RAPID CITY, S.D. — Four Winds Music & Art Festival is returning to Rapid City for its third year, bringing a massive mix of local, regional and national music to 707 Sports Bar & Nightlife on August 21 and 22.
After two years of establishing Four Winds in the Black Hills, founder and promoter Corey Church believes the Rapid City festival is hitting its stride.
“We started out a couple years ago and every year it’s gotten a little bit bigger and a little bit more cohesive,” Church said. “I think this year is the year where we finally have caught our stride on things. This year we have six national acts and some of the best bands the Black Hills has to offer.”
Bringing the Music Community Together
Four Winds originally began in Sioux Falls more than a decade ago with roughly a dozen bands on two stages. While the festival has grown considerably since then, Church said its purpose remains centered around bringing different corners of the music community together.
“The whole idea behind the fest, whether it’s Sioux Falls or Rapid City, is to have like one big community gathering of the music community,” Church said.
That philosophy is reflected in the 2026 Rapid City lineup. As Cities Burn headlines a bill featuring Psychostick, Green Jellÿ, TreeHouse!, From This Day Forward, Dot Dot Curve, Camp Comfort, Go For Gold, Goodfire, Fueled By Spite, Graveyard Choir, The Outside Kids, Feverest, Akwrd, Wicked Six, Truly Veda, Public Figure, Half Dead & Guardian Angel and more.
Instead of focusing on a single genre, Four Winds puts artists from punk, metal, alternative, hip-hop, reggae, indie rock and other corners of the music world together for one weekend.
For Church, that diversity helps showcase a South Dakota music scene he believes can sometimes be overlooked.
“The music industry can feel a bit isolating and like you’re out there on your own,” Church said. “But when you get together with everybody that’s trying to accomplish the same thing that you are, or see that there is a community behind music in the Black Hills, I think that’s like the big point for me.”
“The music community in South Dakota is strong,” he added.
Friday Pre-Party Expands the Festival
The weekend begins Friday, August 21, with what was originally planned as a pre-party ahead of Saturday’s main festival. Those plans grew after organizers found an opportunity to bring even more music into the weekend.
Church said several national acts could be routed through Rapid City following their Sioux Falls appearances, while TreeHouse! reached out about playing Friday. The opening night will also feature Camp Comfort and additional local performers.
“The Friday, it was originally a pre-party. Now it’s a part of the fest,” Church said.
One ticket now covers both days, with Church saying admission remains $30 for the entire weekend.
“We didn’t raise the price,” Church said. “It’s thirty bucks to come to the whole weekend, which we think is a great value. It breaks down to like two dollars a band, and some of these bands are big national acts.”
A Chance to Support Live Music in South Dakota
Beyond creating a festival experience, Church hopes Four Winds can help prove that Rapid City and South Dakota have an audience for more diverse touring acts.
“In South Dakota, it’s a thing where we always get kind of looked over for bigger bands,” Church said, pointing specifically to metal, punk and indie rock acts that don’t always make South Dakota part of their touring schedules.
Church encouraged people to attend even if they aren’t familiar with every artist on the lineup.
“I’d highly encourage anybody, whether you’ve heard these bands or not, to come check it out,” Church said. “This is a great time to get involved in the music scene.”
For those who say South Dakota needs more concerts, Church believes supporting events already happening is the best way to create more opportunities.
“People love to make the argument that cool stuff never comes to South Dakota,” Church said. “Well, hey, this is me trying to bring cool stuff to Rapid City.”
“If you come, then we can make it happen more and more.”
Four Winds Music & Art Festival takes place August 21 and 22 at 707 Sports Bar & Nightlife in Rapid City. Friday kicks off the weekend with the pre-party before the main festival Saturday. Admission is $30 and includes both days.
This year’s festival is supported by Black Hills Auto Grooming, The HomeSlice Group, Metro Concert Live, 605 Grit Fitness, Jare Johnson Group, Looney Cannabis Co., Tires Tires Tires, Prosperity Home Mortgage and Stitch Productions.
