Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life: More Than a Music Festival
Louisville has been home to two of the nation’s largest music festivals, Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life, for over a decade. Produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, these festivals not only bring world-class music but also celebrate Kentucky’s bourbon and culinary culture.
Beyond the festival grounds at the Fair and Expo Center, their impact ripples through the city—boosting tourism, generating millions in tax revenue, and supporting local businesses. Additionally, partnerships with arts organizations help strengthen Louisville’s creative community.
We spoke with Doris Sims of Danny Wimmer Presents and Tory Parker of Fund for the Arts to explore how these festivals contribute to the city’s cultural and economic vitality.
8th NuLu Bock Fest Returns Saturday, March 22
The NuLu Bock Fest is set to return for its eighth year on Saturday, March 22, 2025, from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM in Louisville’s vibrant NuLu neighborhood. This annual spring festival celebrates the rich traditions of bock beer and goat racing, offering a unique blend of cultural festivities that attract both locals and visitors.
Festival Highlights include Goat Races, Great Beer selections, a wide selection of creatively curated and delicious Wursts to choose from, live music and more.
Don’t miss a great day to celebrate Spring!
Abbey Road on the River Returns Memorial Day Weekend – May 22-26
Music fans, get your Ticket to Ride as Abbey Road on the River, the world’s largest Beatles-inspired music festival, returns Memorial Day weekend – May 22-26, 2025 – at the beautiful Big Four Station Park in Jeffersonville, IN.
Attendees from all generations will Come Together to celebrate timeless music of The Beatles and other classic rock legends in a family-friendly atmosphere filled with good vibes.
The 2025 festival lineup features fan favorites like The Love Concert, Classicstone from Colombia, The Jukebox Beatles from Puerto Rico, The LSB Experience from Holland, and a very special guest, Pete Best, the original drummer of The Beatles!
Louisville Orchestra Announces 2025-2026 Creators Corps Composers
The Louisville Orchestra proudly welcomes composers Anthony Green and Chelsea Komschlies as the newest members of the Louisville Orchestra Creators Corps (LOCC) for the 2025-2026 season.
Now in its fourth year, this innovative program continues to reshape the relationship between orchestras and composers, fostering deep artistic engagement with the Louisville community.
“We are thrilled to welcome Anthony and Chelsea to the Louisville Orchestra and to our city,” said Music Director Teddy Abrams. “This program is about more than creating new music—it’s about forging meaningful connections between composers, performers, and our community. Both Anthony and Chelsea bring powerful artistic voices, and we are excited to see the projects and music they will develop during their residency.”
Meet the 2025-2026 Creators Corps Composers
Legendary Country Singer Vince Gill to Play Whitney Hall July 26
One of the most popular artists in modern country music, Vince Gill, will bring his famous voice and guitar playing to Whitney Hall at The Kentucky Center on July 26. Famous for his top-notch songwriting, world-class guitar playing and warm, soaring tenor, all wrapped up in a quick and easy wit, he is sure deliver a great evening of his classic hit songs.
Gill achieved his big breakthrough in 1990 with “When I Call Your Name,” which won both the Country Music Association’s (CMA) Single and Song of the Year awards as well as a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male. In total, Gill has won 18 CMA Awards, 22 Grammy Awards, and 8 Academy of Country Music Awards.
Performance Preview: Broadway in Louisville “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” – Feb. 18-March 2
Broadway in Louisville performances continue to shine as they welcome back Moulin Rouge! The Musical, a dazzling theatrical adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film, capturing the essence of the bohemian spirit and the allure of the famed Parisian nightclub. Set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris during the Belle Époque at the turn of the 20th century, the narrative follows Christian, a young American composer who falls deeply in love with Satine, the star courtesan of the Moulin Rouge. Their romance faces challenges from the club’s financial troubles and the machinations of the wealthy Duke of Monroth, who seeks Satine’s affection in exchange for his investment in the club. The story intertwines themes of love, art, and sacrifice, all set against a backdrop of vibrant music and dance.
February Hot Happenings in Louisville – Our Top Picks for Live Entertainment
February is loaded with great opportunities to see live music, theatre, dance and more at venues around Louisville. Here are a few of our top picks for February… we hope to see you at a show soon!
CLICK HERE for a full line-up of our top picks for upcoming live entertainment in Louisville.
