New festival at Finlay Park
Social posts this week flagged a new music festival planned for Finlay Park in South Carolina, drawing hundreds of views in the roundups. (x.com) The announcement is appearing alongside other regional festival moves in social feeds that industry watchers are tracking. (x.com)
Columbia will get a new two-day music festival at Finlay Park on May 30 and May 31, with Old Crow Medicine Show and Sam Bush topping the first lineup. (columbiasc.gov) The City of Columbia announced Songbird Festival 26 on April 8 and said the event will feature 18 artists across two stages, with music starting at 11 a.m. each day. The city said the festival is presented in part by Columbia and will mix nationally touring acts, regional bands, and local performers. (columbiasc.gov) The weekend starts the night before with a free Friday concert in the park by The Water Kickers as part of the Finlay Fridays series. Paid options for May 30 and May 31 include one-day tickets, two-day tickets, and VIP passes with stage viewing areas, a lounge called The Nest, and food from Home Team BBQ. (wltx.com) The booking adds another festival weekend to a park the city reopened in November 2025 after a major renovation and relaunch weekend that included a free Day Two Festival. The city’s park site now lists regular events there, including weekly Finlay Fridays concerts and family programs. (finlaypark.columbiasc.gov) Songbird also lands two weeks after another Finlay Park event, the ColaJazz + Roots Fest, scheduled for May 15 and May 16. That means the park is set to host two multi-act music weekends in May 2026, one free and one ticketed. (colajazzfest.com) The Songbird lineup leans toward bluegrass and Americana, with The Infamous Stringdusters, Shadowgrass, Futurebirds, Susto String Band, The Blue Dogs, Sam Burchfield, and The Creekers joining the bill. Sunday also includes The B. Wrights, a group featuring Mark Bryan and Jim “Soni” Sonefeld of Hootie and the Blowfish, before Sam Bush closes the festival. (columbiasc.gov) City officials said discounted ticket sale events for military members, first responders, college and university students, and children ages 5 to 12 will be announced later. The city also said parking details for the festival are still to come. (wach.com) For Columbia, the immediate next test is turnout at the renovated downtown park over three straight Fridays and two festival weekends before May ends. Songbird’s debut will show whether Finlay Park can hold a steady place on the city’s live-music calendar after its 2025 reopening. (finlaypark.columbiasc.gov, columbiasc.gov)
