Wilco to headline free Double Decker Arts Festival in Oxford April 25

Wilco will close the 29th annual Double Decker Arts Festival in downtown Oxford on Saturday night, April 25, as organizers stage a two-day mix of live music, food and visual art on The Square April 24–25. The band’s April 25 appearance is also listed on Wilco’s official tour page, confirming the headliner slot for the springtime event.

Friday’s live music begins at 6 p.m. with Penelope Road opening, followed by The War And Treaty and Shane Smith and The Saints, the latter billed as a country-folk act. Saturday’s program starts at 11:30 a.m. with Annie and the Caldwells and continues through a stacked afternoon and evening slate that includes The Animeros, Mountain Grass Unit, The Heavy Heavy, The Dip, Grammy-nominated Margo Price and Wilco closing the festival. Organizers released the running order and start times in a news release carried by local outlets.

Festival traditions and presentation feature prominently in the announcement. “The festival’s iconic red double-decker bus, imported from England in 1994, will once again serve as the centerpiece of the event,” a festival news release said. Since 2015, organizers have selected a local or regional artist to create official festival artwork; this year’s artist is Allyn Fraser of Memphis, whose work “combines portraiture, bold color and expressive mark-making,” the release noted.

The music lineup brings a mix of national and regional acts to Oxford’s historic college-town core. Panolian and Oxford Eagle described Wilco as “Grammy Award-winning,” noting the band formed in Chicago in 1994 by former members of Uncle Tupelo and has evolved from alt-country roots into “a more experimental blend of indie rock, classic pop and alternative rock.” The release also said Wilco draws on influences such as the Beatles, Bill Fay and Television and “has also shaped the sound of many modern alternative rock acts.” JamBase and other coverage corroborate the festival roster and highlighted the event as a springtime fixture on The Square.

Logistics will matter for residents and city services. Coverage of the festival notes multiple stages, food trucks, art booths and vendors scattered through the town square and surrounding streets, and one report says the event “draws thousands of visitors to the city each spring.” City officials and organizers should be asked to confirm anticipated road closures, designated parking lots and shuttle service, which one report identified as likely beginning early morning on April 24.

A clear point of verification remains admission. JamBase describes the event as “The free two-day event,” while another outlet states explicitly that “tickets are now available” with individual day passes and weekend packages sold through the festival website. Those conflicting claims should be resolved with festival organizers or Visit Oxford to clarify public access, potential paid upgrades and any impact on equity of access for Lafayette County residents.

For residents planning to attend, the announcement signals a major cultural weekend for Oxford and a likely uptick in downtown activity that will affect traffic, parking and local business hours. Confirmed set times beyond the Friday 6 p.m. start and Saturday 11:30 a.m. opener, plus official parking and ticketing information from festival organizers or Visit Oxford, will determine how residents and civic services prepare for the weekend.