Bourbon & Beyond Music Festival Returns With Sturgill Simpson, Phish, The Lumineers and More
Bourbon & Beyond recently announced the line-up for their annual music and bourbon festival that will be held September 11,12,13 and 14 at Highlands Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Exposition Center. The weekend of music and experiences is a great blend of world-class music, top-tier bourbon, and gourmet food for what is known as “The World’s Largest Bourbon & Music Festival,” and caters to tens thousands of fans each year.
The festival’s lineup features an eclectic mix of rock, blues, folk, and country, with top headliners including Sturgill Simpson, Phish, Noah Kahn, The Lumineers and more.
Railbird Music Festival (Lexington) Returns With a Great Line-up – May 31 – June 1
(LEXINGTON, KY) – The popular Railbird Music Festival at the Red Mile Race Course in Lexington has announced another great line-up for what will be a great weekend of music. Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson will headline the two nights that includes over 30 artists across three stages including The Red Clay Strays, Ryan Bingham. Gavin Adcock, Cody Jinks, Shaboozey, Luke Grimes, Blackberry Smoke and more. The grounds of the historic horse racing track will also feature curated bourbon experiences, celebrating the spirit of Kentucky.
Actors Theatre of Louisville Bids Farewell to Executive Artistic Director Robert Barry Fleming
Actors Theatre of Louisville (ATL) announced the departure of Executive Artistic Director Robert Barry Fleming, who has led the organization with vision, passion, and innovation since June, 2019. Fleming will be moving on to pursue other creative and artistic opportunities. During his tenure, Fleming has solidified ATL’s reputation as a hub for bold, inclusive, and groundbreaking theatre.
“It has been the privilege, honor, and daily joy of my lifetime to work and learn with and from this extraordinary Actors team. Though the challenges of stewarding a regional theater through a global pandemic and the detrimental comprehensive impact it has had on our industry has been formidable for everyone in our field who care about and are dedicated to the American theatre, I’m nothing less than ‘beyond-my-wildest dreams’ grateful for the wonderful partnerships that have emerged and the sense of community and connecting across difference that has manifested from our collective efforts,” offered Fleming.
Broadway Getaway: Boston, Massachusetts
We are excited to present another Audience Broadway Getaway featuring great destinations that you can travel to with a non-stop flight from Louisville’s Muhammed Ali International Airport.
Boston, Massachusetts is known for its rich history, championship sports franchises, amazing food and a world-class arts and theater scene, and Broadway in Boston always delivers high quality performances year after year.
Audience Spotlights: Leaders of Louisville’s Arts Groups
Louisville’s vibrant arts scene thrives on the vision and passion of its leaders, each shaping the city’s creative landscape in unique ways. To celebrate the kick off of Audience Magazine in print, we caught up with seven trailblazing leaders of local arts organizations to explore their inspirations, challenges, and hopes for the future. From fostering community engagement to pushing the boundaries of artistic expression, these visionaries reveal what it takes to keep the arts alive and flourishing in Louisville.
Each interview is available to read or listen to in its entirety below. Enjoy and see you at a show soon!
Broadway in Louisville: Come From Away Returns for Special 3-show Performance – January 11 & 12, 2025
Broadway in Louisville is excited for the return of the hit musical, Come From Away, January 11 and 12 for three special performances.
The critically acclaimed Broadway musical tells the remarkable true story of what transpired in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, during the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The show, written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, opened on Broadway in 2017 and quickly gained widespread praise for its powerful message of kindness, humanity, and resilience in the face of tragedy.
(Review) Houndmouth Returns to Louisville – Sat. Nov. 16 – Louisville Palace
(Review) When Houndmouth made their return to Louisville Saturday, November 16 at the Louisville Palace, we knew it was going to be a great concert. It seems that anything at the Palace is always a treat and this concert was no exception. The band had great energy and played several of their more popular hits aw well as some new ones. Fan favorites including the opening song, Darlin’ and then rolling thru to Black Gold. The full set list of eighteen songs also included McKenzie, Miracle Mile, Good for You and My Cousin Greg with a four song encore that ended the night with Sedona.
This was the last night of their tour and could tell they were happy to be home and their on stage performance prooved it.
Houndmouth makes their return to Louisville Saturday, November 16 at the Louisville Palace for what we think will be another fun and energetic show from the New Albany, Indiana-based band. Known for their soulful blues and rock sound blending Americana, folk, and rock influences, recent concert reviews indicate the band is playing great together with fan favorites like “Sedona”, “My Cousin Greg”, “Golden Age” and more. Their sound blends to catchy melodies with fun spin offs in each song, but not quite to the extent of a jam band.
