If you caught the inaugural JAMBALOO fest in 2025, you already know the drill: a week of free music weaving through the heart of North Texas, lifting local artists and venues while giving fans a chance to discover something new. And the festival’s sophomore run, set for Feb. 7–15, is nothing short of ambitious. Spune Productions and the Mullen & Mullen Music Project are back, and this time, JAMBALOO is sprawling — nearly 30 shows across 14 venues in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. This year’s lineup includes late-night DJs and vinyl-focused programming, expanded civic panels, and even mental health resources for creatives. 

Corey Pond, one of the festival’s curators, calls this year “more thoughtfully put together” — a lesson learned from last year’s whirlwind first edition. “Last year, we had shows evenly spread, but attendance naturally grew toward the weekend,” Pond explains. “This year, we’re stacking it toward the end — almost like stairs — to make it easier for out-of-town folks to experience everything and give locals a weekend to truly dive in.”

The festival kicks off with the JAMBALOO Symposium at Tulips, a gathering of artists, venue operators, and cultural leaders aiming to strengthen the DFW music ecosystem. Then it’s off to the venues, where the lineup is a mix of hometown legends, rising stars, and genre-defying surprises. Tripping Daisy returns to the stage at Tulips, which will be the first time in more than a decade the legendary band has played Cowtown. Other acts include Angel White, Catie Adams, Jenny Rose, Cure for Paranoia, and others, who round out the confirmed lineup, with the full lineup expected soon.

But JAMBALOO isn’t just about live performances. Panels and conversations, including collaborations with Spinster Records and Amplified Minds, give creatives a space to talk mental health, equity in the music scene, and the future of the local industry. “We’re not just throwing concerts,” Pond says. “We’re becoming more of a cultural event, connecting people who might not otherwise meet and opening doors for Fort Worth musicians in particular.”

Joe Morrison, who co-produces the festival alongside Pond, emphasizes the hands-on approach. “We’re boots on the ground,” he says. “This isn’t just a check in the mail. Corey and I attend shows, meet artists, and witness firsthand the difference this makes in people’s careers and lives. That connection is everything.”

Indeed, last year’s artists are already feeling the impact. Pond recalls Dezi 5, a Dallas-based musician who had been performing for 15 years, finally securing a spot on “Good Morning Texas”—a small but life-changing milestone for him and a reminder of why JAMBALOO exists. “We get to be catalysts,” Pond says. “We’re not the reason it happens, but we help get the ball rolling.”

The festival’s name, too, reflects its ethos — fun, musical, and inclusive. “It had to feel like music, feel like joy, and be memorable,” Morrison says about naming the fest. “JAMBALOO fits that perfectly.”

From buskers in Deep Ellum to late-night Mushroom Jazz sessions at Josey Records, from high school student bands at the Granada Theater to vinyl DJs and electronic sets, this year’s JAMBALOO promises to be layered, eclectic, and unapologetically local. 

As Pond sums it up, “We’re offering a platform where music, culture, and community collide — and it’s all free, all for everyone, and all here in our backyard.”

January 12, 2026

11:58 AM