Tennessee’s Big Ears is reliably one of the more interesting and adventurous festivals out there, and it looks like that’s not going to change in 2022. In March, after being forced to cancel last year, the four-day fest is returning to venues around downtown Knoxville for the first time since 2019, and it’s bringing quite a lineup with it.

Big Ears 2022 will boast sets from Animal Collective, Low, Moses Sumney, Sparks, Kim Gordon, Bill Callahan, Efterklang, Mdou Moctar, Stars, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Dawn Richard, Fennesz, Mary Lattimore, Cassandra Jenkins, Lido Pimienta, Andy Shauf, Saul Williams, Sudan Archives, Wiliam Tyler, and Yves Tumor, who should play every festival.

There will also be a whole lot of John Zorn. The experimental composer will present eight separate concerts showcasing his recent work featuring Bill Frisell, Steve Gosling, Kenny Grohowski, Petra Haden, Sae Hashimoto, Matt Hollenberg, Jesse Harris, Julian Lage, Brian Marsella, John Medeski, Gylan Riley, Jorge Roeder, Ches Smith, and Kenny Wollesen.

There’s plenty of other arty stuff on the bill, too. Meredith Monk will debut Memory Game, her collaboration with the Bang On A Can All-Stars. Tristan Perich will unveil a new piece for organ, performed by James McVinnie, one-bit electronics, and 100 loudspeakers. And San Fermin’s Ellis Ludwig-Leone will premiere a new in-progress chamber opera.

There will basically be an entire jazz festival within the festival, which will see performances from the likes of Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Sons Of Kemet, Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Jaimie Branch, Angel Bat Dawid, Nubya Garcia, Ambrose Akinmusire, Ron Miles, Andrew Cyrille, Jason Moran, and Kris Davis.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You can find the full lineup of confirmed artists, special programs, films, readings, talks, exhibitoins, and parties on Big Ears’ official website here. Weekend passes for the festival will be available beginning Thursday, September 16, at 12:00 noon ET.