Director Amy Scott talks her Counting Crows film at deadCenter Film Fest
The Lawton native returned to her home state to show her latest documentary at the 25th Annual deadCenter Film Festival June 11-15 in Oklahoma City.
- This year’s festival will feature hundreds of local, regional, and national acts across multiple stages.
- In addition to music, the event includes a Kids Fest, a carnival, film screenings, and industry panels.
- The festival is free to attend, but VIP ticket options are available for purchase.
The Norman Music Festival turns 18 years this year and is ready to rock.
“We have word from so many of our artists that they are absolutely bringing their A game. There are backup dancers, special guests. … Everybody seems to be really, really excited for this year. We are,” said Shari Jackson, executive director of the Norman Music Alliance, which produces the fest.
One of Oklahoma’s largest annual music events, the Norman Music Festival returns April 23-25 to downtown Norman’s historic Walker Arts District and will feature hundreds of local, regional and national acts performing across four outdoor stages and at about a dozen partner venues.
Festival hours are 6 to 11 p.m. Thursday, April 23; 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, April 24; and 11 a.m. to midnight April 25, with live music continuing until 2 a.m. all three nights on some of the indoor stages.
Here’s what to know about Norman Music Festival 2026:
When and where is Norman Music Festival 2026?
Founded in 2008, the Norman Music Festival started as a single-day event with just a few bands and has since grown into one of the country’s largest free music festivals.
NMF annually attracts more than 55,000 attendees over an April weekend packed with 200-plus performances, spanning genres from rock and hip hop to country and punk.
Past fests have spotlighted national acts like The Drums, Omar Apollo, Japanese Breakfast and Portugal. The Man, along with breakout Oklahoma artists including Jabee, Mad Honey and Cliffdiver.
Produced by the nonprofit, volunteer-run Norman Music Alliance Inc., Norman Music Fest annually generates an estimated $2.6 million to $4 million in economic impact, largely benefiting the locally owned businesses and venues in downtown Norman.
NMF 2026 will feature live music on four outdoor stages — Main Street is annually shut down for the event — with local bars, restaurants and other businesses supplying a dozen or so indoor stages.
The festival remains free to attend thanks to support from local businesses, community organizations and cultural advocates.
Who is playing Norman Music Festival 2026?
This year’s headliners for the free, nonprofit festival include Brooklyn, New York-based indie rockers Momma and Thesaurus Rex; soulful Dallas hip-hop outfit Cure for Paranoia; Los Angeles pop-punk duo Evening Elephants; Austin, Texas, punk-rock band Grocery Bag; prolific Nashville, Tennessee, composer and troubadour Crys Matthews; and Miami, Florida, post-punk/surf/garage rockers Camp Blu.
The three-day independent music showcase will highlight a lengthy cross-genre roster of Oklahoma headliners, including NMF surf-pop mainstays Husbands, all-female orchestral dream punk band stepmom, emo rockers Ben Quad, hip-hop outfit Original Flow and the Wavvez, Norman rapper S. Reidy, Texas-bred fingerpicking guitarist and composer Hayden Pedigo, alt-rock/pop quartet Red Sun, hometown psychedelic rock group Helen Kelter Skelter, pop-punk outfit Honor Choir, Norman alternative band Baileyboy and self-taught artist and musician Kid Lennon.
NMF will feature some beloved Sooner State acts performing in unique ways, Jackson said. Guthrie-raised indie rocker Keathley is bringing along Tulsa-based singer-songwriter Ken Pomeroy to play at 5 p.m. Saturday on the West Stage. Rapper Jabee, Americana signer-songwriter Kierston White and psychedelic rockers Rainbows Are Free will perform NMF Unplugged sets.
“We have a band called Bison who’s really fun, and this is their first time playing the fest. We appreciate a lot that we’ve got a platform to be able to encourage people to listen to and appreciate local music,” Jackson said. “They were announced on the bill and put on our official playlist, and their listenership on Spotify tripled in a few weeks. And that makes us really happy.”
