The Park City Song Summit is an antidote to the large-scale, impersonal, singing to the masses music festival. Instead of bands playing at audiences, the Song Summit seeks to create an environment where artist and audience not only connect, play, and listen, but engage in conversations around the journey of creating songs and thriving in the modern music industry. The five day live event will take place September 8-12 in Park City, Utah and is designed to redefine the live music experience. The Song Summit is pleased to announce its first round of artists and introduce its programming outline for 2021’s inaugural event. Single day, full festival, and VIP passes are available for purchase. (Park City Song Summit, 2021)

Taking place in 15 venues across the city, in rooms sized from 75 to 1300 people and also at Deer Valley’s Snow Park Amphitheater, artists including Gary Clark Jr., Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Leslie Jordan, Iron & Wine, Tank and the Bangas, Natalie Hemby, and more, will perform in a variety of ways—from stripped down acoustic sets on a barstool to plugged-in, full band shows. Performers will also engage with attendees and fellow artists in conversations—Song Summit Labs—around everything from profound relationships with an instrument; to the symbiotic power of other art forms; to how to create iconic and dynamic visual identities.

Over the course of five days in September, the Song Summit combines performances—from intimate to amphitheater—with a behind-the-scenes Unplugged meets MasterClass-style of information exchange fueled by Lab interviews and conversations.

Inspired by the pioneering, independent-minded Sundance Film Festival and channeling the curiosity of an early SXSW, the Song Summit seeks to create a retreat for artists where they play their songs and create conversations with audiences around both proven and inspired practices for bolstering creativity and success in both music and beyond. In the process, the Song Summit will also focus on opening conversations around mental and physical health and examining the struggles and breakthroughs artists face on their creative journey.

The Song Summit is the brainchild of Ben Anderson, Park City resident and lifetime musician/founding member of Aiko. He started Park City Song Summit to celebrate his passion for music and personal mission to bring clarity and normalcy to the struggles musicians and artists face around mental health and dependency. “Park City is a true music city with an independent spirit and legacy of craft and storytelling,” says Anderson. “This collection of artists is going to rock our mountain town and connect with audiences in a new and deeply engaging way.”

Park City has world-class performance venues that include nightclubs, halls, dives, auditoriums, and outdoor spaces—all of which will be utilized to create a variety of settings and environments for music exploration. In addition, Park City offers world-class restaurants and accommodations to satisfy a wide range of tastes for both artists and audiences alike.

Musical performance and Lab conversations with: Adia Victoria, Amanda Shires, Andrew Bird & Jimbo Mathus, Cedric Burnside, Celisse, Devon Gilfillian, Fred Armisen, Iron & Wine, John Craigie, John Doe, Jonathan Russell of The Head And The Heart, Jonathan Wilson, Josh Ritter, Joy Oladokun, Langhorne Slim, Leslie Jordan, Lori McKenna, Lucius, Morgan Kibby, Natalie Hemby, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Tank and the Bangas, Tré Burt.

Musical performances: Anders Osborne, Bonny Light Horseman, Brad Walker, Chad Cromwell, Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musslewhite, Daniel Donato, Father John Misty, Fruit Bats, Gary Clark Jr., Ivan Neville, Kamasi Washington, Keller Williams’ Grateful Gospel, Mavis Staples, Mike Dillon, Rising Appalachia, Ryan Bingham.

Lab conversations: Alison Mosshart, Andy Cruz, Dave of Dopey Podcast, Dean Gonzalez & James A Rota, Jay Blakesberg, Jay Sweet, Joe Pug, Mark Borden, Rich Roll, Rob Bleetstein, Shaun White.

Songwriters in-the-round: Waylon Payne, Hailey Steele, Earl Bud Lee, Kylie Sackley, Rick Brantley, Garrison Starr, Matt Warren, Tim James, Kent Blazy, Dave Pahanish, Julia Sinclair, Megan Linville, Shelly Fairchild, Blake Bollinger, Kelly Archer, Bill Luther, Sarah Darling, Emily Shackleton, Kylie Morgan, Jace Everett, Dean Alexander, Kallie Shorr.