The festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission of bringing musical excellence to rural Kentucky, and is funded through grants, donations, sponsorships and ticket sales.

The Master Musicians Festival showcases a wide variety of genres, from blues to bluegrass, rock to jazz, world to country, and everything in between.

In 2018, to celebrate its milestone 25th anniversary, the festival welcomed a beloved singer-songwriter with Kentucky roots as its headliner — two-time Grammy winner John Prine.

Past headliners have included Counting Crows,[3][4] Willie Nelson, Nickel Creek, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, Richie Havens, Dawes, Dwight Yoakam[5] and many more.

An MMF Lifetime Achievement Award is also presented to a local individual who has made significant contributions to the arts.