MAGNOLIA STATE THE MUSIC OF THE
Welcome to the birthplace of America’s music
Few places on Earth are as pleasing to the ear as Mississippi. Much of the USA’s musical story was written in this sweet-sounding Southern state: the blues rose from the rural Mississippi Delta, the world’s most famous rock ’n’ roll star, Elvis Presley, was born in a shotgun house in Tupelo in 1935, and ‘Father of Country Music’ Jimmie Rodgers hailed from the culture-rich small city of Meridian. Today, any road trip through the state reveals a remarkable song sheet of musical attractions. You will hear stellar live music in Clarksdale, whose old-school juke joints and busy roster of festivals keep the state’s rich blues tradition alive. Or you can celebrate legendary blues artist B.B. King at his eponymous museum in Indianola. Capital city Jackson is thick with music stores and live venues, while the interactive Grammy Museum Mississippi in Cleveland puts the reverberating influence of the state’s musical output in a global context. This guide holds a microphone to Mississippi’s finest musical attractions and experiences, so follow your ear on these music-themed trails and road trips to discover the soulful sounds of the Magnolia State...
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This article was first published in the December 2024/January 2025 issue of Wanderlust, with the reprint supported by Visit Mississippi.
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Singing the blues
A painted mural in honour of the old Mississippi bluesmen can be seen in Leland
MAGNOLIA STATE THE MUSIC OF THE
Considered the birthplace of the blues, Mississippi’s musical heritage runs deep. This is a state that has put its stamp on so many musical genres – all entwined with its rich culture, landscapes and food
Mississippi’s music history hums like a deep blues chord, resonating across time and place. What’s more, 2025 marks 100 years since bluesman B.B. King’s birth, and 90 since Elvis Presley’s. But Mississippi is more than the cradle of blues and rock ’n’ roll – it’s the rhythmic heartbeat of America’s soundtrack.
To understand Mississippi’s musical heritage is to tap into its soul. Like a well-worn vinyl record, its grooves reveal a deeper story of resilience, passion and pride. Through its melodies, Mississippi amplifies the hollers of its people and – lifting each from the mix – the state is best explored through four distinct trails that each shine a spotlight on its most expressive and melodic voices.
THE MISSISSIPPI BLUES TRAIL
The Mississippi Blues Trail takes visitors through the heart of the state, showcasing the iconic locations that shaped blues history, from Clarksdale to Greenwood and beyond. Markers act as signposts to highlight the birthplaces of musicians, notable juke joints, recording studios and much more. The best way to explore the trail is by car, using the official trail map or the mobile app, which provides directions and in-depth insights into Mississippi’s cultural and musical legacy.
5 HIGHLIGHTS NOT TO MISS…
1
Delta Blues Museum
When impoverished African American farmers in the Mississippi Delta blended church spirituals with work songs, they created the mother of most modern music genres. Country, rock, jazz and punk are just some of the Delta’s many offspring. Founded in 1979, it was the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale that became the first museum to pay tribute to the history and legacy of the blues. Exhibits include guitars owned by John Lee
Clarksdale’s crossroads, where Robert Johnson was said to have sold his soul
Hooker, Son Thomas and B.B. King, as well as displays devoted to Charlie Musselwhite and Big Mama Thornton. Ever-changing exhibits add depth to wider blues culture, such as the history of Jackson-based Trumpet Records and Delta blues heritage.
2
Muddy Waters Cabin
The centrepiece of the Delta Blues Museum is the very cabin in which ‘Chicago blues’ legend Muddy Waters was raised by his grandmother. Originally located at Stovall Farms in Clarksdale, where Waters lived during his days as a sharecropper and tractor driver, it was on this cabin’s front porch in 1941 that ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax recorded Waters playing for the US Library of Congress. Along with photographs and a life-size waxwork, exhibits include one of his guitars, as well as ZZ Top’s
‘Muddywood’ guitar, which Billy Gibbons had crafted from one of the cabin’s timbers.
