here, a destination for artists and audiences that reflects the depth, diversity, and ambition of the New England music scene."
Live music is at the core of Bellforge Arts Center’s programming, and New England Americana Festival, in partnership with the New England Americana Association, has curated an impressive array of local talent. And it’s one that’s reflective of the Boston music scene and surrounding communities.
“From being the ‘Cradle of the American Revolution’ to being the birthplace of many protest songs, the Northeast, and particularly Massachusetts, has always been a refuge for artists and musicians,” Byrnes says. “The Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame is in Boston. And while Massachusetts also has no shortage of national acts that hail from this region (cough, cough… Noah Kahan), there are a ton of up-and-coming bands in the local circuit.”
Across the lineup, the credentials are impressive: Local duo Fauxmenco played at the 2025 Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival in Zihuatanejo, Mexico; Elisa Smith, a 2024 Boston Music Award nominee, works with some of Nashville’s elite musicians, including Garth Brooks; and Jimmy Ryan is regarded as one of the best mandolin players in the United States, performing on albums by Morphine, Warren Zevon and Cheri Night (with Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris). Just after the festival. Byrnes’ own Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners are off to Europe for a July tour, fresh off releasing two new EPs over the past three months.
Elsewhere, Other Brother Darryl are recipients of “Country Artist of the Year” at the most recent BMAs, and were invited to perform at Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival, while fellow BMAs nominee Nate Perry and Ragged Company just appeared at Boston Calling Music Festival. Damian & The Displayers performed at both the Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles and Fiddler’s Elbow in London earlier this year, and took home some songwriting awards from the New England Songwriting Competition.
That’s just some of the participating talent, all bringing their own style under the loose Americana umbrella. And in the end, music like the Bellforge programming itself, the New England Americana Festival is one of discovery.
“While Americana is its own distinct thing, Americana music has a foot in multiple genres; country, rock, folk, bluegrass, celtic, jazz, blues, polkas, and even pop, just to name a few,” Byrnes adds. “The fact that it's rooted in so many different musical subsets, it's very likely to appeal to both music fans of various genres or even casual listeners. Lastly, with a diverse array of bands featured on multiple stages, you're bound to discover a new act that you like.”
Byrnes hopes fans of all styles of music come out to Bellforge on June 28, and help celebrate a scene and a feeling of camaraderie.
“First, it’s a great way to experience live music in a fun, energetic atmosphere,” he concludes. “Additionally, the New England Americana Festival helps foster a strong sense of community between musicians and patrons alike. It's not like going to see a big national act where you can’t get close to the stage or meet the artist after the show. Plus, as there is no cover charge, it's a lot more affordable.”
Follow Bellforge Arts Center on Instagram @bellforgearts for the latest, as well as recaps and photos from each event, and visit bellforge.org for the latest news, updates, and information.
Contact Michael O’Connor Marotta at michael@knyvet.com for media, press, television, and radio inquiries and opportunities, and reach festival organizer Kier Byrnes at info@newenglandamericana.org.
***
About Bellforge Arts Center:
Bellforge Arts Center is a new multi-arts complex being built on the grounds of the former Medfield State Hospital to support artists, expand cultural opportunities, and nurture the creative community. Bellforge currently offers outdoor concerts, festivals, and community events, along with over 200 miles of nature trails and outdoor recreation space. Once fully renovated, the center will also offer visual and performing arts studios, arts education, a 300-seat performance venue, and more.
***
Appearing at this year’s New England Americana Festival:
Sam Reid and The Riot Act · Comanchero · Fauxmenco · Jimmy Ryan’s Wooden Leg · Zion Rodman · Molly Pinto Madigan · Sunfisher · Damian & The Displayers · Elisa Smith · Nate Perry & Ragged Company · Wayward Vine · Other Brother Darryl · Dirt Road Souls · Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners
***
New England Americana Festival poster:
***
About New England Americana Festival:
Let's take it outside! The New England Americana Festival is going big for 2025, bringing the annual folk, roots, bluegrass, blues, country, and rock fest down to the scenic outdoor setting of Bellforge Arts Center in Medfield for an all-day, all-are-welcome celebration on Saturday, June 28.
It's free to attend (with RSVP), it's an all-ages event, and there is plenty of free parking. Join us for a full day of music and camaraderie featuring 14 bands and artists across two stages over seven hours – plus food trucks, a full bar, and community vibes. Things kick off at 1 p.m.
And the lineup is absolutely stacked with talent from across the region, featuring performances by Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners, Other Brother Darryl, Nate Perry & Ragged Company, Sunfisher, The Displayers, Sam Reid and the Riot Act, Jimmy Ryan's Wooden Leg, Dirt Road Souls, Comanchero, Fauxmenco, Wayward Vine, Zion Rodman, Elisa Smith, and Molly Pinto Madigan.
Hit bellforge.org for the RSVP and more info, and join us out in the field for this remarkable all-day festival of New England's distinctive flavor of Americana.
***
Media contact: Michael O’Connor Marotta at michael@knyvet.com
Festival Contact: Kier Byrnes at info@newenglandamericana.org
Venue Contact: Paul Armstrong at booking@thisisredefined.com
BELLFORGE ARTS CENTER: HOMEPAGE . EVENTS . ABOUT . INSTAGRAM . FACEBOOK . TWITTER . YOUTUBE
NEW ENGLAND AMERICANA FESTIVAL: NEW ENGLAND AMERICANA ASSOCIATION . INSTAGRAM . FACEBOOK
