Eric Clapton’s legendary Crossroads Guitar Festival is making its highly anticipated return to the Live Music Capital of the World, taking over Austin’s Moody Center on September 26–27, 2026. Celebrating the 28th anniversary of the Crossroads Centre Antigua—the addiction treatment facility founded by Clapton—this monolithic two-night gathering acts as the ultimate summit for six-string royalty. With “Slowhand” himself anchoring the main stage both nights, the seventh installment of Crossroads is fueling once-in-a-lifetime, multi-artist collaborations that span blues, rock, country, bluegrass, and jazz.
Lone Star State Allstars
Billy Gibbons: As the iconic frontman of ZZ Top, the “Sharp Dressed Man” himself brings that unmistakable, low-down Texas boogie and grease to the stage. Armed with his legendary pinch harmonics, fuzzy tone, and world-famous beard, Gibbons is the ultimate master of taking a simple three-chord blues track and turning it into a stadium-sized rock anthem.
Gary Clark Jr.: Born and bred right here in Austin, Clark is the modern bridge of Texas blues. His unique fusion of fuzzy, distorted blues rock, neo-soul, and hip-hop has made him a hometown hero and a global powerhouse. Watching him let loose at the Moody Center is as authentic an Austin music experience as it gets (unless you catch him at Antone’s!).
Jimmie Vaughan: A true living legend of the Austin music scene, Vaughan carries the torch of traditional, elegant Texas blues shuffle. Co-founder of The Fabulous Thunderbirds and older brother to the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, his stripped-back, impeccably clean, and precise picking style represents the absolute foundational bedrock of Austin’s music history.
Ben Haggard: Son of the legendary country pioneer Merle Haggard, Ben brings the classic, raw Texas-adjacent outlaw country and Bakersfield sound to the roster. As a phenomenal, fluid lead guitarist who spent years anchoring his father’s backing band, The Strangers, he keeps the deep roots of country guitar picking proudly alive this weekend.
🎸 The Heavy Hitters & Returning Icons
The roster reads like an absolute Hall of Fame roll call. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Clapton are the festival’s most revered veterans, we have to talk about a few icons first.
Taj Mahal is a monumental icon who’s spent 60 years pushing the boundaries of traditional blues.A brilliant multi-instrumentalist and ethnomusicologist, he seamlessly infuses old-school delta blues with rhythms from West Africa, the Caribbean, reggae, and jazz. His presence at Crossroads brings an invaluable sense of musical history and global roots, ensuring a masterclass in acoustic and electric storytelling
Buddy Guy is an architect of electric blues and pioneer of the historic Chicago blues sound. Famously dubbed by Eric Clapton as “the greatest guitar player alive”, the 90-year-old icon bridges the gap between classic Delta roots and modern rock-and-roll. Renowned for his wild, unpredictable showmanship, blistering high-voltage solos, and custom polka-dot Stratocasters, Guy’s radical playing style directly influenced titans like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Clapton himself. As a beloved veteran of the festival, his presence at the Moody Center ensures that the living soul and history of the blues remain the undeniable heartbeat of Crossroads weekend.
- John Mayer: Ready to deliver his signature fluid, blues-infused pop mastery that always delivers a standout festival highlight.
- Tedeschi Trucks Band: Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi will unleash their world-class, 12-piece roots-rock symphony, featuring Trucks’ unparalleled slide work.
- Joe Bonamassa & Marcus King: Representing the pinnacle of blistering blues-rock virtuosity across generations.
- Robert Randolph is a hyper-energetic virtuoso who single-handedly brought the “sacred steel” gospel tradition into the mainstream rock and blues world. Armed with his custom pedal steel guitar, Randolph plays sitting down but exudes a commanding, high-octane stage presence.
What makes the 2026 iteration uniquely thrilling is a wave of high-profile debut artists shaking up the Crossroads stage for the very first time:
Trey Anastasio: The Phish frontman is set to inject an improvisational, jam-band tapestry into the weekend’s collaborative ethos.
