Bangkok's biggest bluegrass festival returns for six days this October

Southeastern Gathering 2026 is a bluegrass festival now in its third year, run by the crew at Trad Bangkok, the people behind Bluegrass Underground Bangkok and Irish Session Bangkok. And this edition is the biggest one yet.

Banjos and fiddles aren't the first sounds that spring to mind when you picture a night out in Bangkok. But a small, stubborn community of players keeps proving that bluegrass, Irish and old-time music belongs here as much as anywhere else. The clearest sign of how far the scene now reaches? A Thai-language logo, in for the first time this year. The team also stretches the run to six days, partly because not everyone can hop on a plane to hear the genre played live.

The line-up does plenty of the talking. Tray Wellington travels over from the US, a banjo player who won the 2024 Steve Martin Banjo Prize. Tokyo's Bluegrass Police turn up with the swagger behind an Instagram clip now sitting at 5 million views. Luke Coffey and Cameron Mather come from Ireland, two of the bigger names in traditional and progressive string playing. Local acts fill out the bill throughout the week.

Four set-ups, four reasons to show up:

The Pickin' Parlour. A private penthouse session capped at 20 people and running three hours. You sit shoulder to shoulder near the artists, with drinks flowing free for two of them.
Welcome Jam. A relaxed open house to get things going, with canapés, a full bar and a loose jam between Thai and visiting musicians.
Main Gathering. Six straight hours on the main stage, from full bands and small ensembles to headline sets and cross-cultural collaborations.
Songs & Stories Brunch. A gentle send-off, with live tunes over a late-morning spread.

The week breaks down like this:

• October 20-22, 7.30pm-9.30pm. The Pickin' Parlour at the Penthouse
• October 23, from 7pm. Welcome Jam
• October 24, 4pm-10pm. Main Gathering
• October 25, 11am-2pm. Songs & Stories Brunch

Southeastern Gathering 2026 runs at Public House from October 20-25. Early-bird tickets are on sale now at ticketmelon.com, with the full programme at southeasterngathering.com.