Healing Appalachia Music Festival departs Greenbrier County for Ashland, KY

By Matthew Young, RealWV

ASHLAND, KY. – Healing Appalachia, one of the nation’s largest music festivals dedicated to addiction recovery, is relocating to Boyd County, Kentucky. 

Beginning with this year’s festival, scheduled for September 19 and 20, Healing Appalachia will be held at the Boyd County Fairgrounds, in Ashland, Kentucky. The announcement came on Tuesday, as part of a social media post advertising “Blind Faith” tickets for the upcoming event. 

“Feeling confident you’ll be able to make it this year? Go ahead and grab your tickets at a discounted price,” the post states, before adding, “We’re also thrilled to officially announce a big change for Healing Appalachia in 2025 – we’re crossing the state line!”

“We’re bringing the love and joy of Healing Appalachia to the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” the post concludes. 

Presented annually by West Virginia-based non-profit Hope in the Hills, Healing Appalachia provides support to Appalachian communities impacted by substance abuse. Since its inception in 2019, the two-day music festival has been held on the grounds of the State Fair of West Virginia, in Fairlea. In 2024, the festival drew nearly 21,000 attendees over its two-day run. The festival’s move to Ashland, some 185 miles away, will undoubtedly provide a significant economic boost to the Boyd County area. 

While performers have not yet been announced for the 2025 festival, previous year’s performers include new Grammy Award winner Sierra Ferrell, Tyler, Childers, Jason Isbell, and Charles Wesley Godwin. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit healingappalachia.org.