Rose Arts Festival 2025 in Norwich June 27-28

*Last updated 6/26/25

Rose Arts Festival
Friday June 27 & Saturday June 28, 2025

More info:
All Ages FREE admission
Music at 6:00pm Friday
Music at 11:00am Saturday

Spend two days with us in Norwich, the Rose of New England! Join us as we celebrate 60 years since the inaugural year of Rose Arts Festival back in 1965! Festivities kick off Friday June 27th in Downtown and continue on Chelsea Parade by day & Historic Downtown by night on June 28th for the 2025 Rose Arts Festival! Experience live music on our main stage, take a class in our creative station, shop our food and artisan vendors, experience live performance art, and run one of our races. This is a free, family friendly event! Downtown features live music and art at all participating venues!


2025 Rose Arts Festival Live Music Schedule:

Friday June 27:

(9pm) Solgyres
(10:15pm) Mighty Mystic
(11:45pm) Doey Joey

(7:30pm) The Hard Feelings
(8:30pm) Nick & The City Slicks
(9:45pm) Katie Perkins

(7:30pm) Eryka Fir (of Coma Hole)
(8:15) X-Ray Lite
(9:30pm) A Former Friend

(6pm) Brian Gore
(7:30pm) Jatoba

(6:45pm) Pairadice
(7:45pm) Holley McCreary

Reliance Health Stage
(6pm) Forever Fool
(6:30pm) Jake & Amanda
(7pm) Bards Of Gungywamp



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Saturday June 28:

(11am) Undercover Cameo
(12pm) Hush Club
(1:30pm) Kendra Morris
(3pm) Passafire
(4:45pm) Couch
(6:45pm) The Main Squeeze

(8pm) Guess Method
(9:30pm) Jelly
(11pm) Future Joy

(8pm) Pure Joy
(9pm) Justin Chan & The Vices
(10:30pm) Kids That Fly

(8pm) Sarah Mac & Corina Malbaurn
(9pm) John Fries
(10pm) Jake Hunsinger

(8pm) Glori Wilder
(9pm) Braiden Sunshine

(8pm) Riley Cotton
(8:45pm) Nick Bosse



LOVE & PRESS

"I just wanted to thank you for all you do for the local music community. I have tonight off so I went to the wailing city site to see who was playing. It’s amazing all the work you put in for all the local musicians and venues and I just wanted to thank you."
- Phil Smith (musician)

"...my new best friend Meghan Killimade, who's site Wailing City, lets me find all the latest local bands -- where they are playing and the times -- has suddenly been a big help in letting me find some events outside of my usual box!"
- Stephanie Shawn "Bar Fly Journals"
(Sound Waves Magazine)
Published December 2024

"Wailing City is this absolutely fantastic local music blog here in CT. They've been the place to go to find out what's happening, what's new and why you should care for well over a decade. Graciously, they interviewed us about the new album, the book, the film and all that. While touring throughout the years, we've sometimes felt like 'one foot in, one foot out' with the local scene, but they've always made us feel right at home. Thanks Wailing City."
- Pocket Vinyl (band)

"There are a staggering 64 documented live music performances in my home of New London county, CT today alone! The population of this county is only 268,805 and it is only 772 square miles. That is an incredible saturation of venues hosting live music and is a stark contrast to places I've lived in the past! You would be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the country that has so much live music. Amazing really! Thank you for the hard work documenting and promoting Wailing City!"
-Travis Hyll (musician)

"Wailing City appreciation post: true champions of the New London county music scene. Follow them!"
-Dirt Pile (band)

"We wanna take a minute to shout out our friends over at Wailing City for always helping to spread the word about our shows. They've been curating the most comprehensive live music calendar for SECT since 2006. If you don't already, give them a follow."
- 33 Golden Street (venue)

"Wailing City should be your first check in for all local music schedules. Thank you so much for all your efforts in promoting the scene!!
- David Schena (musician)

"Wailing City has been keeping the calendar up to date since I first started going to shows 20 years ago. We’re lucky to have Meghan volunteer her time to help keep the scene going!"
-James Burke (musician)

"With a little footwork and a short drive I managed to visit three live music shows on Bank Street last night... New London ROCKS...and all made possible searching out local music on Wailing City... thanks Meghan."
- Don Diederich (musician / local music fan)

"If you don't have ears, then it's possible you're not aware that southeastern Connecticut - specifically New London County - has an incredibly vibrant music scene. Over the years, it's gone from a hotbed of indie rock to an area of musicians, fans and venues that support a complex and varied number of artistic styles. The wailingcity.com web site - newly and lovingly redesigned - is a tremendous resource. A labor of affection and devotion conceptualized in 2006, wailingcity.com boasts artist bios, reviews and interviews, a club and band data base and calendars, videos, audio streaming, and cross-referenced links on all of the above - as well as lists of music services such as instrument instruction, record and retail stores, related media and periodicals, festival information, and so on. It's the brainchild of musician/artist Meghan Killimade, (and contributors), and they do a terrific job."
- RICK KOSTER (The Day) Published April 03. 2014

“Wailing City, is, as of now, probably the most successfully comprehensive listing on local and area shows in Southeastern Connecticut on the Internet; the folks at Wailing City are doing an excellent job of making sounds from the underground.”
-Ben Johnson (The Day) Published July 27, 2006