Therapeutic Appalachia Fest Features Tyler Childers and Chris Stapleton

The Therapeutic Appalachia Festival, recognized as “the most significant recovery-focused music festival,” is making an exciting transition to eastern Kentucky this September after five successful years in West Virginia. This year, the festival is proud to feature its co-founder and consistent headliner, Tyler Childers, alongside his co-headliner, Chris Stapleton, who will be making his debut at the festival in the 2025 edition.

The 2025 Therapeutic Appalachia Festival is scheduled for September 19-20 in Ashland, Kentucky, set on a picturesque mountaintop near the Boyd County Fairgrounds. Both Childers and Stapleton hail from Kentucky, and this unique setting is being promoted as a significant hometown show for both renowned artists, adding to the festival’s charm and community spirit.

The core mission of Therapeutic Appalachia revolves around “raising awareness about addiction and recovery, nurturing empathy, and inspiring transformative actions within communities globally.” The festival aims to unify individuals through music while promoting essential conversations regarding addiction and recovery narratives.

While the complete lineup for this year’s event has not been fully disclosed, Tyler Childers shared insights about his participation during a recent performance to a sold-out audience at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field in Lexington. As Childers continues to tour extensively, Stapleton balances his presence with occasional stadium performances, further elevating the excitement surrounding the festival.

“Relocating Therapeutic Appalachia to Kentucky is significant for numerous reasons,” remarked Ian Thornton, Childers’ manager at Whizzbang BAM Booking and Management. “It symbolizes the evolution of an initiative aimed at enacting change in a world where we’ve witnessed the impacts of addiction on our friends and families firsthand — starting from a small gathering in West Virginia with 1,500 attendees to evolving into a movement that now travels throughout Appalachia. It’s an honor to have Tyler and Chris headline this inaugural journey across the Big Sandy region as two local boys who have truly made their mark.”

Since its inception in 2018, attendance at the festival has surged from less than 2,500 music enthusiasts during its first year to an impressive 21,000 in 2024. With the addition of country superstar Stapleton joining Childers in headlining this year’s festival, expectations for attendance are even higher, promising an unforgettable experience for all.

Previous performers at Therapeutic Appalachia have included renowned artists such as Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Gov’t Mule, Charles Wesley Godwin, and Trey Anastasio from Phish. The lineup from last year featured My Morning Jacket, Sierra Ferrell, Shooter Jennings, S.G. Goodman, and Hiss Golden Messenger. Unlike the previous three-day festival held in 2024 at the West Virginia State Fair in Lewisburg, this year’s event will be condensed into a vibrant two-day experience.

“As we embark on our inaugural year in eastern Kentucky, we are immensely thankful and honored to feature two of the finest singer-songwriters emerging from the rich cultural landscape of the Country Music Highway,” stated Dave Lavender, board president for Hope in the Hills and the president of Therapeutic Appalachia. “Both Chris Stapleton and Tyler Childers have carved out distinct paths in the music industry and embody the essence of what it means to be from this region, from Appalachia. Their spirit echoes the coal-camp ethos of Bill Withers’ ‘Lean on Me,’ as they continuously strive to support their neighbors and communities in need both locally and globally.”

The Hope in the Hills nonprofit organization, which is responsible for organizing the festival, has contributed over $1 million — along with all proceeds beyond production costs — to local nonprofits that provide essential services in addiction prevention, recovery, and wellness programming throughout Appalachia and beyond. All festival proceeds are directed towards impactful initiatives, including everything from yoga classes in women’s prisons to mentoring programs for teenage girls in foster care, and outdoor camps for children affected by trauma, as well as music therapy and national festival outreach, harm reduction efforts, recovery housing, and innovative reentry and recovery-to-work programs. Therapeutic Appalachia is also actively involved in Naloxone education and training.

Tickets for the 2025 Therapeutic Appalachia Festival can be purchased online. General admission tickets for the two-day event are priced at $199 for adults and $25 for children aged 12-17. Additionally, VIP passes are currently available at an early-bird price of $650. Camping spots for vehicles are also available for purchase on the festival’s website.