In the Market for Blues 2026 - Omaha's Blues Fest

In the Market for Blues is Omaha’s Blues Fest! The Festival will take place on Saturday, August 1st, 2026, with exclusive shows for VIP ticketholders on Friday, July 31st and a new acoustic Sunday Blues Brunch Show (seating limited) on Sunday, August 2nd.

Offering 30+ Blues Bands for over 12 hours on 11 Indoor and Outdoor Stages, In the Market for Blues will again take place in the Old Market and Capitol District in downtown Omaha.

Héctor Anchondo, Omaha’s own Blues hero and the 2020 champion of the International Blues Challenge Solo/Duo award, once again, has teamed up with the Blues Society of Omaha to present In The Market For Blues. Joining Héctor as the headliner for In The Market For Blues is Texas Headhunters!

For full details on the Festival, including the Artist Lineup, VIP benefits, Festival Schedule, Festival FAQs, Sponsorships and Donations, and more... go to: In the Market for Blues.

Schedule: Music from 12 PM to 12:30 AM. The full schedule is below.

12+ Hours / 30 + Bands / 11 Venues

Saturday / August 1st, 2026 – Old Market / Downtown / The Capitol District in Omaha, Nebraska

• VIP Experience: July 31st, 2026- Friday night, VIP ONLY for an Exclusive Show Featuring The Nick Moss Band at The Jewell on Capitol.

• NEW in 2026! August 2nd, 2026- Sunday Morining VIP ONLY for an Exclusive Acoustic Blues Brunch Show with special guest TBD @ 11:00 am at Nosh.

Performing this year:

• Texas Headhunters
• Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials
• The Nick Moss Band – Exclusive VIP Friday Night Show
• Gary Hoey
• Hector Anchondo Band
• Omaha-Kansas City Kings of the Blues: Kris Lager, Nick Schnebelen, Hector Anchondo & Sebastian Lane
• Mathias Lattin
• Brandon Santini
• Alastair Greene
• Patrick Sweany
• Kris Lager Band
• Hughes Taylor
• "Bonnie and the Blues" Nikki Boulay sings Bonnie Raitt
• Polly O’Keary and the Rhythm Method
• Blue House with the Rent to Own Horns
• Big Daddy Caleb & The Chargers
• Coyote Bill & the Brood
• Kurt Allen Band
• Honey Marmalade
• Heather Newman Band
• Soul Searchers
• Matt Woods Band
• Brother East-Brother West
• Little Joe McCarthy
• All Star City Blues
• Pocket Architects
• 100lb Housecat
• Kevin Lloyd
• Brady Wells
• Scott Moyer Host-"Festival Jam"
• Blue Sunday, a BluesEd band
• The Redwoods, a BluesEd band
• True Blues, a BluesEd band
• Vertigo, a BluesEd band
• and More...To Be Announced!
• *Subject to change

Venues:

Harney Street Tavern – Dubliner Pub – T-Henery’s Pub – Havana Garage – Little Havana Patio – Nosh– Mr. Toads- Jewell on Capitol – Omaha Performing Arts – Scott Hall at the Holland Center – Tenaska Center- Performance Pavilion at Gene Leahy Mall

Tickets:

• Early Bird Tickets on sale May 1st, - May 31st. General Admission Wristbands are available for pick-up day of show (Saturday, Aug. 1st) at Will Call / Box Office booth inside at the Link between Farnam Hotel and Landmark Building . Show a copy of your ticket on your phone at Box Office or print a copy of your ticket and exchange it for a wristband for entry into all participating venues.

• A wristband or VIP pass is required for entry into Scott Hall at The Holland Center & Jewell on Capitol.

• Venues will not have wristbands for sale, you must purchase any Day of Show wristbands at the Box Office located in "The Link".
• Air-Conditioned Shuttle Bus available for all guests with a wristband or lanyard to move between venues.

👑Be a VIP at In The Market For Blues & be treated like Royalty! 👑

VIP Experience Perks include:

• VIP Exclusive Friday Evening Exclusive Show with The Nick Moss Band at Jewell on Capitol on Friday, July 31st!

