Iowa City Songwriters Festival – September 4-6
A new, intimate 3-day music festival and conference centered around the craft of songwriting, presented by The Englert Theatre and occurring in venues across downtown Iowa City.
Scholarship applications for ICSF 2025 are now open! Learn more about our scholarships down below, and apply today.
Stay tuned for our first year’s lineup, coming in May! Be the first to see the full lineup by following us on social media (@songwritersfestival) and signing up for our newsletter HERE.
The Iowa City Songwriters Festival is a new, intimate 3-day music festival and conference centered around the craft of songwriting. The festival will showcase world-class songwriters through intimate solo or duo performances at several venues across downtown Iowa City including The Englert Theatre, The James Theater, The Black Angel, and Trumpet Blossom Cafe.
ICSF will also include a conference-style event that features artist talks, panel discussions and mentoring sessions, as well as scholarship opportunities that allow attendees to learn about the craft and practice from the top artists in the country and dive deep into the timeless art and process of writing songs.
Based on the idea that Iowa City should be just as big a hub for songwriters as it is for other genres of writing, ICSF is meticulously curated for both the songwriting aficionado and the casual listener. The festival’s core goal is to cultivate a community of musicians, writers, and music lovers in Iowa City to honor the beautiful tradition of songwriting and the deep human connection it fosters.
ICSF Scholarship
The ICSF Scholarship is kindly sponsored by Doug & Sarah Goettsch and Big Grove for Good Foundation! If you or your organization would also like to support our scholars this year, please reach out to development@englert.org.
The Iowa City Songwriters Festival will offer up to 20 scholarships this year to musicians eager to expand their craft. ICSF Scholars will receive free access to all festival events, exclusive artist engagements, meals, and hotel accommodations during the festival. The scholarship is an opportunity for musicians to experience a 3-day master course in songwriting, and participants will leave enlightened, inspired, and equipped with fresh ideas and techniques to better hone their craft.
ICSF Scholarships will be awarded based on a simple application that includes a brief statement on how the scholarship would benefit the applicant. ICSF Scholars will be chosen by a panel of Englert Theatre employees.
Scholars must be available for the whole duration of the festival from Thursday, September 4 to Saturday, September 6. Scholarships will be awarded based on this simple application that includes a brief statement (500 words or less) on how the scholarship would benefit the applicant. Scholars will be chosen by a small panel of Englert employees.
Applications are open until Friday, May 30 @ 11:59 PM CST. Scholars will be selected and notified by June 27.
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of the festival (September 4-6, 2025).
Residents from anywhere are encouraged to apply! Please note that transportation to and from Iowa City is NOT included in the scholarship, so out-of-town scholars will be responsible for their travel to and from the festival.
No, professional experience is not required from applicants. We encourage songwriters of all levels to apply.
All scholars will receive an All-Access pass to the festival, access to exclusive songwriter talks and engagements, a room at The Graduate Hotel in Iowa City on September 4, 5, and 6 (for non-local recipients), as well as group meals and gift cards to local restaurants to cover meals for the duration of the festival.
The festival will only cover the hotel rooms on the nights of September 4, 5, and 6. However, if you’d wish to stay longer, we can offer a discounted rate on any additional days.
The application process is brief, requiring one brief written statement (500 words or less) on how the scholarship would benefit the applicant, why they are interested in the scholarship, and what they hope to get out of the experience.
Applications will be reviewed by a panel of Englert employees, and scholarship recipients will be selected and notified by June 27.
The festival is not genre-specific, but there will be emphasis on lyrical songwriting rather than music composition or production. All the performances at the festival will be either solo or duo acts, so scholars can expect to experience and interact with a lot of music that is stripped back and intimate.
Follow the official Songwriters Festival social media pages and The Englert’s newsletter to be the first to hear any news that drops!
