Railbird Music Festival - May 31 & June 1, 2025 - Lexington, Kentucky

Singer in a cowboy hat and fringed outfit performs at Railbird Music Festival

Lainey Wilson

All Photos © Steve Galli for Full Access Detroit

Story by Chloe Catajan for Full Access Detroit

Full Gallery from Day One : https://www.facebook.com/media/set?set=a.1256334619826788&type=3

Full gallery from Day Two : https://www.facebook.com/media/set?set=a.1275788067881443&type=3

MUSIC. BOURBON. EQUINE.

Railbird Festival lived up to its slogan for another weekend at the Red Mile, bringing a world-class bill, brews, and bites to the Horse Capital of the World. Hosted by C3 Presents, the same producers of Austin City Limits and Boardwalk Rock, Railbird kicked summer off with a celebration of all things country and Kentucky.

Bourbon and food selections included local picks Justins’ House of Bourbon, Farmboy, and Old Kentucky Kettle Corn. Historic Lexington landmarks were honored by way of the Limestone, Elkhorn, and Burl stages. And while lineups have starred the likes of Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson this year, or Chris Stapleton and Wynonna Judd in the past, Southern hospitality always makes just as big of an appearance.

There’s something at Railbird for everyone, with the festival exploring notably more hybrid sounds in its 2025 edition. Country meets rock, rap, pop, and everything in between, offering diverse tuneage for both the country-curious at their first rodeo and seasoned railbirds.

Between 40,000 festival-goers, 33 performances, three stages, and two days, here are some favorite feats from Railbird Festival 2025.

Main-stage energy

The Limestone Stage offered big sounds and even bigger breakthroughs this year, with performances from Lainey Wilson, Shaboozey, Jelly Roll, and The Red Clay Strays.

Shaboozey delivered pop-country to the main stage on night one, after months of making waves in the mainstream. His performance included a duet with Sierra Ferrell on “Hail Mary,” the live debut of “Fire and Gasoline,” and of course, fan favorite “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

Singer dressed in white performs into a handheld microphone

Shaboozey

Jelly Roll took the stage the next night and performed a thrilling headlining set that was equipped with pyrotechnics, big riffs, and verses that blended rap, rock, and soul. Songs like “Halfway to Hell” and “Save Me” came with resounding echoes from the tens of thousands in attendance singing along.

Tattooed vocalist in a backward cap shrugs with both hands raised

Jelly Roll

Tattooed vocalist gestures to the audience while holding a microphone

Jelly Roll

The Red Clay Strays performed at the fest for the second year in a row, this time graduating from the Burl Stage to Limestone. Lead singer Brandon Coleman showed the crowd appreciation, before he and the band turned in a country-rock set featuring mostly songs off 2024’s Made by These Moments.

“We played Railbird last year and y’all showed up; this year you really showed up,” Coleman said, a fitting sentiment for the latest album’s name.

Singer in sunglasses raises one hand with an acoustic guitar strapped on

Brandon Colman of The Red Clay Strays

From Yellowstone to Lexington

While Railbird has a star-studded bill every year, 2025’s lineup took it to another level with performances from Yellowstone actors Lainey Wilson, Luke Grimes, and Ryan Bingham & the Texas Gentlemen.

Lainey Wilson headlined Saturday at the Limestone Stage in high spirits and a classic vest-and-chaps getup. She belted smoothly on songs “Somewhere Over Laredo” and “Heart Like A Truck,” as rural Western scenes projected on the backdrop behind her.

Singer in a tan cowboy hat and fringed chaps smiles onstage

Lainey Wilson

Singer in a cowboy hat stands at a decorated microphone stand

Lainey Wilson

That same day, Luke Grimes turned the Burl Stage into a downright blues jam. Songs like “What Angels Do” and “Ain’t Dead Yet” off Grimes’ self-titled album had an upbeat twang, while his popular cover of Nirvana’s “All Apologies” offered a more intimate and unplugged moment.

Singer in a striped shirt plays an acoustic guitar at Railbird

Luke Grimes

Ryan Bingham & the Texas Gentlemen brought their All Night Long Tour to the Limestone Stage on Sunday. Bingham’s gritty vocals and steel-toned riffs were a force in their own right, but the sonic layers from the Texas Gentlemen created an immersive, country-rock explosion.

Singer in a white cowboy hat and sunglasses plays an acoustic guitar

Ryan Bingham & the Texas Gentleman

Fashion-forward folk

With fashion an integral part of festival culture, the unofficial dress code at Railbird tends to lean cowboy-inspired with lots of denim, boots, and Stetsons. Artists like Larkin Poe and The Castellows followed suit and gussied up, while Blackberry Smoke and Sierra Ferrell donned their own signature flair.

Rebecca and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe took the Elkhorn Stage in matching denim sets with pearl accents. Currently on the Bloom World Tour, the sister duo visited songs off the 2025 release, as well as Blood Harmony cuts, performing with stellar stage presence, piercing tones, and headstrong vocals.

Two musicians perform together with electric guitar and bass

Rebecca Lovell and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe

The Castellows rocked black and white lace and florals for their Sunday performance at the Limestone Stage. The trio sang in blissful harmony as they delivered a neo-traditional country set featuring songs like “Cowboy Kind of Love” and “Ways to Go.”

Singer in a white cowboy hat smiles while playing an acoustic guitar

Lily Balkcom of The Castellows

Blackberry Smoke lead singer-guitarist Charlie Starr wore a brown blazer with stunning magnolia flower embroidery as the Atlanta quintet played the Burl Stage. The group turned in pure country-rock goodness, visiting songs like “Little Bit Crazy” and “Ain’t Much Left of Me.”

