Welcome to the World of Bob Dylan 2025 - The TU Institute for Bob Dylan Studies

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Welcome to the World of Bob Dylan 2025

The World of Bob Dylan returns to Tulsa from July 24-27, 2025. Coinciding with the Bob Dylan Center‘s new exhibit, Tulsa will celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of Dylan going electric at the Newport Folk Festival. This year’s conference will take place at the University of Tulsa and select venues in the downtown Arts District and will host a diverse array of panels, roundtables, keynote speakers, musical performances, and creative experiences exploring all aspects of Dylan’s music, art, life, and influence.

The conference will begin on Thursday morning the 24th at 11am and conclude at 12:30pm on the 27th. Stay plugged in to our website and our Facebook page for keynote speaker and panel announcements.

Print copies of the program will be provided when you check-in for the conference, but you here is a digital copy for you to reference – WoBD2025 Program Final.

  • Registration Information

    Register Today

    Early Bird Registration (though April 30): $175
    Regular Registration (through June 18): $250
    Late Registration (through July 18): $300

    You can register online by clicking this link.

  • Conference Schedule

    Thursday, July 24 (see full schedule here)

    9 a.m. Registration
    11 a.m. Anna Canoni Keynote: “When Woody Met Bob: Hey, Hey Woody Guthrie, I Wrote You A Song”
    12:30 p.m. Lunch/Registration
    2 p.m. Panel Session A
    4 p.m. Panel Session B
    7 p.m. Hypnotist Collectors and The Tambourine Man – Screenings of My Back Pages and Invisible Legend: Bruce Langhorne

    Friday, July 25 (see full schedule here)

    9 a.m. Panel Session C
    11 a.m. Panel Session D
    12:30 p.m. Lunch Roundtable
    2 p.m. Adam Bradley Keynote: “The Rap on Dylan”
    4 p.m. Panel Session E
    7:30 p.m. Village Panel Keynote
    8:45 p.m. Greil Marcus Keynote: “First Unto This Country: Bob Dylan and the Little Sandy Review”
    co-presented by the Bob Dylan Center

    Saturday, July 26 (see full schedule here)

    9 a.m. Panel Session F
    11 a.m. Panel Session G
    12:30 p.m. Lunch Roundtable
    2 p.m. Elijah Wald Keynote: “Bob Dylan, Blues Artist”
    4 p.m. Panel Session H
    PM – TBD

    Sunday, July 27 (see full schedule here)

    9 a.m. Panel Session I
    11 a.m. Panel Session J

  • Keynotes

    Anna Canoni

    “When Woody Met Bob: Hey, Hey Woody Guthrie, I Wrote You A Song”

    Co-presented by the Bob Dylan Center and moderated by Cady Shaw, Director of the Woody Guthrie Center

    Thursday, July 24 at 11 a.m.

    Learn more here.

    Mitch Blank

    My Back Pages Screening

    Moderated by Steven Jenkins, Director, Bob Dylan Center

    Thursday, July 24 @ 7 p.m.

    Learn more here.

     

    Cynthia Riddle

    Invisible Legend: Bruce Langhorne Screening

    Moderated by Steven Jenkins, Director, Bob Dylan Center

    Thursday, July 24 @ 7 p.m.

    Learn more here.

     

    Elijah Wald

    “Bob Dylan, Blues Artist”

    Sponsored by a generous gift from Mary Herr Tally and Rusty Tally

    Saturday, July 26 at 2 p.m.

    Learn more here.

     

    Adam Bradley

    “The Rap on Dylan”

    Friday, July 25 at 2 p.m.

    Learn more here.

     

    Village Panel

    Featuring Terri Thal, David Browne, and Sean Wilentz

    Moderated by Sean Latham, Director, Institute for Bob Dylan Studies

    Thursday, July 25 @ 7:30 p.m.

    Learn more here.

     

    Greil Marcus

    “First Unto This Country: Bob Dylan and the Little Sandy Review”
    a listening session and conversation co-presented by the Bob Dylan Center and moderated by Steven Jenkins, Center Director

    Friday, July 25 at 8:45 p.m.

    Learn more here.

     

  • Recommended Hotels

    The World of Dylan 2025 will take place throughout the Tulsa Arts District and at the University of Tulsa campus. Book a room at one of our recommended hotels featured below.

    • Hotel Indigo
    • Brut Hotel
    • Hyatt Regency Tulsa
    • Fairfield Inn & Suites

    For more information on booking rates and locations, you can visit our Hotels for World of Dylan 2025 page.

  • Travel Information

    Closest airport: Tulsa International Airport (TIA)

    Neighboring Airports

    • Will Rogers International Airport (OKC): 2 hour drive to Tulsa
    • Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA): 1 hour 43 minute drive to Tulsa

    Neighboring Cities

    • Oklahoma City, OK (90 minute drive)
    • Fayetteville, AR (2 hour drive)
    • Dallas, TX (4 hour drive)
    • Kansas City, MO (4 hour drive)
  • Exhibits on View

    Going Electric: Bob Dylan ’65
    Location: The Bob Dylan Center

    The Bob Dylan Center will present “Going Electric: Bob Dylan ’65,” a groundbreaking exhibition opening July 24, 2025, and closing in the spring of 2026.

    Presented by Bob Dylan Center founding members Bob and Debbie Russell, the exhibit offers an immersive, multimedia exploration of one of the most transformative years in Dylan’s career and the cultural upheaval that followed.

    The exhibit traces the lead-up to Dylan’s infamous “going electric” set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival — one of the most controversial and influential moments in the history of popular music. Through never-before-seen original manuscripts, film footage and rare artifacts from the Bob Dylan Archive as well as numerous loans from private collectors, “Going Electric” places visitors at the heart of Dylan’s evolution from acoustic folk hero to trailblazing rock ’n’ roll icon. Learn more here.

     

    Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit
    Location: The Woody Guthrie Center

    “Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit” curated by the GRAMMY Museum® (and WoBD Keynote Adam Bradley) delves deep into the multifaceted world of hip-hop through expansive exhibits on hip-hop music, dance, graffiti, fashion, business, activism and history, providing visitors with an immersive experience that explores the profound impact and influence of hip-hop culture.

     

    A Relentless Pursuit: 212 Concert Posters
    Location: 101 Archer North Gallery

    Most of this remarkable exhibit was created in the most unlikely circumstances – in a prison cell. William B. Livingston III turned to art while incarcerated at Joseph Harp Correctional Facility in Lexington, OK. Printing and sending these posters out to loved ones to distribute for free at concerts, Livingston used them as a vehicle for connection with the world outside and a way to share his plea: “please don’t drink and drive.”

     

    Rising Tide: Artist Collaborations at Flash Flood Print Studios
    Location: 101 Archer South Gallery

    This exhibition highlights the collaborative spirit and creative legacy of Flash Flood Print Studios through a showcase of prints from their Artist Print Series, selected works by participating artists, and ephemera from the studio. Founded as an artist-led, community-driven print shop, Flash Flood supported clients of all sizes while nurturing bold, high-quality projects. The Artist Print Series was created in 2019 with the aim to make screen printing accessible– offering artists a no-cost way to produce editions, celebrating the versatility of the medium, and providing affordable entry points for new collectors. With the studio’s recent closure in March, this exhibition serves both as a tribute to the APS and a retrospective of the collaborations that shaped Flash Flood over its 13 year run.