Tommy Emmanuel: The master of fingerstyle acoustic wizardry
Julian Lage: The jazz-guitar wunderkind will bring stunning harmonic sophistication and lightning-fast fretboard intelligence to the stage.
We are heartbroken we won’t see legend Bob Weir this time. Weir, the legendary rhythm guitarist and founding memeber of the Grateful Dead, passed away January 2026 at only 78 after a battle with cancer.
As the master of irregular chord voicings and the ultimate orchestrator of the jam band framework, “Bobby” spent over sixty years reshaping American counterculture and roots music. While his deeply missed presence leaves an immense void at this year’s Crossroads festival, his enduring spirit and massive improvisational legacy will undoubtedly be felt through the many students of his style taking the stage this weekend—most notably his Dead & Company bandmate, John Mayer.
We are also bummed about Pete Townsend’s health issues that forced him to withdraw from the festival. He released a heartfelt statement explaining that complications surrounding his recovery from a February 2025 knee replacement surgery have resulted in damage to his left foot and severe balance issues. He noted that the long-haul flights from London to Austin and the ensuing jetlag would cause a major setback in his recovery that he “really can’t afford” right now.
The Who legend expressed immense disappointment, especially since Tedeschi Trucks Band had offered to act as his backing band for his Crossroads debut. To support the cause despite his absence, Townshend generously made a $50,000 donation to Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Centre Antigua charity.
Because of this, the updated and finalized complete artist roster for this weekend is as follows:
- Trey Anastasio
- Joe Bonamassa
- Eric Clapton
- Gary Clark Jr.
- Tommy Emmanuel
- Andy Fairweather Low
- Eric Gales (Special Guest)
- Billy Gibbons
- Buddy Guy
- Ben Haggard
- Sierra Hull
- Marcus King
- Sonny Landreth
- Julian Lage
- Taj Mahal
- Pedro Martins
- John Mayer
- Del McCoury Band
- John McLaughlin
- Keb’ Mo’
- Dirk Powell
- Robert Randolph
- Kurt Rosenwinkel
- Daniel Santiago
- Tedeschi Trucks Band
- Jimmie Vaughan
- Bradley Walker & Brothers of the Heart
| Experience Option | Details & Features | Access Link |
|---|---|---|
| In-Person Attendance | Live at the Moody Center in Austin, TX. | Check last-minute availability on Ticketmaster. |
| Global Free Livestream | Full, worldwide weekend broadcast | Register at The Next Guitar Media Player. |
| Interactive Camera Feeds | Toggle between 4 distinct streams, including an exclusive “Guitar Stream” highlighting close-ups of pedalboards, picking hands, and fretboard techniques. | Built directly into the Official Stream Platform. |
Details: Saturday: Doors open at 3:30pm, Show starts at 5:30 and Sunday the show starts early at 4pm! Moody Center has a clear bag policy. Check out their site for important details before you go.
📜 The Legacy of Crossroads: A Look Back
To understand why Crossroads is such a monumental event, you have to look at the history that shaped it. It has never been just a concert; it is a historic gathering with a deeply personal mission.
- The Foundation (1998–2004): Eric Clapton founded the Crossroads Centre Antigua in 1998 to provide a supportive sanctuary for individuals recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. To fund this life-changing facility, Clapton hosted a preliminary concert in 1999 at Madison Square Garden, which paved the way for the first official, multi-day Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2004 in Dallas, Texas.
- The Legendary Moments: Over the past two decades, the festival has moved across the country—visiting Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles—leaving a trail of iconic musical milestones in its wake. It is the stage where Bill Murray famously dressed up as Jimi Hendrix, where B.B. King delivered poignant, star-studded blues jams in his final years, and where unexpected pairings like Jeff Beck and ZZ Top or Vince Gill and Sheryl Crow rewrote the rulebook of live collaboration.
- A Rarity in Live Music: Because Clapton only throws the festival every three to four years, it has earned a mythical status among music fans. It stands as a rare, pure celebration of guitar craftsmanship, camaraderie, and charity, raising millions of dollars for the Crossroads Foundation while delivering standard-setting performances that are studied by guitarists for generations.
