15 artists, two days of music, food trucks, campfire pickin’, RV parking, and the Hill Country air — the 19th Annual Thomas Michael Riley Music Festival runs May 1 and 2 at one of the most iconic small towns in America.
You know the song. Everybody’s somebody in Luckenbach, Texas. Willie wrote it. Waylon sang it. And every time you walk through the gate of that one-square-mile town outside Fredericksburg, you understand exactly what they were talking about.
This Friday and Saturday, Luckenbach hosts the 19th Annual Thomas Michael Riley Music Festival — two full days of Texas music on the main outdoor stage, noon to midnight, rain or shine. Fifteen artists. Food trucks. Campfire pickin’. RV parking. The Hill Country breeze. And the kind of crowd that comes to a place like this because they genuinely love music and the people who make it.
The Man Behind the Festival
Thomas Michael Riley is a Texas Music Award winner and CMAA winner, a chart hit songwriter and performer who has shared stages with Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Robert Earl Keen, Gary P. Nunn, and Stoney LaRue. He has been bringing this festival to Luckenbach for 19 years — building it from a passion project into one of the most beloved annual events in the Hill Country. This is the kind of artist who plays Luckenbach because Luckenbach is exactly where he belongs.
The 2026 Lineup
Friday, May 1 kicks off with the Wesley Hanna Band at 12:30 p.m., followed by Nathan Colt Young at 2 p.m., Travis Smith at 3:30 p.m., Kendall Shaffer at 5 p.m., Bo Phillips and Aaron Copeland at 6:30 p.m., Thomas Michael Riley at 6:30 p.m., and the TEJAS Brothers closing out the night at 9 p.m.
Saturday, May 2 brings Doug Rose at 12:30 p.m., Trevor Underwood at 1:30 p.m., Kim Carson at 3 p.m., Dallas Moore at 5 p.m., Jamie Richards at 7 p.m., and Thomas Michael Riley closing the whole weekend at 9 p.m.
Fifteen artists total across two days. The TEJAS Brothers out of Fort Worth. Dallas Moore — a road warrior whose tagline is “Home Is Where The Highway Is.” Kim Carson from New Orleans bringing her soulful sound to the Hill Country. Every set building toward a closing night that feels like a send-off and a homecoming at the same time.
What Luckenbach Actually Is
If you’ve never been, here’s what to expect. Luckenbach is not a city. It’s not even really a town in the traditional sense. It’s a post office, a general store, a dance hall, some chickens, a scattering of live oak trees, and a piece of Texas mythology that draws people from every corner of the state and the country. The beer is cold, the music is real, and the whole place operates on the understanding that what matters is the song and the person next to you.
On a festival weekend, that feeling multiplies. Personal chairs are welcome everywhere except the dance area in front of the stage. Food trucks keep you fed. The campfire pickin’ that breaks out between sets is sometimes the best music of the weekend. And RV parking means you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to.
Event Details
Event: 19th Annual Thomas Michael Riley Music Festival Dates: Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2, 2026 Doors: 11:30 a.m. / Music: Noon to midnight both days Location: Luckenbach Texas, 412 Luckenbach Town Loop, Fredericksburg, TX 78624 Tickets: $28.50 – $218 — all ages welcome Personal chairs allowed everywhere except the dance area in front of the stage Food trucks, RV parking, and campfire pickin’ on site — rain or shine
Website: thomasmichaelriley.com Facebook: Thomas Michael Riley Music Instagram: @thomasmichaelriley
