After Boise’s biggest Treefort crowd, 2026 is trending up. 180+ acts revealed
In a year that saw some festivals struggle to sell tickets — or even get canceled — Treefort Music Fest didn’t just stay afloat in Boise last spring.
It grew. Palpably.
Luring an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 daily festivalgoers, the 13th Treefort’s attendance swelled by roughly 20%. Extra portable toilets had to be hauled into Julia Davis Park mid-festival. Scrambling vendors ran out of beer.
Get this. Ticket sales are ahead of that trend for the next Treefort, which will be March 25-29, 2026, Director Eric Gilbert said Wednesday.
So keeping the volume knob cranked, the self-described “premier independent music festival in the Pacific Northwest” has unveiled its first wave — a gargantuan list of more than 180 acts from 29 U.S. states and 12 countries.
If you’re an indie-music fan, you’ll recognize plenty. If not? Enjoy some interesting band names. Highlights: St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Father John Misty, Magdalena Bay, Momma, Geese, Flipturn, Amber Mark, Hemlocke Springs, Evan Honer, Inji, Blondshell, Samia, Nimino, Machine Girl, Cobrah, Maddie Zahm, Son Little, The Wonder Years and Porches.
Got a few extra minutes? The entire first wave has been announced at treefortmusicfest.com/lineup.
That’s far from the final lineup. Treefort normally releases three waves of artists. Last spring’s festival ultimately featured 473 acts on dozens of stages in downtown Boise, creating an estimated economic impact of $15.8 million in Idaho’s capital city, according to organizers.
In addition to live music, Treefort showcases an array of related “forts”: Foodfort, Alefort, Artfort, Hackfort, Filmfort, Dragfort, Storyfort, Kidfort, Podfort — even Comedyfort. Next year’s comedian headliners will be Joe Pera on Friday and Hannibal Buress on Saturday. Both will perform at the Egyptian Theatre.
Also coming in 2026? The debut of Treefort Market, “a curated market showcasing the best of local and regional art, design, vintage and music ephemera,” according to a press release. It will feature more than 70 booths of “innovative and original items, talks, workshops, art installations and special events on both Friday and Saturday at Boise Centre East, 850 W. Front St., and will be open to the public, no wristband required.”
Treefort is still accepting participant submissions for all facets of the festival, including bands, through its website. Volunteers also are welcome to apply.
Tickets are being sold, too. Five-day wristbands are $223-$515.33 (all fees and taxes included). Single-day pricing will become available prior to the festival.
This story was originally published October 16, 2025 at 10:00 AM.