It’s not exactly hard to find a music festival in Colorado.

It’s not even hard to find a roots/folk/bluegrass/Americana music festival in Colorado. But it is rare to find a roots/folk/bluegrass/Americana festival in Colorado as intimate, as talent-stacked, and as protected from inclement weather as the Bluebird Music Festival.

Now in its seventh year, the Boulder-based Bluebird Music Festival returns to Macky Auditorium from April 18-20 with a weekend of heavy-hitters (Bruce Hornsby, Hiss Golden Messenger, The Tallest Man on Earth), rising stars (Tiny Desk winner Neffy, local trio The Cody Sisters) and a mission that goes beyond the music. And since every performance takes place indoors, not even an April blizzard—or the ever-reliable Colorado spring chaos — can rain on a fiddle solo.

As founder Travis Albright puts it, “I think we have that Tiny Desk vibe, but in a big room.”

And that’s exactly the point. Bluebird may feature nationally touring artists and sell out its weekend passes quickly, but at its core, it remains a deeply personal operation. There are no corporate sponsors, no sprawling festival grounds and no faceless production crew calling the shots.

It is also, quite literally, a family affair.

Albright, who organizes the festival largely on his own throughout the year, has watched the same fans return again and again. Many of them have become close friends. Some grab dinner with him. Some recognize his six-year-old son, who now walks out on stage to introduce musicians.

“He was in his mom’s belly at the first festival,” Albright said. “Now he’s up there with a mic.”

That kind of connection, the feeling of coming back to something familiar and meaningful, may be part of why Bluebird continues to thrive. While other festivals have scaled down, or disappeared altogether, this one keeps growing.

“Because we don’t have any corporate ties, it really is just me running everything throughout the year,” Abright said. “Then we bring the team together for the festival weekends. So everybody kind of knows me, and they know the same team that comes back year after year. It feels more like a family reunion.”

Albright credits the format, too — he spent his 20s chasing Phish tours and camping at Bonnaroo. These days, however, he prefers to enjoy live music in a theater seat, not a muddy field. And as it turns out, he’s not the only one.

“I think a lot of people like me, who grew up seeing live music all over the country, really appreciate being able to experience those same kinds of artists in a different environment,” Albright said.

This year, Bluebird is expanding its format, welcoming new voices and throwing in a few surprises along the way.

The 2025 festival weekend introduces a few new elements alongside the familiar rhythm of performances at Macky Auditorium. Next weekend, the Bluebird Music Festival will feature a full weekend of live performances, storytelling and a newly added Opening Night Gala.

That Friday night event will include sets by Bruce Hornsby, Isaac Slade (former lead singer of Colorado-born The Fray), and a few other special guests. The evening also serves as a fundraiser for a new initiative: the Bluebird School, a Boulder-based music education program that will provide free instruction to the children of local teachers, first responders and mental health professionals.

On Sunday afternoon, the festival’s signature Strings & Stories event returns with an acoustic format that blends live performance and on-stage conversation. This year’s lineup includes folk duo Watchhouse, returning after headlining in 2022, folk band Hiss Golden Messenger and soul songstress Neffy, both making a Bluebird debut, and a long-awaited return from The Tallest Man on Earth.

The Swedish singer-songwriter, Kristian Matsson (aka The Tallest Man on Earth), helped define the spirit of the festival in its earliest days. When he headlined Bluebird’s inaugural event in 2018, it marked his first show in more than two years. He had stepped back from touring following a difficult breakup and was still figuring out what came next. For many fans, his return to the stage that year felt personal, and they showed up from across the country — and in some cases, across the globe. The show sold out quickly.

“That first year, people flew in from all over the world to see him,” said Albright. “It was his first show back after a long break, and it really helped set the tone for what this festival could be.”

Since then, The Tallest Man on Earth has spent time living in the United States but has now moved back to Sweden. He built a new tour around this year’s Bluebird performance and will be flying in specifically to play Macky Auditorium once again.

“It brings us back to that first year and gives us those warm, fuzzy feelings of how we started,” Albright said.

Also joining the Strings & Stories lineup is Neffy, the 2021 NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner. The Virginia-based singer-songwriter blends soul, folk and jazz influences with honest and raw lyricism.

