Many big-name musicians will be performing at festivals and venues around Virginia during October. From major country acts to the biggest names in rock and pop, catch your favorite artists and discover new ones all over the Commonwealth.

NOTE: This is not a complete list of shows and certain schedules may change. Please check with the individual venues for the most up to date details.

MUSIC FESTIVALS

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Celebrating the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional craft and food, the Richmond Folk Festival takes place Oct. 7-9 and features more than 30 performing groups on seven live music stages, along with a Virginia Folklife demonstration area, children’s activities, a folk arts marketplace, regional and ethnic foods and more. The free three-day festival is one of the largest events in Virginia.

The Hoopla Festival at the Devil’s Backbone Basecamp Brewpub and Meadows brings music, outdoor and beer lovers together Oct. 7-9 for workshops & outdoor activities alongside an incredible lineup of live music including Charley Crockett, Cory Wong, Misterwives, The Infamous Stringdusters and more.

Blue Ridge Folklife Festival. Image by CameronDavidson@CameronDavidson.com.

Ferrum College’s Blue Ridge Folklife Festival on Oct. 22 celebrates western Virginia’s folkways and rural life with three music stages with all the famed Blue Ridge music styles including bluegrass, ballads, blues, gospel, and string band music. There will also be craftspeople, vintage farm tractors, hundreds of custom cars, and more.

RICHMOND CONCERTS

At The National

  • Oct. 2 – The Wailers
  • Oct. 6 – Toad the Wet Sprocket
  • Oct. 12 – Kurt Vile and the Violators
  • Oct. 18 – Christopher Cross
  • Oct. 21 – Metric
  • Oct. 23 – Matisyahu
  • Oct. 28 – Two Door Cinema Club
  • Oct. 30 – GWAR

At The Broadberry

  • Oct. 5 – Of Montreal
  • Oct. 18 – Bob Mould
  • Oct. 20 – Perpetual Groove
  • Oct. 27 – Algernon Cadwallader with Teenage Halloween
  • Oct. 30 – Squirrel Nut Zippers

At the Live Loud Concerts on Brown’s Island

  • Oct. 22 – Pusha T

At Virginia Credit Union Live at Richmond Raceway

  • Oct. 6 – Death Cab for Cutie

At the Altria Theater

  • Oct. 4 – ZZ Top
  • Oct. 9 – R.E.S.P.E.C.T. A Celebration of the Legendary Queen of Soul
  • Oct. 29 – Richmond Symphony Pops: The Music of Danny Elfman from the Films of Tim Burton

At the Dominion Energy Center

  • Oct. 4 – Yo-Yo Ma
  • Oct. 9 – TobyMac
  • Oct 14-16 – Virginia Opera presents “The Valkyrie”
  • Oct. 22-23 – Jennifer Koh Plays Tchaikovsky

CHARLOTTESVILLE CONCERTS

At the Ting Pavilion

  • Oct. 9 – Brandi Carlile
  • Oct. 18 – The Flaming Lips

At the Jefferson Theater

  • Oct. 6 – St. Lucia
  • Oct. 12 – Stereolab
  • Oct. 18 – Madison Cunningham
  • Oct. 19 – Calexico
  • Oct. 23 - Brent Cobb and Hayes Carll

At the Paramount Theater

  • Oct. 11 – Colbie Caillat

CENTRAL VIRGINIA CONCERTS

At the Beacon Theatre in Hopewell

  • Oct. 6 – Sam Bush
  • Oct. 7 – Little Ozzy
  • Oct. 8 – KIX
  • Oct. 13 - Red Not Chili Peppers: Tribute to the Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • Oct. 14 - Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
  • Oct. 20 – Jim Messina
  • Oct. 22 - A Brothers Revival: Tribute to the Allman Brothers Band
  • Oct. 28 – Lee Greenwood
  • Oct. 29 – Phillip Phillips

After Hours Concerts at The Meadow Event Park in Doswell 

  • Oct. 6 - Gov’t Mule
  • Oct. 8 – Locash
  • Oct. 9 – Walker Hayes
  • Oct. 14 - Roots & Boots: Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye, And Aaron Tippin

HAMPTON ROADS CONCERTS

At the Hampton Coliseum

  • Oct. 1 – Slander: The Thrive Tour
  • Oct. 7 - The Millennium Tour: Turned Up featuring Bow Wow, Mario, Keri Hilson, Lloyd, Pleasure P, Bobby V, Sammie, Ying Yang Twins, Chingy, Dem Franchize Boyz, Lil Scrappy, Travis Porter, Crime Mob, Trillville, and the reunion of Day26.
  • Oct. 22 - Mary J. Blige: Good Morning Gorgeous Tour with Ella Mai and Queen Naija

At the Chrysler Hall in Norfolk

  • Sept 30-Oct. 2 – Virginia Opera presents “The Valkyrie”
  • Oct 15 - Virginia Symphony Orchestra: "Never Break the Chain" - The Music of Fleetwood Mac

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Photo credit: Adam Kliebenstein