3
B.B. King’s Birthplace
This Mississippi Blues Trail marker in Berclair is an essential destination for any blues fan to discover more about the influence this genre has had throughout the state. B.B. King was born Riley King in a cabin on the side of Bear Creek, among the cotton fields that shaped his early life. This humble location captures the raw roots of the Delta blues. A stop here allows you to walk in the footsteps of a legend, feeling the power of the landscape that inspired his sound. The Blues Trail marker offers insights into King’s journey, from local boy to global icon, making it a deeply resonant spot to connect with this celebrated musician on the Mississippi Blues Trail.
4 Blue Front Café
Established in 1948, the Blue Front Café – located in Bentonia on Highway 49 – is the oldest surviving juke joint in Mississippi. Owned by GRAMMY-nominated bluesman Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes, who started the Bentonia Blues Festival in 1972, this simple roadside, breeze-block café was a popular spot for workers from nearby cotton fields to eat, drink and listen to music. In this way it played an important role in the development of the distinctive Bentonia style of blues, known for its haunting, hypnotic sound.
B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola
Inside the B.B. King Museum
5Dockery Farms
“If you had to pick one single spot as the birthplace of the blues, you might say it all started right here,” said B.B. King ( left). Dockery Farms once covered 100 sq km, had its own shops, churches, school, and even its own currency. At its peak, 3,000 people lived here, including Charley Patton, Tommy Johnson, Willie Brown, Son House, Howlin’ Wolf, and Robert Johnson. Here they would play on the porch of the commissary on a Saturday afternoon, ahead of raucous all-night performances in juke joints – which typically paid up to 500 times better than working the fields.
MISSISSIPPI’S BLUES LEGENDS
B.B. King
The ‘Blues Boy’ influenced many musicians with his expressive solos and the vibrato techniques that made his guitar, Lucille, sing. A winner of 15 GRAMMYs, B.B. is the King of the Blues.
Muddy Waters
Muddy grew up in Mississippi’s cotton country. His stage name came from a childhood playing in murky creeks and reflects his Delta roots, which shaped his pioneering electric blues style.
Mississippi John Hurt
Soft-voiced with hypnotic fingerpicking, Hurt was first recorded in 1928 but spent most of his life as a farm hand. He found fame in 1963, aged 70, three years before he died.
Robert Johnson
Legend has it this blues legend sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for his virtuoso fingerpicking skills. Simultaneously playing bass, rhythm and lead on his guitar, Johnson set the Delta ablaze until his death at 27.
Owned by the GRAMMYnominated Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes, the Blue Front Café was originally opened for cotton workers to eat, drink and relax to music
Dockery Farms
Blue Front Café
Scan to listen to the artists that influenced the Mississippi Blues Trail.
MAKE IT A ROAD TRIP
Day 1: Jackson to Cleveland via Indianola and Bentonia
Start your Mississippi blues journey in the state capital, Jackson, where the rhythms of the blues and the fight for civil rights have shaped the culture. Visit the Malaco Records marker, home to iconic soul and blues artists like Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland and Johnnie Taylor. Then explore the Farish Street Historic District, once the cultural epicentre for Jackson’s Black community and a cradle for the blues. Make sure you stop by the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
for an immersive look at the state’s history of struggle and resistance, echoed in its music.
After lunch at The Big Apple Inn on Farish Street, known for its pig-ear sandwiches and its role in the Civil Rights Movement, take a short detour to Bentonia to visit the legendary Blue Front Café. Enjoy a stop here for a drink and, if you’re lucky, you might catch a performance by ‘Duck’ Holmes.
Check out B.B. King’s Birthplace marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail before heading to Indianola, home to the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, where you’ll learn all about the life of the King
of the Blues and his profound influence on American music across the decades.
For dinner, try The Crown Restaurant for some Delta comfort food, such as catfish and homemade pies, before driving 25 minutes to Cleveland to stay at the Cotton House hotel.
Day 2: Cleveland to Greenwood
Spend the first part of the day in Cleveland’s charming downtown, discovering art galleries and music shops. Visit the state-ofthe-art GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, which celebrates Mississippi’s musical history and its global impact.
Drive the hour-long route to Greenwood – a town steeped in blues and civil rights history – stopping en route at the Dockery Farms marker. Often hailed as the birthplace of the blues, this old cotton gin is where legends such as Charley Patton, ‘Father of the Delta Blues’, spent time honing his craft.
