Sick of SXSW? Wille Nelson's Throwing His Own Festival, Featuring Conor Oberst and Margo Price

If you’re one of those people with a growing distaste for the hipster madness of South by Southwest, you’ve just been presented with one heck of an alternative: Willie Nelson’s 2017 Luck Reunion, held on his property 45 minutes outside of Austin.

In true Outlaw Country fashion, the festival falls on Thursday, March 16 — the same week as SXSW. Sponsored by Southwest Airlines, Nelson’s event bills itself as a “boutique music festival held on Willie Nelson’s 'Luck, TX’ property in the heart of the hill country.” This will be the fifth year of Luck performances.

Nelson will be headlining the festival, of course, but he will be supported by a cadre of music veterans and newcomers. The lineup of 40 artists includes legendary indie-folk artist Conor Oberst, critical darling and country singer-songwriter Margo Price and Big Thief, rising folk-rock stars hailing from Brooklyn. The full lineup has yet to be revealed, but what’s been released so far is plenty enticing.

The night before the festival, the property will host a “Chef’s Pot Luck,” which will be a seated, multi-course gourmet meal for 100 people. The list of all-star chefs who will be participating has also yet to be announced. Tickets to the dinner are $325, and will benefit Wholesome Wave, an organization dedicated to bringing healthy, locally sourced meals to low-income families.

The evening’s entertainment will be provided by Nelson himself, and he’s promising mystery guests. (Fingers crossed for a Johnny Cash hologram.) If you miss the dinner Wednesday, there will still be myriad pop-up shops and food options for you to try in between sets Thursday.

More details about the festival will emerge in the weeks leading up to the event. Tickets, $70 to $3,500, go on sale tomorrow, Jan. 21, at luckreunion.com.