“My sound can oscillate depending on the mood I’m in when I sing or what comes out when I start writing,” she said. “I tell stories of my own and stories of those who came before me. I’m inspired by the world around and within me.”

For Neffy, her Bluebird appearance will mark her first time in the Centennial State.

“I’ve never been to Colorado,” she said. “I’m looking forward to exploring Denver and Boulder and feeling the air there. But in all honesty, I’m really looking forward to playing for people.”

Neffy first heard about Bluebird a while back and kept it in mind.

“I thought, ‘It’d be cool to play that,’” she said. “Now here I am with booked plane tickets.”

And for those in the room on Sunday afternoon, there may be a little extra in store.

“I might be singing some songs I’ve never played live before,” she said.

Alongside the national names and touring acts, Bluebird always makes space for local artists whose roots run close to home. One of this year’s most exciting collaborations comes from The Cody Sisters and Emelise, three longtime friends whose shared performance will include a blend of close harmonies, nimble picking and the kind of musical chemistry that only comes from years of playing together.

The Cody Sisters — made up of sisters Megan and Maddie Cody and bassist Will Pavilonis, whom they affectionately refer to as their “soul sister.” The trio has been performing around Colorado for years, but this will be their first time on the Bluebird stage.

“Maddie and I grew up going to bluegrass festivals and playing music together as a family,” said Megan Cody. “The Cody Sisters, as it is now, really came together when we met Will about five years ago.”

The band’s sound lives somewhere between folk and bluegrass, with instrumental skill that reflects the sisters’ roots in traditional music and songwriting that’s evolved alongside them. The trio recently released a new album that Megan described as a turning point in their musical identity.

“It’s kind of a coming-of-age thing,” Megan said. “It feels like the first time we’re really showing this more mature sound. Will had a big part in arranging the songs, and all the lyrics were written by Maddie. A lot of them come from our experiences on tour and from books she’s been reading. We always say it kind of tells the story of us growing up.”

The set at the festival will include original songs, one of Denver singer-songwriter Emelise’s, and a few curated covers arranged to highlight all three voices. According to Cody, the collaboration with Emelise is something new for both acts.

“She mostly plays solo, and we always play as a trio with our exact setup, so it’s fun for all of us to be in a different environment on stage,” Megan Cody said. “And we’re all friends, too, so I think that comes through when we play. We’re just having a good time.”

They’re also a little starstruck to share the bill with artists they grew up admiring.

“Watchhouse has been one of our favorite bands forever,” Megan Cody said. “We actually went to Bluebird last year and saw a couple of sets, and the vibe in the room was just so cool. Everyone was happy to be there, and the whole thing just felt really welcoming. We’re super excited to be part of it.”

While the weekend is packed with performances, Bluebird is a festival that is about more than just the music.

Through Albright’s nonprofit, Future Arts Foundation, Bluebird has helped provide instruments, supplies and support to public school teachers across Colorado since 2014. What started as a small effort to help educators cover the cost of materials has expanded into something much larger.

This year, that work takes a major step forward with the launch of the Bluebird School. Based in Boulder, the school will offer free music instruction to the children of teachers, first responders and mental health professionals.

“I was working in schools and saw music and art teachers paying for supplies out of their own pockets,” Albright said. “They were making maybe 50 grand a year and still expected to cover classroom costs, which just felt wrong. I started the foundation in 2014 to raise a little money to help, and it’s grown from there. Now, with so many budget cuts in education, we’re trying to make sure kids still have access to music instruction.”

The April 18th gala will raise funds for the school’s opening and unveil more details, including its location and three fan-voted logo options. The evening will also feature a paddle-raise fundraiser with tiered gifts, including a hardcover photo book printed with images from the first six years of the festival.

While the launch of the school is a major milestone, Albright is already thinking about what comes next.

“On another level, the Bluebird School is really going to be about making kids proficient enough to perform as an ensemble or band,” he said. “So my whole idea is, I want to get some of these kids who are really good in our program, and turn them into great musicians who can eventually play on the festival stage. I want to see that come full circle.”

The 2025 Bluebird Music Festival takes place April 18 through 20 at Macky Auditorium in Boulder. Tickets, from $49-$259, full lineup details, and information are available at bluebirdmusicfestival.org.