In Greenwood, check out the Robert Johnson Blues Trail markers around town. Johnson is the most enigmatic figure in blues folklore, and his grave can be found in the grounds of the Little Zion Church. Drop in for the impassioned service on a Sunday and you’ll be made to feel very welcome by Reverend Collins and his parishioners, whose gospel vocals are heavenly.
Spend time wandering through Greenwood’s historic downtown, where the blues can be heard on the streets, piped in through concealed speakers. The WGRM Radio Station on Howard Street was the site of B.B. King’s first live broadcast in 1940.
For some relevant contrast, dress up for dinner at Giardina’s Restaurant, which offers a fine-dining experience with local flavours, then spend the night at Tallahatchie Flats, a semi-circle of rural sharecroppers’ cabins that have been reimagined as ramshackle lodgings. Here you can immerse yourself in the quiet, reflective atmosphere of the Delta for an uncommonly deep connection to the land where many blues artists grew up.
Day 3: Greenwood to Clarksdale
Make your way to Clarksdale, perhaps the heart of Mississippi’s blues world. On your way, stop by Tutwiler, where legendary bandleader WC Handy first encountered the blues being performed by a man playing slide guitar with a knife blade. If you can find it – at the edge of the tree line in a tumbledown cemetery off Prairie Road – you can also pay your respects at Sonny Boy Williamson II’s grave. Once in Clarksdale, visit the
See memorabilia at the B.B. King Museum
The Big Apple Inn in Jackson
See live blues music in Clarksdale
Delta Blues Museum, which houses an array of artefacts from blues stars, including the cabin where Muddy Waters once lived. Walk through the town, following Mississippi Blues Trail markers, and make sure to stop by Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art, a wonderful local gallery and shop that brims with blues records, art and books.
Check into the famous Shack Up Inn during daylight hours to fully appreciate this former sharecropper community that’s been transformed into eccentric lodgings that positively jostle with outlandish curios and vintage cars. As a guest, you get to pick an acoustic guitar to take back to your cabin for the duration of your stay.
Then begin your evening at the Bad Apple Blues Club, where owner Sean Apple plays guitar under retina-baffling blue lighting in between educating visitors on the titular genre. Or spend the night catching live bands at Red’s for a raw, authentic juke joint experience. Despite the omnipresent scarlet lights, both the blues and the booze flow late into the small hours.
Day 4: Clarksdale to Greenville via Leland
Begin your final day by heading south from Clarksdale to Leland. Enjoy the 90-minute drive through
the fertile fields of the Delta while listening to the Visit Mississippi Blues playlist, the landscapes providing a vivid backdrop to the stories told by the music.
Leland is home to the small-but-mighty Highway 61 Blues Museum, dedicated to the artists who travelled and performed along the iconic Blues Highway. The museum features tributes to musicians like Johnny Winter and James ‘Son’ Thomas, and its exhibits highlight the connections between blues and the historic struggles of the Delta.
Pay a visit to the Greenville History Museum to learn more about the town’s culture, and drop by the Walnut Street Blues Bar, which has long hosted live blues performances and remains a local favourite.
Conclude your Mississippi odyssey with a sunset stroll around the boardwalks of Greenville Cypress Preserve. Awash with golden hues, its still waters reflect knotted roots that support towering trunks, acting as a mirror to a land that’s seen sorrow, resilience and beauty entwined for generations, from which giants have grown.
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Mississippi is home to the only GRAMMY Museum outside of Los Angeles, California
Soak up the vintage curios at the Shack Up Inn
THE MISSISSIPPI COUNTRY
MUSIC TRAIL
Celebrating the state’s great contribution to country music, the Mississippi Country Music Trail honours legends like Jimmie Rodgers, Elvis Presley and Charley Pride. The trail features markers across the state, from Meridian to Tupelo, tracing the roots of country music. For travellers, the best way to experience it is by road, combining visits to historic sites, museums and live music venues. Along the way, you’ll explore just how blues, gospel and country music traditions all intersect.
