More Than a Festival
SkyDog: The Shoals Experience brings together live music, film, art, food, conversation and the living history of one of the most influential music communities in the world.
Across the Renaissance Shoals Resort, Shoals Convention Center and legendary locations throughout The Shoals, the weekend moves between performances and unexpected discoveries: intimate conversations, exhibitions, listening sessions, regional food, studio history and late-night gatherings.
Some experiences have a set time. Others are meant to be discovered as you move through the weekend.
Shuttle Pass: for parking convenience and Saturday Studio Tours!
(Shuttle passes included with 1- and 2-day VIP passes. Others can purchase 1-day shuttle passes here and two-day shuttle passes here.)
SkyDog Shuttle: for your convenience
Festival parking is limited; we suggest you take the shuttle!
Express shuttle (Fri. & Sat.)
Stops:
Main Gate, Hampton Inn (FRIDAY ONLY), Coliseum, Veterans Park, back to Main Gate
Runs:
Fri. 3pm-12am, every 30 min
Sat. 9:30am-12am, every 30 min
In-town shuttle loop (Sat. only)
Stops:
Main Gate, FAME Studios, Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, Florence Downtown Hampton Inn, Florence Downtown Parking Deck, Coliseum, Veterans Park, back to Main Gate
Runs:
Sat. 9:30am-12am, every 30 min*
*Last stop at FAME and Muscle Shoals studios: 4:30pm
FAME + Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
Go beyond the festival grounds and visit the studios where some of the most important records in American music were made.
SkyDog Shuttle transportation connects the festival campus with key locations across The Shoals, making the region itself part of the experience. On Saturday, guests can build legendary Muscle Shoals recording history into their weekend with opportunities to visit FAME Recording Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.
Saturday, August 29 10am-4:30pm
Tour availability, reservations and admission vary by location. Last tours at 3:30pm. Last studio shuttle stops at 4:30pm. Tour tickets are available at the studios for shuttle riders and free for VIP ticket holders.
SATURDAY AT SKYDOG SHOALS: FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Southbound Market + Live Convention Center Programming
Saturday, August 29 | Doors 9:30 AM | Programming begins at 10 AM
Saturday daytime at SkyDog Shoals brings together the Southbound Market and a full slate of live conversations inside the Shoals Convention Center.
Shop regional makers and vendors, grab something to eat, then step inside for live tapings of the podcast All the Things, featuring artists, chefs, music industry leaders and people working at the front lines of medicine and recovery. All the Things hosts Tyra Newkirk and Sarah Benedict are the women behind the podcast: two grounded, funny, deeply human friends who bring heart, lived experience and real-life perspective to every conversation.
Come for one conversation or make a day of it.
ALL THE THINGS LIVE
FOOD AND THE SHOALS
Martie Duncan and Chef Dean Donnell
Food Network chef and Alabama native Martie Duncan joins Dean Donnell, executive chef at Renaissance Shoals, for a conversation about Southern food, hospitality and the relationship between what a place makes, serves and remembers.
The Shoals has a sound. It also has a table.
BUILT TO RESONATE
CRAFT, COLLABORATION & LEGACY
Dr. Klaus Romero and Scott Sharrard
What can a guitar tell us about craftsmanship, collaboration and progress?
Dr. Klaus Romero, CEO of Critical Path Institute and a lifelong guitarist and guitar builder, sits down with Scott Sharrard, renowned guitarist and former musical director for Gregg Allman.
Their conversation starts with music and making things by hand, then follows a larger idea: meaningful work rarely happens alone.
RECOVERY, ADDICTION AND WHAT COMES NEXT
RECOVERY IN REAL LIFE
Dr. Stephen Loyd
Physician and national recovery leader Dr. Stephen Loyd brings both professional expertise and lived experience to a conversation about addiction, treatment and recovery.
Loyd’s story helped inform the world portrayed in Dopesick. At SkyDog, the conversation moves beyond the television series to what has changed, what has not and what better recovery could look like.
