Award-winning festival celebrating food, music, and the arts to return on April 24 and 25, 2026
Visit Oxford MS, the official destination marketing organization for Oxford, Mississippi, announces the 29th annual Double Decker Arts Festival, a renowned celebration of food, music, and the arts, scheduled for April 24 and 25. The red double-decker bus, imported from England in 1994, will be displayed as the centerpiece and inspiration for the two-day celebration held in the historic downtown square.
Since the 2015 edition, organizers have selected a local artist from multiple submissions to be featured as the “official artwork” for the festival. This artwork is showcased on the festival merchandise, including t-shirts, posters and light pole banners displayed around the downtown square. This year’s distinguished artist is Allyn Fraser of Memphis, Tennessee, whose art merges portraiture, color, and mark-making into work that feels confident and visually assertive.
With more than 25 awards, including the 2025 Shining Example Award for Large Festival by Southeast Tourism Society, 2025 Outstanding Event Award by the Mississippi Pinnacle Awards and the 2023 Best Large Festival by the Mississippi Tourism Association, Double Decker brings more than 100,000 attendees for a weekend filled with a dynamic blend of culinary offerings, musical performances and art.
New this year, festival‑goers are invited to participate in the Oxford Micro Memoir initiative, where they can craft their own short memoir and workshop it with Beth Ann Fennelly, author of The Irish Goodbye, during a special session on March 16 at the Oxford‑Lafayette Public Library. To learn more about the contest, sign up for the free writing class, or enter, visit greenfieldfarmwriters.org/micromemoirs. Participants have the chance to win a $750 grand prize or a $250 runner‑up prize, sponsored by Visit Oxford, and selected writers will read their work from the stage at Double Decker. The initiative is organized by the Greenfield Farm Writers Residency at the University of Mississippi.
This year’s event will spotlight a curated Southern experience that honors the festival’s roots while continuing to grow. Attendees can save a wide range of Southern cuisine and browse more than 150 art vendor booths. The artist showcase will be open Saturday from 10 am–5:30 pm.
Kid Zone and Blues Alley: On Saturday, April 25, The Kid Zone will be in the Lafayette County Chancery Building parking lot from 10 am–6 pm. The Blue Delta Jeans Company will host the “Blue Delta Blues Alley” with a musical lineup beside The Lyric beginning at 10 am.
Music Lineup: The music kicks off on Friday, April 24 at 6 pm with Penelope Road, followed by The War And Treaty and ending the night with country-folk band Shane Smith & The Saints. Annie & The Caldwells open the lineup on Saturday at 11:30 am, followed by The Animeros, an Austin-based trio blending Latin roots with psychedelic soul, bolero, and cumbia. Then the Mountain Grass Unit takes the stage in the afternoon, followed by UK-based rock and roll band The Heavy Heavy. Seattle-based rhythm and blues band, The Dip takes the stage before Grammy-country singer-songwriter, Margo Price. Grammy Award–winning rock band Wilco will close out the night with the final performance.
The festival’s 2026 presenting sponsor is The University of Mississippi Museum gifted to them by Ole Miss Athletics. Nicholas Air is the stage sponsor, and premier sponsors include Riverland Roofing, Specialty Orthopedic Group, Gresham Petroleum, and NE Sparc.
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