Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival: 14 Frequently Asked Questions

This is it, y'all! Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival returns to downtown Tyler, TX this Saturday, May 7th. If you're reading this you likely got your tickets and are curious what to expect as you make your way to Tyler's biggest annual BBQ and live music party, so let's dive right in.

What's included with each ticket?

VIP tickets include hour-earlier entry into the BBQ festival (12:00 PM), a festival t-shirt, two drink coupons and a private VIP area with seating, a private bar and front-of-stage access. General Admission ticket-holders may enter at 1:00 PM and those tickets include samples from every barbecue restaurant and access to the concert. Concert-Only ticket-holders may enter at 3:45 PM and these tickets only include the concert. There will be food vendors who open at 4:00 PM after the BBQ portion of the festival is over, and barbecue restaurants may have food for sale if they choose to do so.

What restaurants are attending?

Check out our 25+ participating barbecue restaurants right here.

Will there be tickets sold at the gate?

Red Dirt sells out online every year, so we do not sell tickets at the gate.

Can I come and go from the festival?

Yep. You will receive a wristband when you first enter the festival, which will allow you to leave and return as you please, as long as you have the wristband on, so don't take it off! No wristband = no re-entry.

Can I bring in a bag?

This event will have a clear bag policy.

What else should I bring money for?

If you're in a shopping mood, you can check out many vendor booths that will be at the festival. You'll also be able to purchase non-alcoholic beverages, merchandise, food from local food trucks after the BBQ is gone, and more. Whether certain booths accept credit/debit cards will at the discretion of the vendors. ATMs will be on site if you need cash.

How will alcohol sales work?

Drink tickets must be purchased for all alcoholic beverages. There will be several ticket tents selling tickets. Tickets are redeemed at the bars for all alcohol. There will be a select few liquor sponsors at Red Dirt in 2022, and will work the same way.

How much are alcohol tickets?

Alcohol tickets will be $5 each in 2022. One ticket = one drink.

What's the deal with parking?

Parking is free, unless certain businesses wish to charge at their lots at their own discretion. We recommend getting downtown early, since parking is spread out in all directions. You assume all risk and responsibility on where you park.

Can we bring lawn chairs, blankets, etc.?

Yes. Keep in mind that we will have a designated area in the general admission part of the streets where chairs will not be allowed to offer more people the opportunity to stand and be close to the stage. This will be in addition to chairs not being allowed in the VIP area directly in front of the stage. There will be plenty of room for VIP and non-VIPs to have chairs with great views of the stage, however. Plus, we think you should stand for killer music anyway.

Will food be available to concert-only ticket holders?

Every barbecue restaurant participating the festival is allowed to bring extra food to sell to concert-goers if they wish after 4:00 PM. This does not necessarily guarantee food will be available from all/any of the participating restaurants. We will have select food trucks at the festival that will open at 4:00 PM.

What can I NOT bring?

Outside food or drinks, weapons, drugs, NO TRAYS, coolers, friends who waited too long to buy tickets, pets (service animals are welcome, of course, with proper documentation) vegetarianism and bad attitudes. Read more of our festival policies here.

What should I bring?

The party. Good vibes. And sunglasses. And a hat. It gets hot.

Can children attend?

Absolutely. This is an all-ages event, including the concert. Children 5 and under will be accepted into the festival for free, though we request you share your food samples with children younger than 5 to allow for enough food for everyone. Anyone older than 5 will require a ticket.

Lineup For 2022 Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival Revealed

Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival, presented by i20 Dodge and produced by 101.5 KNUE and Radio Texas, LIVE! with Buddy Logan, has released its lineup for the 2022 event … and this one's special, y'all.

In addition the festival will feature several of Texas’ best and most celebrated barbecue joints that will showcase their smoked meats to attendees. Stay tuned as we will be announcing all of our joints soon.