HALLEY PHILLIPS
THREE GENERATIONS OF MUSIC
Halley Phillips, granddaughter of Sun Records founder Sam Phillips, joins the program for a conversation about growing up inside a consequential American music legacy and the responsibility that comes with carrying it forward.
Not simply where the story has been, but what deserves to happen next.
MALACO: THE BUSINESS BEHIND THE MUSIC
BUILT TO LAST
Kevin Lamb and Malaco Records’ Tommy Couch and Wolf Stephenson (2-3PM)
Legendary music publisher Kevin Lamb sits down with Malaco Records founders Tommy Couch Sr. and Wolf Stephenson for a conversation celebrating more than five decades of Southern music history. They’ll discuss their new book with GRAMMY®-winning music historian Rob Bowman, The Land of 1,000 Sessions, while sharing stories from Malaco’s remarkable history and its deep connections to the Muscle Shoals music scene. Expect an unforgettable conversation about the artists, songs, sessions, and characters who helped shape the sound of the south. This one is for the archives.
Spread the word! Southbound Market and Saturday Convention Center programming are free and open to the public.
Vine to Bar Chocolate Tasting
While Supplies Last – starting at 10AM in the conference center.
Meet one of the founders and learn about Wellvine™: pressed, dried and milled Chardonnay grapes. The minimally processed skins, seeds and pulp contain a unique combination of fiber and phenolics that work as a natural prebiotic. It feeds the good bacteria and suppresses the non-beneficial to support a healthy gut microbiome. When blended with premium dark chocolate, its unique flavor profile (natural sweetness and bright fruit notes) and nutrient profile have earned it a patent for improving the taste and nutritional content of dark chocolate.
Southbound Market
Made Here. Found Here.
Shop, eat and explore more than 30 makers, artists, vendors and regional businesses bringing a little more Alabama into SkyDog.
Saturday morning, the Shoals Convention Center comes alive before the first outdoor set.
Southbound Market brings together regional makers, artists, food, merchandise, local businesses and cultural partners in a free daytime marketplace built for wandering.
Come early. Browse between programs. Meet the people making things here.
Saturday, August 29
9:30 AM-4PM
Outside Shoals Convention Center
Free and open to the public
On Your Own
Explore Between the Music
No reservation. No set time. No need to hurry.
Some of the best SkyDog experiences do not need a stage or a schedule.
Take a walk. Follow the river. Look more closely at the walls around you. Find a piece of music history you did not know was there.
These are easy ways to make the weekend your own.
Walk the River Heritage Trail
Step outside the Renaissance and onto the River Heritage Trail for an easy walk along the Tennessee River, with history, overlooks and one of the best ways to understand the landscape around SkyDog.
The river is part of the Muscle Shoals story.
Just outside the Renaissance, River Heritage Park connects to the River Heritage Trail, a roughly 1.3-mile path along the Tennessee River canal with interpretive displays, river views and overlooks along the way.
Walk it before breakfast. Take a quiet break between programs. Bring your coffee. Run it in the morning. Or simply follow the water for a while and experience the landscape that shaped this place.
No ticket required. No schedule required.
Find Your Wilson Dam View
You do not have to go far to understand why this place is different. Find a quiet overlook and take in the Tennessee River and Wilson Dam.
SkyDog happens in a landscape shaped by water, energy and industry as much as music.
River Heritage Park, immediately adjacent to the Renaissance, offers views across the Tennessee River toward Wilson Dam.
Take ten minutes between programs. Walk down with your morning coffee. Watch the light change over the water. Then remember that the river, the dam, the communities surrounding them and the music made here are all parts of the same Shoals story.
Anytime
River Heritage Park
Free
A SkyDog Photo Walk
The river, the dam, the hotel, the studios, the musicians and the people around you are all part of the weekend. Take the long way and photograph what you find.
Not every SkyDog memory needs to happen in front of a stage..
Look for the things that tell the story of the weekend: an old photograph inside the hotel, the Wilson Dam, a musician carrying a guitar through the lobby, a new friend, a quiet morning or the sunset as the music’s playing…
Share your photos with #SkyDogShoals and help us build the visual story of the first SkyDog weekend.
