Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers Headline Healing Appalachia Festival in Kentucky

The Healing Appalachia Festival, dedicated to raising awareness and supporting recovery from the opioid crisis, is moving from West Virginia to Ashland, Kentucky for its sixth annual event on September 19-20. Kentucky natives Tyler Childers, the festival's co-founder, and Chris Stapleton will headline the event, marking a hometown show for both artists as the festival settles along the storied Country Music Highway. Founded by Childers to address opioid addiction in Appalachia, the event has grown significantly, expanding its reach and attendance while raising over $1 million for addiction recovery efforts through the Hope in the Hills nonprofit. Organizers highlight the move as an opportunity to spotlight a new region and amplify their mission of fostering empathy and inspiring life-saving action. The full artist lineup for this year is yet to be announced, but the involvement of Childers and Stapleton is expected to draw significant attention to the cause. Both artists have publicly championed addiction recovery, with Childers writing about the crisis in his music and advocating for community support.