The festival is live at Mandalay Bay
The Las Vegas Songwriters Festival is officially rolling, turning Mandalay Bay into one giant backstage pass through Saturday, Aug. 22. The second annual event opened Thursday night at House of Blues and now shifts into a packed Friday and Saturday schedule featuring the writers behind major country, pop, and rock songs.
This is not a standard concert where one artist owns the stage for 90 minutes. The festival puts songwriters into intimate rounds, pairing live performances with the stories, accidents, arguments, and flashes of inspiration that produced familiar hits. According to Mandalay Bay’s official event page, the weekend encompasses about 100 live performances and writers connected to more than 300 No. 1 songs.
The action stays inside Mandalay Bay at 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd. That makes the game plan beautifully simple: get to the resort, learn the internal route between stages, and build your day around the rounds you cannot miss.
Who is playing the Las Vegas Songwriters Festival?
The lineup is deep enough to make a country-music credits obsessive lose track of time. Dean Dillon, Liz Rose, Bob DiPiero, Billy Montana, Marti Frederiksen, Eric Paslay, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Jerrod Niemann, Craig Campbell, David Lee Murphy, and dozens more are part of the 2026 event.
The heavy hitters to know
Dean Dillon, appearing Friday night, is best known for his extraordinary catalog of songs recorded by George Strait, including “The Chair” and “Ocean Front Property.” Liz Rose, booked for rounds on both Friday and Saturday, co-wrote Taylor Swift songs including “You Belong With Me” and “Teardrops on My Guitar.”
Bob DiPiero brings decades of credits associated with artists including Tim McGraw, Brooks & Dunn, and Reba McEntire. Billy Montana is connected to Garth Brooks’ “More Than a Memory” and Sara Evans’ “Suds in the Bucket,” while Marti Frederiksen has worked across genres with performers including Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, and Carrie Underwood.
That range is the secret weapon here. One round can lean classic Nashville, the next can hit modern country, and Frederiksen can walk in with a catalog carrying serious rock muscle. The names may not all be printed in giant letters on an arena marquee, but the songs absolutely belong there.
Friday’s schedule and best bets
Friday begins with a VIP-only brunch before the public performances start at 11 a.m. Several rounds overlap, so choose priorities before arriving. The official festival schedule lists the following Friday program:
- 10 a.m., House of Blues Music Hall: Guitar Pull Brunch for VIP ticket holders.
- 11 a.m., Rhythm & Riffs: Billy Montana, Earl Bud Lee, and Eric Paslay, hosted by Storme Warren.
- Noon, Vinyl Room: Rebecca Lynn Howard, Dave Pahanish, Jamie Floyd, and Elisha Hoffman.
- 1 p.m., House of Blues B-Side: Anthony L. Smith, Bobby Pinson, and Steve Bogard.
- 1:30 p.m., Rhythm & Riffs: Tyler Reeve, Justin Wilson, and Brian Davis, hosted by Storme Warren.
- 2:30 p.m., Vinyl Room: Clint Daniels, Bridgette Tatum, Marla Cannon-Goodman, and Dylan Altman.
- 3:30 p.m., House of Blues B-Side: Mark Irwin, Brinley Addington, and Matt McGinn.
- 4 p.m., Rhythm & Riffs: Liz Rose, Phil Barton, and Paul Jenkins, hosted by Storme Warren.
- 4:30 p.m., Vinyl Room: Rob Hatch, Craig Campbell, and Jimmy Yeary.
- 7 p.m., House of Blues B-Side: D. Vincent Williams, Matt Warren, and Ray Fulcher, presented by The Bluebird Cafe.
- 7:30 p.m., Rhythm & Riffs: Justin Ebach, Brian White, and Jared Mullins.
- 8 p.m., Eyecandy: Rachel Thibodeau, Lance Miller, Jim McCormick, and Carolyn Dawn Johnson.
- 9:30 p.m., House of Blues B-Side: Dean Dillon, presented by The Bluebird Cafe.
