For the third straight year, the party in Discovery Park doesn’t end with Aftershock. Boots and steel guitars take over as the GoldenSky Festival kicks off this Friday.
The three-day festival stars Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett and Keith Urban as headliners and numerous additional activities like the GoldenSky Beer Festival, El Dorado Market and wine tasting at the Wines of Sacramento.
Whether you’re into country with leanings in pop, blues, folk or hip-hop you’ll find your sweet spot in Discovery Park this weekend. Tickets are still available for all three days and can be purchased here.
Here is how to find exactly who you’re looking for to get the most out of your three days at GoldenSky.
Best enjoyed with lyrics in hand
If you listen to: Tyler Childers, Zach Bryan, Sturgill Simpson
Country with folk influences, known for its poetic lyrics on universal life experiences, has had a resurgence in the past five years and the GoldenSky lineup reflects that.
One of the bands responsible for the renaissance, The Turnpike Troubadours, return to Northern California for the first time since 2018. Fresh off their first new album in six years, “A Cat in the Rain,” this is a can’t-miss opportunity to see one of the best bands in country music. Their set will kickoff on Friday at 8:05 p.m. on the Visit Sacramento stage.
After his breakout 2023 album “Family Ties,” Charles Wesley Godwin brings his soothing baritone Americana sound to the Visit Sacramento stage at 5:55 p.m. on Saturday. Godwin’s best known for his upbeat love songs like “All Again” and “Hardwood Floors” and was featured on Zach Bryan’s “Jamie.”
Undercards with folk influences include Gen Z artist Logan Crosby and the rock and roll inspired Shane Smith & The Saints, who both take the Jack Daniel’s stage on Friday at 1:30 and 5:05 p.m. respectively. California native Sofia Claire takes Saturday at 1:05 p.m. on the Visit Sacramento stage.
RELATED: Country acts reflect on their GoldenSky experience
Best enjoyed through a nostalgic lens
If you listen to: Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Cole Swindell
While GoldenSky can be the perfect place to discover your next favorite artist, this year’s lineup also has plenty of throwbacks.
If you grew up in the mid 2010s bouncing between KNCI and KNTY on your $20 alarm clock radio, then you can’t miss the return of David Nail and Hunter Hayes on Saturday. Nail is sure to set the “Night on Fire,” even at 2:35 p.m., followed by Hayes at 3:45 p.m. both on the Jack Daniel’s stage.
Maybe you’ve got a few more miles on your tires. In that case, Clint Black and Deana Carter might be more your speed. The 90s will come alive with Black on Friday at 5:55 p.m. and Carter on Sunday at 2:45 p.m. both on the Visit Sacramento stage.
Best enjoyed with dancing boots
If you listen to: Beyonce, Dasha, Post Malone
One of the wonders of country music is that its appeal can be amplified by combining its traits with other genres to form entirely new sounds.
Nobody knows this better than an artist coming off a feature on Beyonce’s rendition of “Blackbird.” Tanner Adell blends her hometowns of Manhattan Beach, California and Star Valley, Wyoming into a tone that is uniquely hers. Catch Adell on Saturday on the Jack Daniel’s stage at 1:30 p.m.
Kicking off the festivities this year is the winner of the GoldenSky Rising Star competition, burke. These Sacramento native rock veterans have blended those two genres into what they call “too country for rock and roll and too rock and roll for country.” If that piques your interest, burke. starts things off on Friday at 1:00 p.m. on the Visit Sacramento stage.
GoldenSky gates open at 12:30 p.m. daily, so it’s best to arrive early in order to not miss the underrated acts. You can find the schedule for the event on GoldenSky’s app or website.
