Biscuits & Banjos Festival
Featuring Rhiannon Giddens’ Old Time Revue Show
- Sat, Apr 26 6:00 PM Find Tickets
GRAMMY & Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens launches a new festival, Biscuits & Banjos, across Downtown Durham on April 25-27, 2025. The weekend-long event is dedicated to the celebration and exploration of Black music, art and culture in Giddens’ home state of North Carolina. The festival will champion Black artists and creators, offering robust musical performances alongside secondary programming to include lectures, workshops and readings from authors, chefs, visual artists, and more.
Rhiannon Giddens will reconvene the Carolina Chocolate Drops in a much-anticipated reunion at DPAC on Saturday April 26. Giddens will perform solo and as well as with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, their original lineup plus members from over the years, for the first time since they last toured in 2014.
Biscuits & Banjos will span three days at multiple indoor and outdoor venues throughout downtown Durham, offering a unique festival experience to watch performances, hear talks, and participate in interactive sessions that celebrate the rich tapestry of Black culture – including music, literature, food, and visual arts – while showcasing the diversity of voices and traditions. Throughout the weekend, attendees will experience an eclectic blend of musical performances, lectures, workshops, and readings. Unique programming includes a celebrity chef biscuit bake-off, square dances, and free banjo lessons.
Lineup of those that will be performing at other venues in Durham are Taj Mahal, Leyla McCalla, Christian McBride, Rissi Palmer, The Legendary Ingramettes, and New Dangerfield. More performers, authors and chefs will be announced soon.
Rhiannon selected Durham as the festival’s home due to her deep personal connection to the city and its thriving contemporary culture, rooted in a rich Black heritage. “Durham is the perfect place to launch Biscuits & Banjos,” Giddens explains. “It has a vibrant community, an incredible artistic scene, and a history that aligns with the festival’s mission to uplift and honor Black culture.”
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, now more than ever Giddens is focused on the mission of uplifting and preserving North Carolinian culture. A portion of both ticket sales and merchandise income will go to hurricane relief efforts at the festival; the recovery of Western North Carolina will be measured in years, not months.
For more information about the festival, please visit https://www.biscuitsandbanjos.com/
Accessible Seating & Accessible Services
DPAC offers a variety of Accessible Seating & Accessible Services to make our performances and facilities accessible to all.
- Accessible entrances, parking, restrooms, and seating options including a variety of wheelchair accessible locations and companion seating.
- ADA compliant ramp access and elevators to all lobbies and seating areas.
- Courtesy shuttles from nearby parking areas, curb-to-seat wheelchair assistance and listening devices at every event.
- Plus, audio description, captioning, and sign language interpretation upon request.
Accessible Services - We’re here to help!
- For additional information, questions or more specific details on accessibility or any accommodation or service listed below, please contact us via e-mail at AccessibleServices@DPACnc.com.
Accessible Seats - Ticket Purchases
- To purchase Accessible Seats, please visit the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Ticket Center
For additional information, questions or details on an accommodation or service not listed below, please contact us via e-mail at AccessibleServices@DPACnc.com.
Age Requirement
Children of all ages are welcome at this performance. Please note that all guests require a ticket, regardless of age. Children must be able to sit quietly in their own seat without disturbing other guests.
NEW - Cashless Payments for Snacks and Beverages at DPAC
- Cash is no longer accepted for snack or beverage purchases at DPAC’s lobby bars or snack and beverage stands.
- Snack and beverage purchases now require payment using credit or debit cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay or a DPAC gift card.
- If you happen to arrive at DPAC with cash only, guests may purchase a DPAC gift card in $20 increments at our Entry Lobby Guest Services window. These gift cards can then be used at any lobby bar or snack and beverage stand.
Content Advisory
DPAC offers a diverse selection of entertainment. Not all productions will appeal to or be appropriate for every guest or for all ages. Ticket buyers should take responsibility for making informed decisions regarding their purchases. We recommend visiting the official website of each show to learn more about the show you are coming to see at DPAC. If you ever have questions about the content or appropriateness of a show, please contact us at GuestServices@dpacnc.com.
Event Schedule
April 25:
4:00 PM - Festival Begins
April 26:
10:00 AM - Festival Begins
5:00 PM - DPAC Lobby Doors
6:00 PM - DPAC Performance Begins
April 27:
10:00 AM - Festival Begins
* Please note all times are approximate and subject to change without notice.
Inclement Weather
All performances scheduled at DPAC normally take place as planned. For more information on our inclement weather policy, please visit INCLEMENT WEATHER FAQ.
Photography / Video Recording
- At DPAC, each event that we host determines their own policy on photography and video recording using mobile phones. We enforce these policies at their direction.
- This event has not yet communicated to DPAC, their specific policy regarding photography and video recording using mobile phones.
- DPAC will make every effort to communicate this policy to guests in an email before the event.
- Once you arrive at DPAC, you can also ask a staff member, look for specific signage near the doors to the seating area, or listen for pre-show announcements.
- GoPro’s, tablets, and cameras of any kind are prohibited at all DPAC events.
Related Links
Safety First - Bag Check
- For your safety, all guests and their bags are subject to inspection before entry.
- This inspection may include the use of metal detectors.
- Restricted items include, but are not limited to: Alcohol, Cameras, Glass Bottles, and Weapons of any kind.
- In addition, no large bags are allowed including backpacks and large purses 12 or more inches deep.
- Small clutch purses are STRONGLY recommended.
- For family shows that allow very young children, diapers bags are allowed for guests with infants and toddlers (child must be present).
- Safety first is our goal. Please let us know if you have any questions or feedback at guestservices@DPACnc.com
Tickets
- Most tickets buyers purchase right from our website using the Buy Tickets button on this page.
- In addition to purchasing online, DPAC offers several other ways to purchase the seats you want to the best Broadway, concerts, comedy, family shows and special events in North Carolina.
- Our computerized ticket system enables you equal access to great DPAC seats whether you buy online, by phone, or in person at DPAC.
- For more details, visit our Purchase Seats page for complete information on purchasing great seats for all events at DPAC.
- All tickets for DPAC events are fully digital and only accessible via your mobile device. A mobile ticket is the safest, most convenient, and flexible way to receive and manage your tickets while increasing protection against fraud. To learn more about mobile entry, please visit our Mobile Entry FAQ.
Video Screens
Currently, this event has not approved using our video screens. Please feel free to check back closer to the event for updates. If approved, we will post notice here.
For many concert, comedy, and special events at DPAC, we offer added views of the stage with two big screens (size: 16’ x 9’) hung to the sides of the stage or above the stage. These big screens can add to the visual experience of our concert, comedy, and special events and give guests seated farther from the stage what we like to call “a tenth row view”. Approval to use these screens always rests with the visiting show and about half of all concert and comedy events do use these screens.