KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Downtown Keene will once again become a citywide music venue Saturday as the Keene Music Festival returns this weekend, bringing dozens of original musical acts to stages throughout the downtown area.

The festival is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 5, during Labor Day weekend. Admission is free, and performances will span genres ranging from rock, punk and metal to folk, jazz, hip-hop and electronic music.

This year’s festival will feature seven stages, with performances beginning as early as 10:30 a.m. and continuing through the evening. The festival’s primary daytime programming runs until 6 p.m., when stage breakdown begins, although the overall event listing runs through 10 p.m. and includes an official afterparty.

A major change this year is the relocation of one of the festival’s stages because of ongoing downtown construction. Black Cloud Brewing will host a stage that previously would have been located in Central Square. A new stage inside Chapters at Toadstool Bookshop also joins the festival lineup.

Festival organizers said the schedule includes roughly 55 to 60 performance slots selected from about 150 submissions.

Keene Music Festival board treasurer Samantha Martel said assembling the lineup requires balancing a number of factors, including genres, returning and new performers, set lengths, stage compatibility and family-friendly requirements.

“We have to balance new artists with returning artists,” Martel said. “We have to consider the actual genres and how much of everything … it really is about the submissions.”

Returning artists are not guaranteed a spot, she said.

“Playing in the past does not necessarily mean that you’re going to get accepted in the present, because again, it really is a balancing act,” Martel said.

The final schedule is created by moving performers between stages and time slots to create a lineup that works as a whole and encourages people to move around downtown rather than remain at a single venue.

The festival’s stages will feature a wide range of performers.

The City Tire Stage begins at noon with Cole Philips & The Early Morning Weather, followed by Times The Enemy, Side Effects May Include, Chiburi, Vices Inc., 6 Minds Combined, Dead By Dawn, Hemlok, The Forest Forgets and Humdinger & The Bucksnort, which will close the stage at 9:45 p.m.

Railroad Square begins at 11 a.m. with Ian Galipeau and continues with JD & The Stonemasons, Congregation X, PARRIS, The Upstart Crows, Gwell-0, Vale End, Lobotomobile, Tumbletoads and Hug The Dog.

Gallery Alley starts at 11:30 a.m. with Esther Rhatigan. The stage will also feature B. Snair & Vincent Tessoro, Horsefly Gulch, Pointless Culture, Mimi Fang, Faux In Love, Chodus and Wired For Sound.

At the Monadnock Food Co-op, the day’s performances begin with Matt Litzinger at 10:30 a.m., followed by Jess Hutchins, Trinity Nay, Tod Born, Marcus’ Meercats, Eve Pierce and Riley Walter.

The Chapters stage at Toadstools will feature Joel Eaton, Lady Heron, The Timothy, Gager Uno, Lyle Hutchins, James Baucom and Angela Stewart.

Lamson Street will feature a heavier electronic presence, with Salt The Pot, Astral Underground, Bosey Joe, Shiny New Toyz, Coffin Flop, Hobo Wizard, Helixx and Psidemica scheduled throughout the day.

Black Cloud Brewing will host Garrett Gleason, Ragz To Stitchez, The Negans, Oziem, Jonee Earthquake, The Champlain, Shoregasm, Etch & The Youngs and Jennifer Tefft & The Strange.

Electronic acts are an increasingly prominent part of this year’s festival, with Helixx and Psidemica among the performers scheduled on Lamson Street.

Following the daytime festival, organizers are planning an official afterparty featuring local DJs. Additional details are expected to be announced.

The festival remains a free, all-ages celebration of original music. Organizers expect performers from throughout New England to participate.

Festival maps and schedules will be available through the festival’s social media channels and at the information table on Railroad Square. T-shirts also will be available for purchase.

The festival relies heavily on volunteers, particularly for setup and breakdown. Martel said the organization is always looking for people willing to help.

The festival organization operates with an eight-member board and an informal structure.

Despite that informality, putting together the annual lineup is a lengthy process. Organizers use an online application and a selection committee, with the band-selection process alone taking approximately a month and a half.

Martel compared the final scheduling process to creating a seating chart, with organizers repeatedly moving performers between stages and times until the overall schedule works.

The Keene Music Festival skipped its 2020 event and continued amid uncertainty in 2021. This year’s festival is expected to mark its 25th edition.

With downtown construction continuing, organizers have adjusted the festival’s footprint while maintaining its central mission: filling downtown Keene with free, original live music for audiences of all ages.

If you go:

Keene Music Festival 2026

When: Saturday, Sept. 5
Where: Downtown Keene
Admission: Free
Festival hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with daytime festival programming beginning as early as 10:30 a.m. and stage breakdown beginning at 6 p.m.
More information: Visit Keene Music Festival on Facebook for up-to-the-minute information.