All Weekend
Sunday
SkyDog Soul Sunday Brunch
Music, Community + A Reason to Gather
(Brunch included with 2-day VIP pass. Others can purchase brunch tickets here.)
Close the weekend around the table with Southern food, live music and a morning devoted to connection, recovery and giving back.
Sunday morning brings SkyDog back together one more time.
The SkyDog Soul Sunday Brunch pairs Southern hospitality with live music from The Gathering, special guests from the SkyDog weekend and a program centered on community, hope and the people working to make life better for others.
The morning also supports Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches and FAME Girls Ranch, extending the spirit of the weekend beyond the festival itself.
Come hungry. Come comfortable. Stay for the music and the conversation.
Sunday, August 30
9:30 AM
Begins at 10 AM
Renaissance Shoals Convention Center Singing River Room
Included with qualifying SkyDog VIP packages; brunch-only tickets available separately
Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches / FAME Girls Ranch
VIP-Only Perks
Curated experiences for VIP ticket holders to make SkyDog Shoals even more special
Rejuvenating Yoga presented by Porter’s Call
Yoga is the ideal antidote to loud noises and late nights, promoting rest, recovery, and balance. It’s a healthy way to wake up, stretch tired muscles, and feel calm before Saturday’s packed itinerary.
This class will be gentle to the lower back, legs and shoulders and accessible to anyone. Well-respected instructor Valerie Thompson will guide the class through stretches that ease joints that are stiff from prolonged sitting, standing (or dancing).
Yoga can help you begin the day recharged and ready to go!
Saturday, Aug 29
8:00 am
Hotel pool deck
Mats provided.
Instructor Bio:
Valerie Thompson is a Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach, Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), and certified breathwork instructor with a passion for helping people build healthier, more resilient lives. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Alabama and has spent nearly a decade combining evidence-based health coaching with yoga, breath work, and stress management strategies to help people improve their energy, mobility, confidence, and overall well-being.
Valerie specializes in teaching practical tools that help all ages apply to everyday life. Her classes are welcoming, accessible, and designed for all experience levels, with an emphasis on mindful movement, nervous system regulation, balance, flexibility, and strength.
Valerie’s mission is to help people build lasting health by creating simple, sustainable habits that strengthen both the body and mind, making it easier to navigate life’s challenges with greater resilience and confidence.
Muscle Shoals Songwriters Festival Stage at Swampers Bar & Grille
Before the main stage program starts, there will be plenty of music to listen to at Swampers Bar & Grille, located in the Renaissance Shoals hotel. Friday afternoon features Eric Erdman and Steve Knight, while Saturday showcases an array of Muscle Shoals songwriting talent. To bring Saturday night to a rollicking close, Lightwatch Band Jam will perform at 11pm.
Friday 3-4:30 pm
Saturday 10:45 am-3:30 pm, 11 pm-12:30 am
Free studio tours are a shuttle ride away!
Before Saturday’s extraordinary line-up goes on stage, tour the studios where it all began and where The Shoals sound lives on. Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, the Rolling Stones, Bob Seger, Cher, SkyDog himself–they all recorded in The Shoals.
VIP ticket holders can enjoy free tours of FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio by hopping on the SkyDog Shoals shuttle at Renaissance Shoals. Shuttles depart every 30 minutes.
- The first FAME tour is at 10am.
- The first guided tour at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is 10:30am.
- The last tours are at 3pm for both locations.
- The last studio shuttle stop is 4:30pm for both locations.
Free guided tours of Caution! Stones Ahead
On Saturday, sign up for a guided tour of the Caution! Stones Ahead exhibit, located in the Renaissance Shoals hotel–the largest public exhibition of Rolling Stones memorabilia! Walk through every era of their journey through themed rooms, multimedia content, and immersive experiences,and explore original artifacts and decades of music history. The museum atmosphere strives to re-create the energy and intimacy of being behind the scenes at a Stones concert.
Tours depart every half hour, starting at 10am.
The last tour is 3:30pm.
Space is limited, so sign up soon!
Reserve your tour time here.