Concerts are a part of what makes summer so magical, and this year, there is an amazing lineup of artists. Teenagers can enjoy the music with their friends and families can bond through the music; everyone can see shows they will never forget. From two-day festivals to stadium performances, here is everything to know before summer arrives.
The Zootown Festival is taking place at the Missoula County Fairgrounds from June 19-20th. Zootown is a two-day outdoor music festival. 2026 is only its second year, which makes it Missoula’s newest summer tradition. The first festival in 2025 was claimed to be a huge success with 30,000 attendees. The 2026 lineup features The Lumineers, The Chicks, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, and Tedeschi Trucks Band. The Lumineers and Rainbow Kitten Surprise have an immense teenage following. This is a rare chance to see national-level festival headliners locally without having to travel outside of Montana.
Post Malone, an artist loved by many teenagers, is coming to the Washington Grizzly Stadium this summer. This concert is on July 21, 2026, and starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $175. Recently, Malone released his debut country album, which landed at first place on the Billboard 200 Chart. Malone pre-released the song “Guy For That” featuring Luke Combs, “Pour Me A Drink” featuring Blake Shelton and the smash hit “I Had Some Help” with Morgan Wallen. “I Had Some Help” landed Number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It had the highest weekly sales and streams since 2020 and remained number one for six weeks.
The Kettlehouse Amphitheater is an outdoor stadium in Bonner, MT and tickets are around $85. The stadium is located on the banks of the Blackfoot River with mountains surrounding the area. This creates a unique Montana experience that couldn’t be found anywhere else. Fans and artists rave about the experience with one saying that it’s “one of my favorite venues in the world.” The lineup at the Kettlehouse this year includes: Lord Huron, Ziggy Marly, Maren Morris, Camp, Primus, Young the Giant with Cold War Kids and The Avett Brothers, and finally Widespread Panic who is already sold out. The venue offers shuttles from downtown Missoula and could be a fun summer hangout with friends.
River City Roots Festival is on August 21-22nd, located in downtown Missoula on West Main Street. Its admission is completely free and 2026 is the festival’s 20th anniversary, which is a milestone worth celebrating. The Roots Festival is perfect for a family hangout as it is organized by the Downtown Missoula Partnership, and draws over 15,000 people a year. The musical genres at this festival include folk, Cajun, Zydeco, and Americana – which is great for discovering new music. This is a concert where you can show up, wander downtown Missoula, eat food, and stumble upon great music.
The Wilma is a theater in downtown Missoula where Steve Earle and Watchhouse will be performing this summer. Earle will be playing on July 20, at 8:00 p.m. Steve plays rock, alternative country, and Americana. He is an acclaimed singer-songwriter and has had his songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Joan Baez. Earle is expected to play “Copperhead Road” and “Guitar Town,” which are two of his hit songs for his “51 Years of Songs and Stories” tour.
Watchouse will be playing on June 23rd, at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $47-$59. Watchouse plays Americana and folk, and they are a North Carolina-based duo with Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz. Watchhouse is a success story driven by Marlin’s songwriting, which has sold shows at venues such as the Red Rocks and Ryman Auditorium. They have earned their reputation through creating roots music for the younger generation. The duo, who now has a family of their own, are two singers with undeniable chemistry and perform songs that show the joys of life, heartbreak, and mystery.
The Top Hat is in downtown Missoula, sitting outside the Clark Fork River. The Top Hat is a restaurant during the day but a concert venue by the night, with a modern space and club aesthetic. The 2026 lineup includes genres of indie, country, Americana, and electronic, with performers such as Magic City Hippies, Kitchen Dwellers, Grievies, and Langhorne Slim. The shows announced so far are summer additions that are expected; however, Logjam Presents always has new updates. The Top Hat is where you could discover your next favorite band before they go big and move to a larger venue. Top Hat concert tickets range from $20-$50 dollars, with the average price being about $45.
Missoula is a small city that delivers a widely diverse live music scene. Listeners can discover something new and out of their usual music rotation, like roots or folk music, and invite family and friends to a performance where memories that last a lifetime are created. Who are you going to see this summer?
