The Tailgate N’ Tallboys country music festival has announced its 10th anniversary lineup, with tickets set to go on sale Friday.
Headliners include Zach Top, Jessie Murph and Treaty Oak Revival, alongside more than 25 other country artists.
Billed as the “Midwest’s biggest summer party,” Bloomington is currently the only city on Tailgate N' Tallboys' 2026 calendar. The festival will take place June 18–20 at the McLean County Fairgrounds.
The weekend kicks off Thursday, June 18, with Zach Top, known for his throwback sound reminiscent of 1990s country icons such as George Strait. Top recently won ACM's New Male Artist of the Year.
On Friday, June 19, Texas-based Treaty Oak Revival takes the stage. The group’s albums No Vacancy (2021) and Have a Nice Day (2023) both appeared on the Billboard 200 chart, and their 2025 single Bad State of Mind earned their highest position yet on Billboard’s Bubbling Under chart.
The festival will close Saturday, June 20, with Alabama singer-songwriter Jessie Murph headlining, best known for her hit Always Been You, which has amassed more than 115 million streams worldwide. Murph has also collaborated with Jelly Roll.
Other artists on the bill include Gavin Adcock, Chase Matthew, Braxton Keith, Tyler Nance, Dylan Gossett, Kaitlin Butts and Cole Goodwin, among others.
Now celebrating a decade of live music, Tailgate N’ Tallboys has grown from a grassroots country gathering into a large-scale celebration complete with truck shows and dedicated fan base. The festival has become known for its mix of live music and tailgate-style camaraderie, drawing thousands to Bloomington each year.
Tailgate N’ Tallboys also features local vendors, craft beer tents, custom truck displays and late-night after-parties. Founder Billy Cowell, also senior promoter at Peachtree Entertainment, said the festival was built on a simple idea “to bring people together for great music, cold beer and memories that last long after the weekend ends.”
Both the Bloomington and Iowa events drew some controversy last year after disputes with stagehands’ unions. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees [IATSE] later reached an agreement with organizer USA Concerts and Events, resolving the conflict and preventing potential picketing.
As of right now, Iowa is not in the books for Tailgate and Tallboys of 2026. “The current focus is on the recently announced 2026 Bloomington, Illinois, event,” a spokesperson said in an email to WGLT.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at tailgatentallboys.com.
