From humble beginnings in a handbuilt garage known as Kilby Court to the Utah State Fairgrounds, Salt Lake City has quickly grown into a destination for indie music. On May 15-17, the Beehive State will host the seventh rendition of Kilby Block Party, bringing around 25,000 visitors to experience music, art and cuisine from Salt Lake and beyond. The festival is rooted in the DIY traditions of its namesake – the city’s longest-running, all-ages venue, Kilby Court.
The venue holds a reputation for being a sanctuary to emerging artists. KRCL’s Director of Programming and Operations, Ebay Hamilton, remembers seeing Nathanial Rateliff play to a crowd of approximately 30 people at Kilby Court back in the day.
“Kilby Court became this place where touring indie bands who were out on their first tours could play, but also a place where local bands, especially if you were young, needed a place to get on stage and perform,” he said.
Now in his 18th year in the position at one of Utah’s biggest radio stations, Hamilton is more excited than ever to get back to Kilby.
The event’s first iteration was a literal block party held in the Grainery District outside Kilby Court. The first block party, headlined by Kilby Court alums Death Cab For Cutie, sparked interest within the DIY music community for being affordable, and simply having a killer lineup. The festival routinely features big name headliners like this year’s Lorde, Hayley Williams and Turnstile, in addition to small up-and-coming artists like This Is Lorelei, Folk Bitch Trio, and Hotline TNT.
Keen eyes will notice a handful of Utah artists sharing the bill each year – Ritt Momney, The Moss, Wilbere, and Chalk are a few locals for 2026.
“I don’t think we get a lot of credit for the local music scene and not just local bands, but how many bands have come through and loved their experience in Utah,” Hamilton said.
The nature of the festival lends itself to music discovery. For some local bands, this might be the biggest stage they’ve ever played on and largest audience they’ve performed to. With the majority of attendees visiting from out of state, this opportunity for exposure can be a launch pad for these talented bands to reach broader audiences.
Salt Lake promoters S&S Presents have always maintained the fan’s perspective when booking and planning the festival.
“I think at its core what makes [Kilby] different from a lot of festivals is it’s really about the music… You can tell that they really want you to have the same experience and love for this live music as they do,” Hamilton said of the promoters.
Full weekend and single day general admission tickets are still on sale. More information can be found on the festival’s website.
Looking for more music within a day’s drive from Jackson? Here are a nonexclusive list of other festivals worth checking out:
- Million Dollar Music Festival: May 24, Jackson, WY
- Sawtooth Valley Gathering: June 18-21, Stanley, ID
- Telluride Bluegrass Festival: June 18-21, Telluride, CO
- Music on Main: June 18-Aug. 13, Victor, ID
- Zootown Festival: June 19-20, Missoula, MT
- Targhee Fest: July 10-11, Alta, WY
- Cheyenne Frontier Days: July 17-26, Cheyenne, WY
- Under the Big Sky: July 17-19, Whitefish, MT
- Red Ants Pants Music Festival: July 23-26, White Sulphur Springs, MT
- Fire in the Mountains: July 23-26, Red Eagle Campground, Blackfeet Nation
- Grand Teton Music Festival: July 2 – Aug. 15, Teton Village, WY
- Targhee Bluegrass Fest: Aug. 7-9, Alta, WY
- Field of Vision Festival: August 14-16, Buena Vista, CO
- Horseshoe Music Festival: September 25-27, Jackson, WY
Other opportunities to catch live, local music:
- Snow King Concerts
- Center for the Arts
- The Mangy Moose
- The Silver Dollar Bar
- The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar
Listen above for KHOL’s full conversation with KRCL’s Ebay Hamilton.
Support for this arts and cultural coverage comes from the Wyoming Arts Council.
