After a 10-year hiatus, the Winston-Salem Independent Musical Festival “Phuzz Phest” will return to the city.
From April 9-11, over 40 local and national acts will play across venues in Winston-Salem, including at the Ramkat and Gas Hill Drinking Room, Fair Witness Fancy Drinks and Krankies Coffee.
Phuzz Phest originally centered its sound around indie, garage and punk rock, but has expanded into jazz, neo-soul, experimental guitar and more for the 2026 festival.
Dianna LaTerra, a Wake Forest graduate and local musician, never got to attend the original Phuzz Phest, but had heard its legend. Now, she’s working with other musicians and creators to make the festival happen.
“It feels like a celebration of all that makes the city lively and lovably weird,” LaTerra said. “Not only does it highlight our local music scene, but the spaces, local businesses, and organizations that sustain our community. The route of Phuzz makes it such that you get your lay of the land for the city while discovering local artists.”
The festival originated in 2011, when a core group of local music professionals and musicians gathered to create Phuzz Phest, including Founder and Director Philip Pledger. The festival ran annually until 2016.
Dr. R. Saylor Breckenridge, an associate professor of sociology at Wake Forest, has worked for Phuzz Phest since its beginning. He feels that Phuzz Phest can act as a necessary moment of connection for young people in Winston-Salem.
“Now, six years on from the height of the pandemic and its push for physical isolation, this is a particularly ripe moment for Winston to lean into building the infrastructure and culture that brings people together in ways that can turn strangers into friends–and I think it’s crucial to do this for young people,” Breckenridge said.
He continued: “Youth and arts culture is where I’m eager to see lots of attention to growth. I want the city to be a place young people discover and feel really tied to and, maybe, want to stay around and help build.”
For tickets and the full lineup, visit this link.
