04-02-2025
Healing Appalachia 2025 brings hope to the bluegrass: New location, same mission
ASHLAND, Ky. (FOX 56) — After five years in West Virginia, the world's largest recovery-based music festival is bringing hope to the hills of eastern Kentucky.
The region took a hard hit amid the opioid epidemic, and Healing Appalachia works to bring resources to give Appalachians a new lease on life.
Healing Appalachia 2025 brings hope to the bluegrass: New location, same mission
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It began as a small show for 1,500 people at the West Virginia State Fairgrounds and quickly became a cornerstone for music lovers, garnering nearly 20,000 attendees from 49 states and three countries.
Founded and hosted by Lawrence County Tyler Childers and his team at Whizzbang BAM, Healing Appalachia has generated more than $5 million over the years. Fans have come from far and wide to see acts like Gov't Mule, My Morning Jacket, Shooter Jennings, Sierra Ferrell, Lost Dog Street Band, 49 Winchester, Charles Wesley Godwin, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, Galactic, Trey Anastasio, Margo Price, Sierra Hull, and many more.
In September, the festival is taking its first step to further its mission. Organizers note that moving Healing Appalachia to other regional states was always part of the plan.
Healing Appalachia co-founder and show producer Charlie Hatcher originally envisioned the concert 'like a Farm Aid that would move around Appalachia.'
Festival organizers are headed to the hills along Kentucky's Country Music Highway that gave country music stars like Loretta Lynn, Tom T. Hall, The Judds, Dwight Yoakam, Ralph Stanley, Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers, and dozens of others.
In 2025, Healing Appalachia will kick off on Sept. 19 on a mountaintop near the Boyd County Fairgrounds in Ashland.
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'One of the things that makes this so hard,' Hatcher continued, 'is because the State Fair CEO Kelly Collins and her staff were the best hosts a person could ask for.' Hatcher is glad the festival leaves with a great relationship with WV State Fair leadership and has an open door to return. But it was time to make good on that promise to move around the charitable concert.'.
Boyd County can't wait to have them.
'We are thrilled that the Healing Appalachia team is taking a chance on Boyd County, Kentucky for 2025,' said Andrew Steele, Executive Director of Boyd County Tourism. 'The mission behind the festival is so impactful for our region, and we are excited to show off what Team Kentucky support looks like from local entities all the way up to the state level!'
The 2025 lineup hasn't been released yet, but 'blind faith' tickets to the two-day festival will be on sale at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. Click here for more 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
