United Keetoowah Band's Diamondhead Resort to Host DiamondStone Music Festival in August
- Cherokee 411 Staff
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
By Cara Cowan Watts | Cherokee 411 | With reporting by Lani Hansen, Senior Reporter, UKB Keetoowah News
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians will mark its second summer as owner of Diamondhead Resort by hosting the DiamondStone Music Festival, a three-day celebration of Red Dirt music, river floats and camping on the banks of the Illinois River, Aug. 20–22, 2026.
The festival is a United Keetoowah Band (UKB) business event. The federally recognized Cherokee tribe, headquartered in Tahlequah, owns and operates Diamondhead Resort, the Cherokee-owned campground and float operation at 12081 OK-10 that serves as the festival grounds. As Senior Reporter Lani Hansen reported in UKB Keetoowah News, the tribe's Corporate Board took the resort under its oversight after the acquisition closed in early 2025. UKB Chief Jeff Wacoche said the tribe "finalized the purchase of Diamondhead Resort" on Jan. 24, 2025.
Oklahoma Red Dirt mainstays Jason Boland & The Stragglers headline the 2026 lineup. They are joined by Silverada, The Damn Quails, Blaine Bailey, Red Dirt Rangers, BC & The Big Rig and Casey West, with a deep slate of regional acts also on the bill — among them Emily Hollingshed, Jake Tankersley, Wes Shipp, Davis Brothers Band, Kanton Teen & The Penny Pickers, Canyon Sons, White Oak Rebellion, Mason Marek, Jon Bullard, Sophia Clark, Maddie K, Nikki & Company, Jackson Glasby, Bear Morrisson's God Dog, Oklahoma Space Program, Tempest Revival, Boon Mendenhall, Joe Mack, Rex Pryor and Shad Storey. Organizers say additional performers will be announced.
Beyond the music, the weekend features river floats, tent and RV camping, food trucks, craft vendors and cold beer, continuing the river-life traditions that have drawn returning crowds to Diamondhead for years. The resort, which UKB Keetoowah News has reported was previously voted a top floating destination on the Illinois River, offers guided 6-mile and 12-mile float trips alongside motel rooms, cabins, bunkhouses and RV and tent sites.
The United Keetoowah Band has described its stewardship of the property as a continuation of the tribe's long connection to the land and water. On its resort website, the UKB says it is proud to "carry the spirit of the river forward" as caretakers of lands the Keetoowah people have called home for generations.
Tickets, camping passes and lodging for DiamondStone 2026 are available through the festival's ticketing partner at theticketing.co/e/diamondstone-2026, and additional details are posted at diamondstonefestival.com and diamondheadresorts.com. Vendor and sponsor inquiries can be directed to jcombs@ukb-nsn.gov.
DiamondStone Music Festival takes place Aug. 20–22, 2026, at Diamondhead Resort, 12081 OK-10, Tahlequah, Okla.
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