Missoula 2026 Travel Guide: New Flights, Zootown Music Festival & Montana’s Biggest Pride

In Missoula, there’s room to breathe, create and thrive. With new nonstop flights, fresh dining spots and a summer calendar that keeps getting better, our mountain town is ready to welcome 2026 with open arms.

Getting here is easier than ever thanks to a new year-round nonstop flight from Chicago. Combined with our other direct routes, this American Airlines addition makes traveling from the Midwest simple and seamless—so you can spend less time in transit and more time soaking up Missoula.

One of Missoula’s newest summer traditions returns in 2026. Zootown Music Festival is back with a fresh lineup featuring The Lumineers, The Chicks, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and more, landing during one of the liveliest weeks of the year—the fifth annual Missoula Pride. As Montana’s largest Pride celebration takes over the heart of downtown, you’ll find live music, drag shows, parades, local makers and plenty of reasons to celebrate being exactly who you are under the big sky.

And there’s always more to explore beyond the festival grounds. Spend your days browsing art galleries, discovering local shops, lingering over great meals or catching live music after dark. Or trade downtown streets for mountain trails, river floats and wide-open views just minutes away.

There’s this place where nature and culture share the same block. Make Missoula your destination in 2026. We’ll be here when you’re ready.

Photo credit:  Alive Coverage