- 10 p.m., Eyecandy: Marti Frederiksen and Bob DiPiero.
- 10 p.m., Rhythm & Riffs: Brice Long, Anthony Smith, and Wynn Varble.
The insider play is to treat the late Friday stretch like a miniature headliner run. Dean Dillon at 9:30 p.m. is followed by two competing 10 p.m. rounds. Fans chasing rock and crossover stories should lean toward Frederiksen and DiPiero at Eyecandy. Country purists have a serious alternative with Long, Smith, and Varble at Rhythm & Riffs.
Saturday’s schedule and closing rounds
Saturday starts at 11 a.m. and runs into a VIP late-night cocktail. Liz Rose, Eric Paslay, Bob DiPiero, Billy Montana, and a long bench of proven writers keep the final day loaded.
Saturday performances
- 11 a.m., Rhythm & Riffs: Rebecca Lynn Howard, Rachel Thibodeau, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, and Elisha Hoffman.
- Noon, Vinyl Room: Liz Rose, Eric Paslay, and Jim McCormick.
- 1 p.m., House of Blues B-Side: Rob Hatch, Steve Bogard, and Justin Wilson.
- 1:30 p.m., Rhythm & Riffs: Justin Ebach, Wynn Varble, and Bridgette Tatum.
- 2:30 p.m., Vinyl Room: Matt Warren, Dave Pahanish, and Bobby Pinson.
- 3:30 p.m., House of Blues B-Side: Clint Daniels, Anthony Smith, and Bob DiPiero.
- 4 p.m., Rhythm & Riffs: Marti Frederiksen and Matt McGinn.
- 4:30 p.m., Vinyl Room: Justin Wilson, Phil Barton, and Jared Mullins.
- 7 p.m., House of Blues B-Side: Marla Cannon-Goodman, Brice Long, and Dylan Altman, presented by The Bluebird Cafe.
- 7:30 p.m., Rhythm & Riffs: Tyler Reeve, Lance Miller, and Ray Fulcher.
- 8 p.m., Eyecandy: Anthony L. Smith, Paul Jenkins, and Mark Irwin.
- 9:30 p.m., House of Blues B-Side: Billy Montana, Jimmy Yeary, and Jamie Floyd, presented by The Bluebird Cafe.
- 10 p.m., Eyecandy: Anthony Smith, Earl Bud Lee, and Brian White.
- 10 p.m., Rhythm & Riffs: Brian Davis, D. Vincent Williams, and Brinley Addington.
- 11 p.m., Vinyl Room: Late Night Cocktail for VIP ticket holders.
Saturday’s noon round with Rose, Paslay, and McCormick is a powerful way to start, while the 3:30 p.m. DiPiero set and the Bluebird Cafe presentation at 9:30 p.m. give the day two more obvious anchors. Leave space between those picks for discovery. At a songwriter festival, the name you barely recognize can be attached to three songs you know word for word.
Where to go and how to plan it
All scheduled stages are within the Mandalay Bay complex: House of Blues Music Hall, House of Blues B-Side, Rhythm & Riffs, Vinyl Room, and Eyecandy. The opening-night show used the main House of Blues room, while Friday and Saturday spread performances throughout the resort.
Tickets, timing, and the smart Vegas move
General admission, VIP options, and single-day tickets have been offered for the event. MGM previously announced single-day prices starting at $45 before taxes and fees, but live inventory and final checkout prices can change. Use the festival’s official AXS ticket page for current availability.
Arrive with a screenshot of your personal schedule and allow time to move between rooms. Friday and Saturday include multiple overlapping performances, and some events are restricted to VIP ticket holders. Festival organizers also note that performers and set times are subject to change, so check the live schedule before committing to a cross-resort sprint.
Most importantly, listen to the stories. Las Vegas gets superstar productions every night, but this weekend flips the spotlight toward the people who built the songs before the tour buses, pyrotechnics, and arena singalongs arrived. Hearing a hit reduced to a voice, an instrument, and the person who wrote it is the whole thrill. This one earns the hype.