5 HIGHLIGHTS NOT TO MISS…
1
Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Museum
Located in Meridian, the Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Museum honours the life and works of the ‘Father of Country Music’. Set within a 19th-century locomotive shed, the museum showcases Rodgers’ personal artefacts, including his iconic guitar, stage
outfits, and recordings. Visitors can immerse themselves in his pioneering blend of country and blues, and enjoy an intimate glimpse into the life of the man who forever changed American country music, inspiring generations to come.
2
Elvis Presley’s Birthplace
Scan to listen to some of Elvis Presley’s signature songs.
At 306 Elvis Presley Drive, Tupelo, sits the shotgun shack in which Elvis Presley was born and spent the first three years of his life. Built by Elvis’ grandfather and his dad, the wooden house is small: “You could fire a shotgun through the front door and out the back door without hitting anything in between,” explains Roy Turner, director of the Elvis Birthplace museum. Incredibly, Elvis’ childhood church has
birthplace
“So small you could fire a shotgun through the front door and out the back door and not hit anything in between.” Elvis historian Roy Turner on The
The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll cast in bronze at Elvis Presley’s Birthplace
King’s
been relocated to the museum’s grounds and meticulously restored to its former glory – with the notable addition of 270-degree projector screens that simulate services with Elvis in attendance.
3
Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music
In Philadelphia, Mississippi, Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music is an evolving museum and cultural centre, housing a collection of over 20,000 country music artefacts, from the rhinestoneencrusted stage costumes of the stars to iconic instruments. Here you’ll find the first black suit Johnny Cash performed in, the boots worn by Patsy Cline the day
she boarded her ill-fated flight, the handwritten lyrics to Hank Williams’ songs, and Marty Stuart’s first guitar. It’s more than a museum; visitors are treated to live performances and interactive explorations of country music’s history and
MISSISSIPPI’S COUNTRY LEGENDS
Elvis Presley
The King of rock ’n’ roll surely needs no introduction. Elvis fused country, blues and gospel to revolutionise popular music. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, he remains an enduring icon of American culture.
Jimmie Rodgers
Known as the ‘Father of Country Music’, Jimmie Rodgers brought folk, blues and yodelling together to craft idiosyncratic, timeless tunes. Born in Meridian, Mississippi, he paved the way for generations of country artists.
Charley Pride
Baseball player Charley Pride broke racial barriers in country music when he became the genre’s first Black superstar. At the height of his fame, in the early 1970s, he was even outselling Elvis.
Tammy Wynette
The ‘First Lady of Country Music’ was born in Tremont, Mississippi. Best known for her timeless anthem Stand by Your Man, Wynette’s heartfelt vocals captured the essence of country’s emotional depth.
GRAMMY Museum Mississippi
Situated in Cleveland, the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi celebrates the state’s impact on American music. With interactive exhibits, rare memorabilia and cutting-edge technology, visitors can explore the history of the GRAMMY Awards and the evolution of blues, country, rock and pop. The museum features red-carpet outfits worn by the stars; an interactive
dance floor on which to learn routines; instruments played by everyone from B.B. King to Bruno Mars; and hands-on experiences, such as production pods where you can write, record, and produce your own country song.
5Sweetpea’s Table Restaurant
Sweetpea’s Table Restaurant, in the town of Olive Branch, delivers Southern hospitality and comfort food at its best. This charming spot is known for its fried catfish, hush puppies and sweet tea, embodying Mississippi’s culinary traditions. The warm, rustic décor adds to the homely feel, inviting guests to savour meals that are as comforting as they are delicious. With a menu steeped in Southern classics, Sweetpea’s Table offers a true taste of Mississippi’s food heritage.
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The Elvis Guitar Trail in Tupelo
MAKE IT A ROAD TRIP
Day 1: Jackson to Meridian
Start your day with breakfast at Brent’s Drugs, a classic American diner and soda fountain that’s frozen in the 1950s. Then set out for Meridian, the hometown of ‘Father of Country Music’ Jimmie Rodgers. As you travel east on I-20, create your own country music playlist while quintessential Southern landscapes, thick with pine, maple and magnolia trees, roll past your window. You’ll have classic Mississippi sounds and scenes flooding your senses.
