This year’s Mountain Music Fest has a packed line-up, with a lot of familiar acts, and a few surprises (though mostly lower down the bill). Among the most familiar names are Warrant, Night Ranger, and Lita Ford — three of the hardest-working acts in the rock biz today.
Must-see performances include Lynch Mob and the Pearcy/Demartini re-do of Ratt, which might possibly also feature incendiary guitarist Joel Hoekstra (or Carlos Cavazo, depending on the whims of the Gods). Hoekstra is on the bill with his acoustic duo with Brandon Gibbs (long-time background singer for Poison). I’ve seen those two perform a couple times, and it is much more than you would expect of any other acoustic duo. After all, it’s virtuoso shredder Joel Hoekstra on guitar. And he shreds on acoustic too.
Other acts which will grace the stage over the three day fest include Jackyl, Dangerous Toys, .38 Special, Sebastian Bach, Vixen, John Waite, Rick Springfield, White Lion, Steelheart, and Hoekstra’s long-time gunslinging mate in Whitesnake, Reb Beach — among many others.
The Mountain USA Festival 2026 takes place at Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, TN.
Tix start at $187 for a single day pass, and more if you want two or three days passes.
Yes, that’s One-Hundred-Eighty-Seven U.S. Dollars.