Guitarist in a patterned jacket performs at Railbird Music Festival

Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke

Sierra Ferrell is known for her alt-country-meets-bluegrass sound and unique stage attire to match. She took the Limestone Stage in a poofy, pastel babydoll flanked by mushrooms and flora. It was a whimsical scene set to the soothing sounds of “Jeremiah,” “Years,” and more.

Singer in a flower crown and pink outfit plays an acoustic guitar beside a mushroom prop

Sierra Ferrell

Rhythm & Blues

R&B and soul had major moments at this year’s Railbird thanks to Infinity Soul, Thee Sacred Souls, and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.

Detroit natives Infinity Song mixes soft rock sensibilities with an R&B groove. While well known for their viral hit, “Hater’s Anthem,” their sound brought nothing but love and tenderness to the Elkhorn Stage. Siblings Abraham, Angel, Israel, and Momo Boyd delivered impassioned riffs and stunning multi-part harmonies that had the early crowd locked in.

Four vocalists perform together as one raises her arm

Abraham, Momo, Israel & Angel Boyd on Infinity Soul

Thee Sacred Souls stayed true to their name, playing a smooth and soulful set for the Sunday crowd at the Elkhorn Stage. Every song, but especially the TikTok-viral “Can I Call You Rose?”, had the crowd head over heels.

Vocalist stands before Thee Sacred Souls backdrop holding a microphone

Josh Lane of Thee Scared Souls

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram delivered his hypnotizing guitar chops for the Limestone Stage crowd on Sunday. He started out strong with songs like “Midnight Heat” and “Fresh Out,” turning in rhythm & blues to the very core. Ingram’s Railbird appearance kicked off his The Hard Road Tour, which consists of several festival and headlining dates from the Mississippi musician.

Guitarist plays a gray electric guitar with a drummer behind him

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

Next-gen gems

From multi-platinum singer Bailey Zimmerman to rising stars like Wyatt Flores, Maggie Antone, and Max McNown, Railbird stayed on top of featuring a new generation of talent in the country music scene. Each artist played exciting sets to their respective stages, with fan favorites like Zimmermans’ “Rock and a Hard Place,” Antone’s “Johnny Moonshine,” McNown’s “A Lot More Free,” and Flores’ “Running Out Of Time.” Flores even helped some fans do their baby gender reveal.

Singer in a yellow shirt crouches while singing into a white microphone

Bailey Zimmerman

Guitarist in sunglasses smiles while playing an acoustic guitar

Wyatt Flores

Singer in a colorful patterned dress plays an acoustic guitar at a microphone

Maggie Antone

Guitarist in a backward cap leans back while playing an acoustic guitar

Max McNown

Rooted in rock

Country-rock was alive and well at Railbird, with several artists taking influence from subgenres like Turkish indie, Southern rock, and grunge.

Rattlesnake Milk, Ole 60, Mojo Thunder, Bendigo Fletcher, and Jesse Welles brought the heat to the Burl Stage with guitar-driven tuneage. Rattlesnake Milk, Ole 60, and Mojo Thunder, in particular, went heavy with juicy riffs, while Bendigo Fletcher leaned into psychedelic folk-rock, and Welles, into 1960s folk-rock influences.

Guitarist in a cap and sunglasses plays a red electric guitar

Lou Lewis of Rattlesnake Milk

Band performs with acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and drums at Railbird

Ole 60

Singer in sunglasses plays a red electric guitar at a microphone

Sean Sullivan of Mojo Thunder

Bearded guitarist plays a yellow hollow-body guitar beside a microphone

Ryan Anderson of Bendigo Fletcher

Singer in a pale sleeveless shirt plays an acoustic guitar

Jesse Welles

Ruston Kelly gave the Limestone Stage similar treatment with his brand of “dirt emo,” while Treaty Oak Revival and Josh Meloy tapped into red dirt country rock at the Limestone and Burl, respectively.

Musician in a cap smiles with an acoustic guitar before a green patterned backdrop

Ruston Kelly and his father, Tim Kelly

Singer in a cap plays a sunburst acoustic guitar at Railbird

Sam Canty of Treaty Oak Revival

Two musicians perform together with acoustic and pedal steel guitars

Josh Meloy

Strings attached

Country music and a guitar go hand-in-hand, but Sierra Hull and Mama Said String Band venture out with their weapons of choice. An established mandolinist, Sierra Hull brought her stunning picking techniques and poignant storytelling to the Elkhorn Stage, performing songs off A Tip Top High Wire, and even a cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World.”

Mandolin player in sunglasses performs beside a microphone

Sierra Hull

Meanwhile, Mama Said String Band layered lush harmonies and contemporary instrumentation at the Burl Stage. The quartet combined guitar, banjo, upright bass, and violin to create their signature brand of bluegrass.

Bluegrass band performs with fiddle, acoustic guitar, banjo, and upright bass

David O’Neal, Kaitlen Farmer, Katie “Didit” Caudill, Kris Potts of Mama Said String Band

Classic sounds

Acts like Riley Green, Cody Jinks, Gavin Adcock, Chaparelle, and Noeline Hofmann prove that good old-fashioned country never gets old.

Over at the Elkhorn Stage, Riley Green tapped into traditional country, with bluegrass and gospel influences, especially on fan favorites like “Jesus Saves” and “Worst Way.”

Singer in a cap and sunglasses plays a yellow acoustic guitar

Riley Green

Cody Jinks and Gavin Adcock also took the Elkhorn Stage with their brand of outlaw rowdy anthems and bittersweet ballads, while Chaparelle leaned into country noir, harnessing an old Western kind of glamour in their music.
And at the Burl Stage, Noeline Hofmann mixed Americana and countrypolitan through intimate ballads that told crystal-clear stories of rural journeys.