In Meridian, visit the Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Museum, a shrine to the man whose yodelling and heartfelt lyrics shaped the very essence of country music. His influence stretches from Hank Williams to Bob Dylan and beyond. The museum showcases Rodgers’ guitars, personal items and awards. To complete your tribute to this fine musician, don’t miss the nearby Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Marker on the Mississippi Country Music Trail.
After your museum visit, take time to explore Meridian’s charming downtown and the gleaming Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (The MAX), a modern museum that dives into the state’s contributions to all forms of creativity. For dinner, head to Weidmann’s, a historic restaurant dating back to 1870, known for its Southern cuisine. Afterwards, rest up at the towering Threefoot Hotel (it’s far taller than the name suggests) for a stylish
Tupelo Hardware Co is said to be where Galdys Presley bought her son his first guitar
The grave of Jimmie Rodgers, often dubbed the ‘Father of Country Music’
Tupelo Hardware Co still sells classic guitars today
stay that harks back to the golden age of travel. Its vertiginous rooftop lounge offers spectacular views of downtown Meridian.
Day 2: Meridian to Philadelphia and Tupelo
Drive north to Philadelphia to visit Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music, which houses a big collection, including instruments and rhinestone-embellished costumes worn by icons such as Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. Stuart himself said:
“Country music has never been about glitter; it’s about grit,” and his museum offers an intimate look at the genre’s raw beauty.
Continue north, heading for the Tupelo Hardware Co – a cavernous store on Tupelo’s Main Street. “Everything is original, and still in the same spot it was back in 1941,” says the fourth-generation owner, George H Booth III. “That X on the floor marks the spot where Elvis stood on 5 January 1946 – right before his eleventh birthday – when his mother persuaded him to buy a guitar rather than a rifle.”
Amid shelves of hammers and nails, Tupelo Hardware still sells guitars and rifles, but — because of that decision in 1946 — today it also sells Elvis T-shirts and keyrings, and the walls on Main Street are livid with murals of The King.
Just a little way up the road, at the Elvis Presley Birthplace museum, is the two-room cabin in which Presley was born, as well as his childhood church and a former youth centre – funded by Presley himself – which has been converted into a museum and gift shop, filled with Elvis iconography and hip-swinging pendulum clocks.
In Fairpark – once the site of Tupelo’s fairgrounds – you’ll find a life-sized statue of Elvis, depicting the day he came to play his famous homecoming concert.
For dinner, head to Sweet Tea & Biscuits Café, known for its Southern comfort food. Spend the night, unburdened by heartbreak, at the Hotel Tupelo.
Day 3: Tupelo to Cleveland
In the morning, take a quick trip east to visit the Tammy Wynette Legacy Center
in her hometown of Tremont, which even has the imposing front gates of her former Nashville estate as an exhibit.
Heading back west, grab lunch at Big Bad Breakfast (where delicious biscuits and omelettes are available all day) in the charming town of Oxford, before making a quick stop at Charley Pride’s Trail Marker in Sledge, the small Delta town where Pride was born and raised before going on to
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Elvis’ 1956 Homecoming Statue in Tupelo’s Fairpark District
The GRAMMY Museum Mississippi in Cleveland
become one of country music’s greatest stars. Known for hits like Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’, Pride was a trailblazer for African American artists in country music.
Continue on to Cleveland to visit the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, a must-see for music lovers. The museum celebrates the state’s rich contribution to American music, including country, blues and rock ’n’ roll. It offers an interactive experience where visitors can explore how Mississippi artists such as Tammy Wynette shaped the country music scene.
For dinner, stop at Hey Joe’s, a quirky spot that peddles smash burgers, ironic T-shirts and live music, then, take a walk through Cleveland’s scenic downtown. Afterwards, check into the Cotton House Hotel, a luxury boutique property that combines modern-day elegance with quaint Delta charm.
Day 4: Cleveland to Indianola and Greenwood
On your final day, journey deeper into the Delta, where the landscapes and stories that birthed both blues and country music intertwine. Start with a visit to Indianola, home of the B.B.
Hear the sounds of Delta life first-hand at Greenwood, former home of country star Bobbie Gentry
King Museum, to experience the connection between country and blues, as both genres often pull from the same emotional wellspring. While not strictly a country music destination, the museum offers a deeper understanding of the Delta’s cultural fabric, which nourished artists like Charley Pride.
