All Music For Music Festival returns to Downtown Gainesville

The free event featured over two dozen local bands and artists performing across three downtown venues.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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The 'All Music For Music' Festival returned to downtown Gainesville on Sunday, featuring more than two dozen local bands and artists performing across three downtown venues. The free event, which originally ran from 2010 to 2016 before a 10-year hiatus, drew an estimated 600 people last year and is expected to attract even larger crowds this year.

Why it matters

The festival helps drive foot traffic and business to downtown Gainesville, with attendees patronizing local restaurants, food trucks, and other establishments. It also provides a platform for emerging local musicians to showcase their talents to a receptive audience.

The details

The performances began at 1 p.m. and continued until 10 p.m., with multiple genres represented across the stages at 'The Bull', 'Looseys', and 'How Bazar'. The festival is curated by the nonprofit AM/FM Festival, which aims to promote and support local music.

  • The AM/FM Music Festival took place on Sunday, February 23, 2026.
  • The festival originally ran from 2010 to 2016 before being discontinued for 10 years.
  • The inaugural return of the festival in 2025 drew approximately 600 people.

The players

Brandon Telg

Director of the nonprofit AM/FM Festival, which curates the event.

Jacob Larson

Owner of a downtown Gainesville establishment that benefits from the festival.

Tanner and Max

Members of a local band that performed at the festival.

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What they’re saying

“This particular festival is curated in a unique way.”

— Brandon Telg, Director of the nonprofit AM/FM Festival (WCJB)

“Having events and experiences for people to come to checks off all the boxes for a great experience. It's a free event, and when you get a lot of people here, we have 40 different nonalcoholic options too. This is good for all ages, but when people come in and get something to eat or drink, that puts money in the register and helps us pay the bills.”

— Jacob Larson, Owner of a downtown Gainesville establishment (WCJB)

“If there's ever a place to try a new song, this is the audience that wants to hear music they've never heard before. It's cool to have a lot of friends playing here and just spend the day seeing your friends play music.”

— Tanner and Max, Members of a local band (WCJB)

What’s next

Organizers expect even larger crowds at next year's festival, as the event continues to grow in popularity and draw more attendees to downtown Gainesville.

The takeaway

The return of the 'All Music For Music' Festival demonstrates the enduring appeal of live, local music and the ability of community-driven events to drive economic activity and support emerging artists in Gainesville's vibrant downtown district.