Playing With Fire announces 2026 lineup bringing top international acts to the U.S.
For the first time in its 22-year history, Omaha’s Playing with Fire concert series will begin in the spring.
The long-running free blues and rock festival will launch its 2026 edition on April 18 before returning for its traditional August run, delivering five days of music at The Slowdown in downtown Omaha. Now in its third straight year covering the event, Blues Rock Review will once again provide on-site coverage of the festival.
Founded in 2004 by Jeff Davis, Playing with Fire has become one of the Midwest’s most respected free blues showcases, known for bringing international talent to Nebraska while remaining open to all on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Spring feels like the right metaphor for what Playing with Fire has always been,” said Davis, founder and co-producer of Playing with Fire. “It’s a fresh start, along with a new surge of energy and the same mission we’ve protected since 2004: bring the very best blues talent we can find to Omaha, keep it free and keep it welcoming as we watch a community form around it night after night.”
The 2026 season opens Saturday, April 18 at The Slowdown with British blues-rock standout Elles Bailey making her U.S. debut. The bill also features the Jeni Grouws Band and Iowa roots duo Cedar County Cobras.
The August portion of the festival begins with a pre-party on Wednesday, August 12 at The Moxy Downtown, followed by three nights of music at The Slowdown from August 13–15.
International artists remain central to the Playing with Fire identity. This year’s lineup includes performers traveling from Scotland, Austria, the United Kingdom, France and Canada. Securing visas for overseas talent can be a lengthy and expensive process, something Davis has consistently navigated to keep the festival’s global focus intact.
The effort has not gone unnoticed. The Blues Foundation recently named Davis a 2026 Keeping the Blues Alive Award honoree in recognition of his contributions to blues music and culture. As noted during the award presentation, Playing with Fire covers the significant visa and travel expenses required to bring international acts to Omaha.
“It’s an obstacle course of documentation that most fans never see,” Davis said.
PwF co-producer Vanessa Marie emphasized that the festival’s appeal extends beyond the lineup itself.
“Of course, it’s not just about the lineup,” Marie said. “Playing with Fire has always been bigger than a lineup. It’s a community – a place where longtime fans, first-timers, and total strangers end up sharing the same smile by the second song.”
Among the returning acts in 2026 are Scotland’s King King, making their third Playing with Fire appearance, and Austria’s Meena Cryle & the Chris Fillmore Band, also back for a third run. King King will headline Thursday, August 13, joined by harmonica standout Will Wilde and Omaha’s own The Pocket Architects, recent Nebraska Blues Challenge winners who competed at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.
Friday, August 14 features Meena Cryle & the Chris Fillmore Band at the top of the bill, along with Grammy-winning guitarist and songwriter Colin Linden and Canadian multi-instrumentalist Steve Marriner.
The festival concludes Saturday, August 15 with French blues-rock outfit Rozedale headlining. Also performing that evening are Halo Rider, featuring Markus James and Anne Harris, and British band Willie & the Bandits.
All concerts take place at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St., in Omaha, Nebraska, and are free and open to the public until capacity is reached. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Blues Rock Review will have coverage from Omaha, including reports, photos, and artist interviews, marking the third consecutive year the publication has covered the festival.
