Time for a Sober Music Festival?— ‘Music on the Mountain’ Arrives

Photo Credit: Music on the Mountain / The Phoenix

This May, The Phoenix, a national sober community of nearly two million, hosts its third annual Music on the Mountain festival in Ludlow, Vermont.

Music festivals have long been synonymous with “drugs and rock ‘n roll” culture, which generally includes an excess of drinking. But for many Americans who identify as sober or “sober curious,” there aren’t many music festivals that cater to that mindset.

Now, to prove that you don’t need substances to build community or to have a “transcendent live music experience,” The Phoenix, a national sober community of nearly two million members, is hosting its third annual Music on the Mountain festival in Ludlow, Vermont. It’s a weekend chock-full of “jam-forward” performances from May 15-17, celebrating recovery and supporting Trey Anastasio’s Divided Sky Foundation.

Believed to be the largest sober music festival in the country, this year’s event includes a live super-jam “BIG Weekend All-Stars,” featuring Eggy, LaMP, Scott Metzger, and Vermont’s Russ Lawton and Ray Paczkowski of Trey Anastasio Band and Soule Monde, as well as acclaimed artists like Anders Osbourne. This year also marks the largest-ever convening of yellow balloon groups, a growing sober subculture within the jam band community.

“The BIG Weekend reflects what Divided Sky is all about—creating spaces where recovery is celebrated, connection is real, and people can experience the joy of music and community without barriers,” said Seth Dolinsky, Executive Director of Divided Sky Foundation. “By expanding this weekend alongside Music on the Mountain, we’re welcoming people into a recovery-centered experience that feels expansive, inspiring, and deeply human.”

The festival certainly features a unique business model. While sponsorship deals, beer gardens, and spirits partnerships serve as the financial backbone of nearly every major event—and a key driver of rising ticket prices—Music on the Mountain runs entirely without alcohol sales or sponsorships.

The third edition of Music on the Mountain offers seven major sets and several side gigs throughout the weekend. Away from the main stage, the BIG Weekend will feature Friday night campfire jams, an acoustic brunch on Sunday, and even non-musical activities like the annual Fun(d) Run, wellness activities, a Kid Zone, hikes, and recovery meetings.