We are beyond grateful that you are interested in performing at the Nelsonville Music Festival, June 17-19, 2027.

In an attempt to be extremely transparent, we want you to know that it is unlikely you will be chosen to play at NMF. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply, but just be aware that we receive thousands of submissions every year, from booking agents, band managers, friends of bands, fans of bands, as well as directly from bands themselves. This means less than 2% of all bands that have interest in performing at NMF end up on our line-up.

Prior to establishing a paid submission process, the amount of submissions was much higher than a few thousand and impossible to give a fair listen to everyone.

Here are some other things to keep in mind:

• We want to uplift and support artists that are working musicians and have significant stage time under their belts. We're looking for acts that consistently draw at least 100 or more people in their hometown and have a significant history of touring.
• We want to see quality live performance video(s). This doesn't mean a professional video team as it can be from a cell phone. It should easily show us how you perform in front of an actual audience.
• We generally do not book cover or tribute bands. That is not to say you can't play a couple covers in your set, but we are looking for bands that have a repertoire of original music.

If, after all of this, you still feel like you are a perfect fit for NMF...

1. Complete the following form.
2. Pay the $20 submission fee at the end of the form (The submission fee will be used to offset the cost of our Zero Waste efforts at the festival and our year-round arts education programs.)

If you applied through our band application in the past and were accepted to perform at a previous NMF, please contact us at info@nelsonvillefest.org to express your interest in returning for summer 2027 instead of completing this form and paying the submission fee. 

Please note: We no longer require you to mail a hard copy of your latest vinyl record, CD or cassette as we have in years past.

We promise to listen to everyone who completes all steps of this process by 11:59 PM ET on January 31, 2027.

Thank you for your time!