Women are enjoying a particularly strong year in country music, yet many major festivals are still booking predominantly male line-ups. While events such as Texas’ Two Step Inn are giving prominent slots to women, festivals including Stagecoach and Gulf Coast Jam are being criticised for headline bills dominated by men, highlighting a disconnect between artists’ popularity and festival representation.

Two Step Inn will feature Ella Langley as a headliner alongside artists including Sheryl Crow, Jo Dee Messina, Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan, while Megan Moroney is among Windy City Smokeout’s four headliners. Stagecoach’s headline acts are all white men and its bill is reportedly 17.6% women, with no non-binary or transgender artists; Gulf Coast Jam had announced only male performers at the time of publication. Festival booking can be shaped by radio play, sponsorships, contracts and fees, but the article argues that women’s commercial success should lead to more equitable line-ups.