Fort Worth's Songwriter Festival Is Back for a Third Year — and Its Kick-Off Party Is Tonight
The festival built by organizer Keegan McInroe and the Fort Worth Songwriter Foundation runs November 12-15 across Fort Worth venues, with free workshops, a Tuesday kick-off at Magnolia Motor Lounge and headliners from Kevin Russell to Jack Barksdale.
FORT WORTH — The city that keeps producing singer-songwriters gets its own songwriters' week back this week. The Fort Worth Songwriter Festival returns for its third year beginning Thursday, November 12, at multiple venues across town, according to KXT 91.7's report, read in full by this desk. The festival runs November 12-15, and it starts early: a kick-off party is set for tonight, Tuesday, November 10, at Magnolia Motor Lounge, followed by a welcome reception on Wednesday, November 11, at Hotel SOMA.
The 2026 headliners include Kevin Russell, Bob Livingston, Mike Stinson, Tom Jenkins, Kelly Mickwee and Jack Barksdale, among many others, KXT reported. Tickets run from $13 to $156, ranging from a day pass to a three-day pass. The festival was built with help from organizer Keegan McInroe and the non-profit Fort Worth Songwriter Foundation, in a city KXT describes as long a fertile source of acclaimed singer-songwriters.
The working part of the week is free. Alongside the performances, the festival offers educational workshops and networking programs covering topics like publishing and the art of songwriting, largely at Tulips or Record Town, some presented with the Fort Worth Public Library — free to attend and open to the public, KXT reported. "I really love bringing people together, and helping build and strengthen support in the community," McInroe told KXT in 2024. "I wanted to not just create a place for people to come and rub shoulders and see great music, but for it to have a practical benefit."