At the Norva in Norfolk

  • Oct. 2 – Carly Rae Jepsen
  • Oct. 6 – Kip Moore
  • Oct. 19 – Kennyhoopla
  • Oct. 20 - PJ Morton
  • Oct. 29 – The Disco Biscuits

SHENANDOAH VALLEY CONCERTS

At the Golden Pony in Harrisonburg

  • Oct. 6 - The BluesTones & Exit 245
  • Oct. 9 - Lucero

At the Bright Box Theater in Winchester

  • Oct. 1 - Tom Petty Tribute featuring Scott Kurt and Memphis 59
  • Oct. 8 - Scotty Austin Band (formerly of Saving Abel)
  • Oct. 29 - Caressing Steel: A Tribute to the Music of RUSH

At the Lime Kiln Theater in Lexington

  • Oct. 8 – The Steel Wheels

VIRGINIA MOUNTAINS CONCERTS

At the Berglund Center in Roanoke

  • Oct. 15 – Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears with Shemekia Copeland (at Elmwood Park)
  • Oct. 22 – Zach Williams
  • Oct. 25 – “Weird Al” Yankovic
  • Oct. 27 – MercyMe
  • Oct. 29 – Who’s Bad: Michael Jackson Tribute Band

At the Salem Civic Center in Salem

  • Oct. 22 - Koe Wetzel with Trey Lewis & Kolby Cooper

At the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount

  • Oct. 15 – Christopher Cross
  • Oct. 16 – Keller Williams
  • Oct. 22 – Bob Mould
  • Oct. 28 – Chayce Beckham

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA CONCERTS

At the Cameo Theater in Bristol

  • Oct. 12 – Blues Traveler
  • Oct. 29 – Craig Morgan

At the Paramount Center for the Arts in Bristol

  • Oct. 5 – Nikki Lane
  • Oct. 14 – Christopher Cross
  • Oct. 22 – The Wallflowers
  • Oct. 26 – Lindsey Buckingham
  • Oct. 29 – Blackberry Smoke

At the Lincoln Theatre in Marion

  • Oct. 1 – “Song of the Mountains” featuring Wayne Henderson & Friends, Bluegrass Mountaineers, The Klassen's
  • Oct. 22 – The Hillbenders present: WhoGrass

At the Rex Theater in Galax

  • Oct. 7 – The Whitetop Mountain Band
  • Oct. 8 – Caroline Owens
  • Oct. 21 – Slate Mountain Ramblers

At the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons

  • Oct. 1 - Twin Creeks Stringband
  • Oct. 8 - Gap Civil
  • Oct. 15 - Jeff Little Trio       
  • Oct. 22 - Crooked Road Ramblers
  • Oct. 29 - Town Branch Bluegrass Band

NORTHERN VIRGINIA CONCERTS

At Wolf Trap National Park for Performing Arts in Vienna

  • Oct. 6 - Rebirth Brass Band
  • Oct. 13 - Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper
  • Oct. 15 - Nashville Emerging Artists Night Featuring Audra McLaughlin, Ryan Neal, REVIE, and more
  • Oct. 16 - Hot Club of Cowtown
  • Oct. 19 - Bob Mould
  • Oct. 21 - Kinan Azmeh City Band
  • Oct. 23 - Meow Meow
  • Oct. 27 – Altan

At Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow

  • Oct. 5 - Alice in Chains & Breaking Benjamin: American Tour 2022 with Bush

At The Birchmere in Alexandria

  • Oct. 2 - Cheryl Wheeler & Christine Lavin
  • Oct. 7 – White Ford Bronco
  • Oct. 9 – The Manhattans
  • Oct. 12 – Rufus Wainwright
  • Oct. 16 – WAR
  • Oct. 17 – Leo Kotke
  • Oct. 19 – Jim Brickman
  • Oct. 26 – Brent Cobb and Hayes Carll
  • Oct. 31 – Squirrel Nut Zippers

At the State Theatre in Falls Church

  • Oct. 1 - Southern Accents: A Tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
  • Oct. 2 - Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers
  • Oct. 5 – Miyavi
  • Oct. 7 – TUSK: The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute
  • Oct. 8 – Cracker
  • Oct. 16 – KMFDM
  • Oct. 21 – Hirie
  • Oct. 22 – Jim Messina

At the Tally Ho Theatre in Leesburg

  • Oct. 1 - The Reagan Years
  • Oct. 7 - John Moreland
  • Oct. 14 - Van Halen Nation
  • Oct 15 - The Wailers
  • Oct. 22 - The Dave Matthews Band Experience: Crowded Streets
  • Oct. 26 - Michael Schenker

Are we missing any big concerts? Let us know in the comments below. For more big names coming to Virginia this month, go to virginia.org/music.

At a Virginia concert this month? Share your photos with @VisitVirginia on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtags #vamusic and #vaisformusiclovers.

For more big names coming to Virginia this month, go to virginia.org/music. At a Virginia concert this month? Share your photos with @VisitVirginia on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtags #vamusic and #vaisformusiclovers.