At 2:30 p.m. Sunday on the Alley Stage, Okie acts Buffalofitz, Dirty lil Bettie’s, Andy Adams, Kelly B Rogers, Cody Ingram and more will play a special jam in memory the late Norman music legend Bob “Space Dog” Moore, who died in January.
To access the full schedule of acts, festivalgoers are encouraged to download the free NMF app at https://normanmusicfestival.com/mobile-app.
How is NMF 2026 entertaining families with children?
To entertain families with children, NMF’s annual Kids Fest is set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday on the Gray Street Stage. The lineup will include DJ Makayla Messaris at 11:30 a.m., a “Wicked” sing-along with Glinda and Elphaba at 12:30 p.m. and a rousing set from OKC’s Rockin Roly Polys at 1:30 p.m.
The Pioneer Library System’s Mobile Makers Lab will be parked and ready to create, Bridges will be rocking a hairspray station, and the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History will help youngsters explore musical instruments.
“Then, there’s a group called Kidsmarkets.com that presents at festivals and events. They create the infrastructure to allow kids … their chance to be an entrepreneur for the day and to come and operate a booth. So, we’ve got about 30 booths operated by kids,” Jackson said.
Plus, the Norman Lions Club annually sets up its carnival in alongside NMF. The carnival opens at 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday. Norman Lions President Bill Purcell said the carnival raises money for the club’s vision programs that provide eye exams and glasses for those in need.
“Both events just complement and enhance each other so much. The music festival draws tens of thousands of people to downtown Norman, and then the carnival just lights up the sky at night with the Ferris wheel,” Purcell said. “It’s just a great community gathering.”
What other activities are offered at NMF 2026?
To kick off NMF 2026, the Oklahoma Film + Music Office is hosting a panel discussion on “The Science of Songwriting” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Sooner Theatre. This panel brings together working songwriters and industry professionals to break down how songs are created.
Panelists will share their creative and collaborative processes of shaping songs for artists, audiences, film and visual media. Attendees can get insight into storytelling through music, writing for different formats and navigating the business behind the craft. Moderated by Jackson, the panelists will be Jordan Cain of The Damn Quails, Casii Stephan and Danny Davis of Husbands.
“For me, the Norman Music Festival is such a key part to Oklahoma’s independent music scene in helping artists find bigger artists, and then also to just connect us with artists across the country,” said Stephan, who was a headliner for last year’s fest.
“I love everything that they’ve been doing to up their game on the festival and create it as a viable place for independent (music).”
For the first time, the festival is hosting a music expo Friday and Saturday at Loveworks Leadership, 219 E Gray St., to provide ways for people to connect with business, professionals and resources within the Oklahoma music industry. As part of the expo, NMF and the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture will offer the panel “Mix and Master: How to Self-Book a Tour” at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Also, NMFlix is back with a lineup of music films and videos showing from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday inside the Sooner Theatre. NMFlix opens with a screening of Lawton native Amy Scott‘s HBO documentary “Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately,” followed by a question-and-answer session with Oklahoma rock legend Tyson Meade, who is featured in the film.
“Sound & Frame,” a block of Okie music videos followed by Q&As with the directors, is set for 7:45 p.m. The concert film “The Nursing Home Milk Shake,” directed by The Muffled Siren (aka Gavin Taylor), will screen at at 8:30 p.m., with a live set by the glam progressive-rocker at 9:15 p.m.
Where should festivalgoers park?
Since NMF attracts large crowds to downtown Norman, organizers recommend that attendees be ready to park at a distance and walk over to the event or use ride-share services.
Those who drive to NMF are advised to use either city of Norman parking lots, legal street parking or private lots selling access to parking.
What are the ticket options for NMF 2026?
While general admission to NMF is free, VIP ticket options are available for $100, $200 and $300.
All three options come with VIP access to the main stage, but at the higher levels, ticketholders can get access to special food, drinks, indoor bathrooms and even priority parking. Plus, VIP ticket buyers help keep the festival free for other attendees.
“VIP passes help keep the festival free for those who could not afford to attend if it wasn’t. We are a nonprofit free festival that’s all-volunteer run — and every little bit helps,” Jackson said.
NORMAN MUSIC FESTIVAL
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.oklahoman.com ’