They always put on a great show and being the last show of their current tour, this should be a great night. (Spotify Artist Channel)
Japanese Style Drum Sensation TAIKOPROJECT Comes to Kentucky Center November 10
TAIKOPROJECT is an acclaimed ensemble that has redefined the art of taiko, or Japanese drumming, by infusing it with a distinctly modern, American style, and is coming to the Kentucky Center Bomhard Theater, Sunday, November 10.
Founded in Los Angeles in 2000, TAIKOPROJECT combines the deep cultural roots of traditional Japanese taiko with fresh, innovative techniques and dynamic performances. Since their debut, they’ve developed a reputation for breaking barriers in the art form, balancing reverence for tradition with a desire to push taiko into new, uncharted territory.
Audience Interview: Cash or Trade Ticket Platform Co-Founder – Dusty Rich
In this Audience Interview, we are excited to dive into the world of digital ticketing and how to navigate the process and what has become the norm for concerts, events, festivals, and really any live performances. There are certainly pro’s and con’s to the digital ticketing world, but in the end, I think it’s here to stay. To get an inside perspective on some of the best practices for ticketing in today’s landscape, as well as an alternate outlet for face value tickets, we caught up with one of the founders of the online ticket trading platform, Cash or Trade. Brothers Dusty and Brando Rich launched Cash or Trade in 2009 as a user-friendly ticket platform to buy, sell, and trade concert tickets for real fans of music that was kind of built and cultivated for fans and buy fans. From what started as a ticket trading bulletin board in a Phish show parking lot, has grown into over 500,000 users and a integrated fan experience for a much better price.
Listen to the interview:
Grateville Dead Music Festival Returns October 18-20 to Waterfront Park
Louisville’s tribute to Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead Dead returns to Louisville for a weekend of great music, local vendors, food, drinks and family fun.
Now in its 10th year, the GrateVille Dead Music Festival will return to the Brown-Forman Amphitheater at Waterfront Park October 18, 19 and 20. The three-day music festival serves as Louisville’s celebration of Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead and is chalked full of local and regional Grateful Dead tribute bands celebrating the band’s music. Headlining this year’s lineup is Kentucky Grateful Dead Tribute Band, Born Cross-Eyed, along with Pink Talking Fish and award-winning bluegrass group, Mama Said String Band.
Audience Interview: Nicole Yates – Caring for the Community
Nicole Yates has a passion for making her community and the Commonwealth of Kentucky a better place, and the arts are a big part of that. She currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for Fund for the Arts and is also the Vice President for Growth and Community Engagement for Passport by Molina Healthcare, where she leads teams around the state to ensure that the underserved people of Kentucky have access to quality health care. Her efforts lead to real results that have real effects, and we can’t thank her enough.
Audience Magazine caught up with Nicole to hear more about her life’s work as an advocate for disadvantaged populations.
St. James Court Art Show: Oct.4 – Oct. 6 – The Art Show That Gives Back
Kentucky’s favorite autumn tradition, the St.James Court Art Show, is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 art shows in the nation. Annually attracting about 600 artists and more than 250,000 visitors to Old Louisville, people come from near and far to purchase one-of-a-kind handcrafted art directly from the artists that created them.
The annual celebration of art will take place held among the country’s largest collection of Victorian homes in the heart of historic Old Louisville. The 4-square block features six unique sections, one art show. St. James Court, Belgravia Court, Fourth Street, 3rd Street, 1300 Section, West End Baptist Church.
Broadway in Louisville: Performance Preview – Les Misérables – October 1 – 6, 2024
The Heart of Valjean – Nick Cartell on Fatherhood, Loss, and 1,200 Nights of Les Mis
Nick Cartell steps into the spotlight, alone on stage. For the audience, it’s a performance. For Cartell, it’s personal. After more than 1,200 performances as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, this role isn’t just a job — it’s a mirror. Every night, Cartell finds something new in the part: a glance, a note, a reaction. Each moment is a reminder that Valjean’s story is also his own.
It’s that kind of energy, authenticity, and vulnerability that audiences can look forward to when one of Broadway’s most iconic musicals, Les Misérables, comes to Louisville in October.
“If you haven’t seen the show yet, take the leap. Come and join us,” Cartell says. “You’ll come away thankful that you did, especially with everything happening in our world right now. An audience can come together, sit in one space and connect with these characters. There is a collective energy that comes with seeing theater.”
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