Stop by the Indianola Pecan House to pick up some local sweets treats to fuel up on as you head to the Johnny Russell trail marker in Moorhead, where he was born and raised. Johnny went on to become a star of the Grand Ole Opry and a popular country recording artist, best remembered as the composer of
the hit song Act Naturally, which was famously covered by none other than The Beatles.
Greenwood was the childhood home of country star Bobbie Gentry, who brought the accents, sounds and imagery of Delta life into the haunting songs she wrote and recorded, to become one of the key country artists of the 1960s and ’70s. Check out her Mississippi Country Music Trail Marker before checking into The Alluvian Hotel in Greenwood, a luxury property that offers formal, Southern hospitality for a peaceful end to your journey through the roots of country music.
Tremont’s finest, Tammy Wynette, in her heyday
HEAR MISSISSIPPI LIVE
Mississippi’s live music venues pulse with energy, from converted warehouses to roadside juke joints and cosy cafés. These vibrant spots bottle the spirit of the state, offering visitors a taste of how locals unwind. Whether it’s a foot-stomping band or soulful solo, each performance is a window to another world.
Ground Zero Blues Club, Clarksdale
Founded in 2001 by actor Morgan Freeman and attorney Bill Luckett, Ground Zero Blues Club is a cornerstone of Clarksdale’s blues scene. Housed in a former cotton warehouse, it maintains a true Delta blues atmosphere with its mismatched furniture and beerstained pool tables, while the original interiors are scrawled in graffiti. Known for supporting rising blues talent, ensuring the tradition
continues for future generations, live bands play here from Wednesday to Saturday.
Hal & Mal’s, Jackson
Hal & Mal’s is a Jackson institution, founded by brothers Hal and Malcolm White in 1985. Located in a former warehouse, it’s a key cultural hub in Mississippi’s capital, hosting diverse live music. Known for its Southern food and laid-back-but-stylish vibe, Hal & Mal’s is also famous for events like the annual Hal’s St Paddy’s Parade. With performance spaces and strong ties to local artists, it is a beloved gathering spot for music lovers.
Smoot’s Grocery, Natchez
Smoot’s Grocery in Natchez is a historic juke joint that has been revived as a premier music venue. Originally opened in 1939, this storied space was a local hangout during the Jim Crow era. Today, it offers live music – ranging from blues to indie – in restored surroundings that preserve its vintage charm. Its location, near the banks of the Mississippi River, make it a fantastic stop for visitors wishing to experience authentic culture in an atmospheric setting.
Club Ebony, Indianola
One of the South’s most historic African American venues, Club Ebony was opened in Indianola in 1948. It has hosted some
The Ground Zero Blues Club was co-founded by Hollywood star Morgan Freeman
Ground Zero Blues Club
Club Ebony
of the biggest names in blues, including B.B. King. Known for its role in the growth of Delta blues, the club continues to host live gigs that honour the tradition of the genre. Now owned by the B.B. King Museum, it serves as both a live music venue and a tribute to Mississippi’s blues legacy.
LD’s Kitchen, Vicksburg
LD’s is a gem on the legendary Catfish Row in Historic Downtown Vicksburg. Blending soul food and live blues, it’s an authentic Mississippi juke joint, well known and loved for its relaxed atmosphere and friendly crowd. Blues musicians from across the region perform here on weekends, keeping the Delta tradition alive. With hearty dishes like fried catfish (pictured inset), chicken and ribs, LD’s Kitchen offers complete cultural immersion in the heart – and belly – of Mississippi.
Hey Joe’s, Cleveland
A hive for Mississippi hipsters, Hey Joe’s in Cleveland is a lively, eclectic venue that’s part bar, part live music hall and part restaurant. Known for supporting local charities and regional music acts, it serves as a community hub where college students, locals and tourists mix. The menu offers a mix of pub favourites, with burgers and salads named after grunge bands and ’80s movies, but it’s the music that draws the crowds.
The Lyric Oxford, Oxford
The Lyric Oxford was built in the late-19th century and began life as a livery stable. Converted into a silent movie theatre in the 1920s, it was abandoned in the ’70s, becoming a residential and office space in the ’80s, The Lyric Oxford was finally restored and reopened in 2008, transformed into one of the state’s favourite live music venues. Close to historic Oxford Square, it now hosts a variety of performances, from country to comedy, in a setting with top-tier acoustics.
