High Water 2027: Jack Johnson, Death Cab and Mt. Joy head to the Riverfront Park lawn

North Charleston's riverside festival returns April 17–18, 2027 with 20 acts on two stages and no overlapping sets.

There's a particular Lowcountry April afternoon that High Water was built for: a lawn by the Cooper River and nothing to decide except where to put your blanket. The festival has set the date for the next one. High Water returns to Riverfront Park in North Charleston on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18, 2027, and the lineup is out.

The headliners lean warm and big-singalong. Jack Johnson tops the bill, with Death Cab for Cutie, Mt. Joy and Rainbow Kitten Surprise right behind him, and The Head and the Heart, The Revivalists and Mat Kearney filling out the upper tier. It's a lineup that will pull a lot of people who don't otherwise go to festivals, which has always been part of High Water's appeal.

The format is the other selling point. The festival runs 20 acts across two stages with no overlapping sets, so there's no clash to agonize over. You can, in principle, see everything. That makes the early slots worth more than they would be anywhere else.

Here's who to catch while the shade is still easy to find. Ole 60 and GoldFord sit in the middle of the bill and are worth arriving for. Congress The Band, Finn Wolfhard, West 22nd, Hazlett and Mo Lowda & the Humble round out the middle, and the opening hours belong to Alyssa Grace, Marlon Funaki, Penelope Road, Ax and the Hatchetmen, Angela Autumn and Susannah Joffe. Day splits and set times haven't been posted yet, so check the festival's schedule page closer to April before you plan around a specific act.

A little context for newcomers: High Water was started by Charleston's own Shovels & Rope, and it has grown into one of the signature spring weekends in the area while staying, on paper at least, modest in scale. Two stages, one set at a time, and a riverfront park rather than a fairground.

For the Charleston area, the festival is also a reminder that North Charleston's Riverfront Park is one of the best outdoor music settings around.

Tickets are on sale now through the festival's Front Gate page, and the official site has a signup for updates. The ticket page promises more than 20 performances across two stages, so it's worth watching for additions.

Pick a spot by the water, bring sunscreen, and plan to stay put. With no overlaps, the hardest choice of the weekend may be when to go get food.

Sources: High Water — official site (highwaterfest.com); High Water — Lineup (highwaterfest.com); High Water — Tickets (highwaterfest.com); High Water — Schedule (highwaterfest.com); High Water tickets (Front Gate) (highwaterfest.frontgatetickets.com); mxdwn — High Water Fest 2027 lineup announced (music.mxdwn.com); Live for Live Music — Shovels & Rope announce inaugural High Water Festival (liveforlivemusic.com)