This year’s festival celebrating the “Father of the Blues,” W.C. Handy, will be held from July 15-26, 2026.

History
The W. C. Handy Music Festival was initiated with the help of musician and Sheffield native Willie Ruff, who along with Dr. David Mussleman and others, envisioned and helped MPS to present the first W. C. Handy Music Festival. That first Festival was a long weekend of music featuring Dizzy Gillespie as the headliner artist. Since then, the annual celebration has evolved into a ten-day Festival with nearly 200 events. The Festival showcases music at locations throughout northwest Alabama including parks, restaurants, stores, libraries, museums, art galleries, sidewalks, parking lots, and lawns. It also features athletic events, plays, music classes, car shows, and much more.