CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The much-anticipated free concert lineup for the 2026 Charleston Sternwheel Regatta was released Monday.
Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin joined the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta Commission and the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau at the Encova Insurance building in downtown Charleston to announce this year’s performers.
This year’s Regatta runs from Thursday, July 2 through Sunday, July 5.
The Thursday evening concert features rock-and-roll singer Melissa Etheridge and county music star Wynonna Judd. Etheridge is known for hits such as “Come to My Window” and “I’m the Only One,” while Judd’s highlights include “She is His Only Need” and “I Saw the Light.” Live music on opening night begins at 6:30 p.m.
Friday night, July 3, will delve into the R&B and hip-hop genres, featuring Montell Jordan, Bow Wow, and Bobby Brown. Jordan rose to fame with his 1995 hit “This Is How We Do It.” The rapper Bow Wow is recognizable with songs like “Let Me Hold You” and “Like You.” Brown topped charts with “My Prerogative” and “Every Little Step.” Live music begins Friday at 7:45 p.m.
Saturday night has a packed schedule for Independence Day. There will be rock music performances from Lita Ford and Bret Michaels starting at 7 p.m. Ford is a longtime guitarist and hard rock singer. Michaels is the frontman of the band Poison, which has sold around 65 million albums worldwide. Firework shows follow the music starting around 9:30 p.m.
Sunday evening concludes the Regatta. Alternative rock band Vertical Horizon and rock group Tonic will perform from the Haddad Riverfront Park. Vertical Horizon is behind “Everything You Want” and Tonic authored “If You Could Only See.” Music that evening begins at 6:45 p.m. The popular WVU Medicine Thomas Hospitals Drone Show is back for another year and will wrap up the event.
Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin said the city is blessed to get these high-level performers.
“Our team just crushed it with the level of entertainers that we have this year,” Goodwin said. “I think more people will come this year because of the music you hear behind me. Everybody knows these songs, and what is kind of the magic sauce and picking music is, I know the lyrics to these songs. My kids know the lyrics to these songs. Your kids will know the lyrics to these songs, and so they’re recognizable. That’s what people want.”
There was great fanfare at the lineup announcement press conference surrounding the 4th of July festivities. With the United States celebrating its 250th birthday, Goodwin announced there will be fireworks shows from three different locations around Charleston: Haddad Riverfront Park, Magic Island on the West Side, and the State Capitol.
Charleston Sternwheel Regatta Commission Chairman Andy Richardson said this will be the largest fireworks display in West Virginia’s history.
“There isn’t any question about it,” Richardson said. “I know that when we hit the 150th birthday of the state, they had a massive display. This will dwarf that. This is going to be incredible. I want you stop and think about that. We’ve seen some nice fireworks displays right here at the Levee, sometimes up at the Capitol. But to have them go, three places at one time, that’s going to be incredible.”
The City of Charleston announced last September that the 2025 event brought in $40.1 million in economic impact and a quarter of a million people.
The Regatta returned in Summer 2022 after a thirteen-year hiatus. Goodwin said that 30 percent of the Regatta’s attendees come from 50 or more miles away.
Richardson said the lineup announcement came later this year due to finalizing contracts with the performers. Richardson said this year’s event is a $1.2 million operation, and the commission has invested a couple hundred thousand dollars to ensure the Regatta remains an annual tradition.
Beyond live music, the Regatta also includes sternwheel boat rides, food and drink vendors, and family fun zones.
Richardson said this event is emblematic of what the Capital City is all about.
“This is really a community event, and one of the things that I believe makes Charleston, West Virginia so special is that we have a close-knit community that comes together to work on things like this, or the bike race, or FestivALL, or the marathon a couple weeks ago,” Richardson said. “Nothing symbolizes that like the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta, when you bring people together, and you have hundreds of thousands of people gathering on the boulevard for food and fun and festive music. What can be better than that as a way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence? So many people look forward to this.”