Eaux Claires FestivalClient Information
25 June, 2026Print
Eaux Claires Festival Announces Special Performance From Aaron Dessner & Fred again..
Friday, July 24 at Carson Park
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Eau Claire, WI – June 25, 2026: Next month, Eaux Claires Festival returns to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, for the first time in eight years, and today, we announce even more something, for more everyone. On Friday, July 24, Eaux Claires co-founder Aaron Dessner (The National, Big Red Machine) will give a special performance with Fred again.., whose inaugural appearance at Carson Park marks a continuation of the unexpected connections fans can only experience here at Eaux Claires.
"On 24th July im gonna play a one off show with the guy Aaron Dessner at Justin Vernons festival Eaux Claires.
Ive been exploring a lot with live improvisation and playing off of different people in a room, and embracing not knowing whats going to happen. I think thats a thing that is becoming increasingly precious to me. So this will be like that I think.
Ive been having basically a year away from shows to jus write
BUT.
These are two of the great musicians of the living world.
I can remember EXACTLY the scene of the first time I heard a national song. Afraid of everyone, and the little glitching guitar part just haunted me. I tried to replicate it over and again. And then I dived all the way into all of their music for years to come. And then Aaron and I actually worked together on a song from secret life!
And the music of Justin Vernon is not something I have words for and I never will. So instead I gratefully play his festival in a fundamentally futile attempt to express even a fraction of my gratitude for the way he has shaped my entire existence."
-Fred again..
"I co-founded this festival with Aaron Dessner, and daddy's coming home. It wouldn't be a festival without Aaron, without his guidance I would have never even had the idea," said Eaux Claires co-founder Justin Vernon, during a recent press conference at Carson Park Baseball Stadium's Hank Aaron Plaza. "It's important to us that we've set the lineup such that there's going to be some time for introspection and looking inward, and then there's going to be a time to dance…you're going to get something out of it that would feel unexpected. In the course of the world going the way it is, we could use a little more unexpected. We've got a good balance of collaborations, of guest spots, of people that are going to be on the bill and not on the bill, joining people on stages. There's going to be a lot of people represented, and appropriately so."
In addition to Aaron & Fred on opening night, the Known MPLS choir has now joined the Eaux Claires bullpen on Saturday, July 25, expanding a lineup that brings together local, regional and international acts including Bon Dylan's one-night-only concert event featuring Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and friends, as well as Dijon, Daniel Caesar, Aimee Mann performing Bachelor No. 2 or, the Last Remains of the Dodo, Kevin Morby, Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore, Monica Martin, Hotline TNT, Larry Goldings Trio, Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Gully Boys, Bizhiki, The Union feat. Phil Cook, Gash, Urban Classic Presents Revelation: A Retrospective Of The Minneapolis Sound, Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas and Black Sabbath Cover Band Rehearsal.
Along with our incredible roster of musicians, next month's Eaux Claires will also include our inaugural class of Writers In Residence, presenting readings, discussions and collaborations from some of the most intriguing names in the literary world: Michael Perry, Sheila Heti, Hala Alyan, Sean Thor Conroe, Kyle Seibel, Amanda Petrusich, Jon Mueller, Nicholas Gulig, Harold Rogers, Mike Nagel, Benjamin Percy, Nishant Jain, Mustafa, Safia Elhillo, Patrycja Humienik, Brent Schoonover, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Brenda Cárdenas, Katie Ka Vang, Adam Voith, Avery Gregurich and Donika Kelly.
Lil Yachty is unfortunately no longer able to join us at Eaux Claires Festival, and we will soon share a schedule of set times and a map of stages for each day, along with a full program of fair activities and visual art installations, added fun and other events in and around the Eau Claire community.
Visit eauxclaires.com for tickets and details, and follow @eauxclaireswi to discover more of the artists, small businesses and local partners helping to bring this year to life.
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