Dubbed one of the “best live music festivals for fans” and one of the “top ten songwriter’s festivals you don’t want to miss”, the three-day event will feature FREE performances by songwriters that have produced or co-written hits for artists such as Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley, Reba McEntire, Linda Ronstadt, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks and many more.

Featuring the Third Annual Regional Songwriting Contest with $2,500 cash prize

What do songs like “She’s Country” by Jason Aldean, “That’s Why I Pray” by Big & Rich, “Never Wanted Nothing More” by Kenny Chesney, “International Harvester” by Craig Morgan, and many more hits have in common? They were all written by songwriters who will be performing at the 14th annual Wild West Songwriters’ Festival in historic Deadwood, South Dakota.

Returning for the third year is the regional songwriting competition, where artists may submit an original song to be one of the 14 chosen to participate in the ‘National Songwriting Rounds’ with world-renowned songwriters, as well as a grand prize of $2,500 cash and an invitation to perform during Wild Bill Days 2026.

Dubbed one of the “best live music festivals for fans” and one of the “top ten songwriter’s festivals you don’t want to miss”, the three-day event (produced as a collaboration between the Deadwood Chamber & Visitor’s Bureau, Deadwood Mountain Grand, and local business leaders) will feature songwriters that have produced or co-written hits for artists such as Tim McGraw, Flordia Georgia Line, Brooks & Dunn, Gretchen Wilson, and many more.

The festival will feature three days of free “writer’s rounds”, showcasing songwriters who are excellent performers in their own right, singing the hits they have written, and telling the story behind the music. These rounds are fan favorites, most notably because they are able to listen to songs that have sold millions across the world in very intimate venues throughout the historic town of Deadwood.

Saturday is a national Songwriters’ Showcase at Deadwood Mountain Grand’s Event Center beginning at 8:30 pm featuring many of the national writers performing, as well as top-placing regional songwriters. The Songwriter’s Showcase is a free event.


Date: October 16 - 18, 2025

Venue:
Deadwood's Outlaw Square
703 Main Street
Deadwood, SD 57732

For more info https://www.deadwood.com/event/wild-west-songwriters-festival/.