The Big Ears Festival draws thousands of attendees from across the globe during its four-day run of venues in downtown Knoxville. Founded in 2009, the Big Ears Festival is the organization's flagship event. It explores the influences that inspire and connect musicians and artists, crossing the boundaries of musical genres as well as artistic disciplines. Every spring, Big Ears presents nearly 200 concerts, talks, workshops, film screenings, residencies and more in over a dozen venues across downtown Knoxville.