The Lyric Oxford
Sunset in historic Natchez
A riverfront mural at the legendary Catfish Row in Vickburg
Hal’s St Paddy’s Parade in Jackson
FEEL MISSISSIPPI’S PULSE
Mississippi knows how to party. Its festival diary is as diverse and welcoming as its people.
From the Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, which honours the Delta’s rich blues legacy, to the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson, with its pageants and livestock
shows, the state offers vibrant events yearround. Festivals such as the Natchez Balloon Festival and Biloxi’s Crawfish Music Festival showcase the state’s love of food, art and outdoor adventure, but it’s Mississippi’s music that always takes centre stage.
April: Juke Joint Festival, Clarksdale
The Juke Joint Festival, held each April in Clarksdale, Mississippi, is a celebration of authentic Delta blues, attracting music lovers from around the world. Over 100 local and international artists come to perform in
Clarksdale’s many iconic juke joints, including Red’s Lounge and the historic New Roxy Theater, and on outdoor stages around town. Labelling itself ‘part music festival, part smalltown fair’, it also hosts vendor booths and food trucks, plus incongruous events like a petting zoo and – bizarrely – pig racing.
April: Double Decker Arts Festival, Oxford
The Double Decker Arts Festival – named after the double-decker bus that Oxford, MS, imported from England in 1994 – is a springtime celebration of art and music. Held
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The Juke Joint Festival is a celebration of Delta blues music in Clarksdale
Red’s Lounge
Cedric Burnside [left] performs in downtown Clarksdale at the Juke Joint Festival
in April, this festival showcases live music from Mississippi’s best talents and national artists, plus food trucks and over a hundred art vendors. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Oxford’s historic Courthouse Square, what started out as a small festival, using the bed of a pick-up truck for a stage, has grown into one of the state’s most popular events, attracting around 60,000 visitors.
June: B.B. King Homecoming Festival, Indianola
The B.B. King Homecoming Festival in Indianola is a celebration honouring the King of Blues. Held annually in June, this event takes place in B.B. King’s hometown and features live performances from local and renowned blues musicians. It culminates
with a show at the historic Club Ebony, a legendary venue where King himself often performed – and later bought. Visitors can also explore the B.B. King Museum to gain deeper insights into the defining legacy of one of the world’s greatest bluesmen.
June: Elvis Festival, Tupelo
The Tupelo Elvis Festival is a lively annual tribute to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, held in the city where Elvis Presley was born. Each June, fans from around the world gather to celebrate with concerts, Elvis tribute act competitions and events that reflect Elvis’ life and legacy. Visitors can also explore the Elvis Birthplace Museum while they’re there, which offers a glimpse into his humble beginnings. This festival blends nostalgia
with vibrant music, and it is essential for any Elvis enthusiast.
August: Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival, Clarksdale
Held every August, the Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival features a soulstirring line-up of blues legends and gospel choirs, transforming Clarksdale’s streets into a musical haven. This free festival, founded in 1988, is deeply rooted in the community and attracts music enthusiasts from all over the world. It’s a perfect blend of gritty blues and uplifting gospel, making it a unique musical experience in the heart of the Delta.
September: Delta Blues & Heritage Festival, Greenville
The Delta Blues & Heritage Festival in Greenville is Mississippi’s longest-running blues festival, dating back to 1978. Held each September, it celebrates the rich Delta blues tradition with performances from legendary artists and emerging talents. The festival showcases soulful blues alongside vibrant displays of local culture, food and crafts, bringing together fans who come to revel in the history, sound and soul of the blues, right where it all began.
The Elvis Festival in Tupelo
Blues musician Bill Abel performs at the Sunflower Blues and Gospel Festival in Clarksdale
you’ll
More than 100 years ago, the blues was born deep in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. The music changed the course of history and continues to influence songwriters around the world today. You can discover its Mississippi origins at sites like the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, Delta Blues Museum, GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi, and also jukes and music venues across the state. Plan your next blues journey at VisitMississippi.org/Blues
#VisitMS
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