• NEW in 2026! VIP Experience Sunday Acoustic Blues Brunch Show at Nosh Restaurant & Wine Bar, featuring Artist to Be Announced!
• VIP includes all Venues & Shows on Saturday

• VIP Exclusive drawings for either

• Two Tickets to ZooFest 2026 held in Lincoln, NE July 10 & 11 or

• Two tickets to “The Black Keys with Eddy 9V” at the Astro on 7/20/26

• VIP Exclusive Festival “Swag Bag”

• Ride in style in our air-conditioned shuttle between venues from noon to 8 p.m. Reserved front row seats for VIP on the 20-person shuttle bus.

• VIP Exclusive Lanyard

• VIP Exclusive Lounge in The Farnam Hotel: cool off, charge your phone, grab some snacks & water with private restroom access

• VIP Reserved Seating at Main Stage – Scott Hall for headliner Show Including Hector Anchondo & Texas Headhunters

FAQs:

Where can I find more information?

How much are tickets?

• EarlyBird Pricing May 1st - May 31st! General Admission tickets are $40.

• Group discounts are available for 10 attendees.

• All tickets include admission to all 11 venues AND an air-conditioned shuttle between venues.

• EarlyBird Pricing May 1st - May 31st! VIP tickets are $85: Includes many special perks such as Friday evening's exclusive VIP Show with The Nick Moss Band at the Jewell, PLUS the exclusive VIP Acoustic Blues Brunch Show at Nosh. Your ticket is also good for all venues on Saturday, August 1st. VIP ticket holders will be entered into a drawing to win either two free tickets to either ZooFest 2026, or two free tickets to The Black Keys with Eddy 9V @ The Astro.

Where is the Box Office/Will Call? The Box Office and Blues Festival Merch booth is at “The Link” inside between Farmam Hotel and The Landmark building near 12th & Farnam. You can not use your paper receipt to enter a venue. You must come and exchange your receipt for a wristband at the box office. VIPs will pick up their VIP lanyard at Jewell on Capitol during the exclusive concert for VIP Ticket Holders or on Saturday at the Farnam Hotel VIP Lounge from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm.

What time is the Box Office/Will Call open? The Box Office and Blues Festival Merch is open from 10:30 AM to approximately 8:00 PM on Saturday, August1st.

What is included in the VIP Experience Ticket?

Join the VIP Experience to get exclusive access to your favorite Blues Artists! Exclusive VIP-only performances at The Jewell on Capitol on Friday, July 31st & Sunday’s Acoustic Blues Brunch Show, August 2nd at Nosh. Be a part of the VIP Experience for In the Market For Blues for EarlyBird Pricing of $85. Limited seating at two shows, 6:30 PM or 9:00 PM, choose your time when purchasing your VIP Ticket. The Sunday Acoustic Blues Brunch Show will be open seating.

Is there a preferred hotel for In The Market for Blues Patrons? Yes! We recommend our hotel partner for In The Market For Blues, the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Omaha/Old Marlet at 10th & Dodge. Located right in the heart of the festival action with the Capitol District in your front yards and the Gene Leahy Mall/Old Market in your backyard. Special room rates for festival goers are available until July 13th or sold out.

Book your accomidations by usig this link:

https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/omadmgi-bsa-37ccc4d8-e3ff-42e2-a5ef-cdd8d8d74658/

May I purchase wristbands at a participating venue before August 1st? No. Wristbands are only sold at Blues Society of Omaha shows through authorized sellers at our merch table. We will have wristbands available for purchase if you would like to save the (small) fees from Eventbrite. Please watch our Facebook page for the shows that In the Market for Blues wristbands will be available for purchase.

Do you have t-shirts for sale? Yes, In the Market for Blues t-shirts and hats will be for sale. We also have all of our Blues Society of Omaha merch for sale, including hats, shirts and other items.

How Do I become a Member of the Blues Society? Blues Society Memberships are available at omahablues.com/membership/

Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event? All venues (except Havana Garage) are all ages up until 9 PM, accompanied by an adult.

How can I contact the organizer with any questions? [email protected]

Can I bring in outside food or beverages? No outside food or beverages are allowed. Every venue has drinks available for purchase. Many venues have food available. Please support our local venues that partner with us to bring you this terrific festival for Omaha.

May I bring a lawn chair? The only venue where lawn chairs are permitted is the Gene Leahy Mall at The RiverFront. The Blues Society of Omaha or The RiverFront is not responsible for items left unattended at In The Market For Blues.

May I get a refund? Sorry, all sales to In the Market for Blues are final. Thank you for your donation to the Blues Society of Omaha.

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