With two of the biggest music festivals in the country being held on back to back weekends here in Louisville with Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life, it is hard to imagine how much really goes into the production and logistics of moving over 140,000 music fans in and out of the festivals grounds for two consecutive weekends. In the end, the team at Danny Wimmer Presents produces a seamless experience year in and year out. There might be some that find it an inconvenience to their daily routines with additional traffic, noise at night or other things that may not fit into their day to day liking. But, rest assured that the overall benefit of these festivals to a city like Louisville is something we should embrace and welcome for years to come, or as long as Danny Wimmer will bring it back.
The numbers behind the two festivals are huge, both from a production stand point and an economic benefit standpoint. Here are some of those numbers released from Danny Wimmer Presents.
Hailed by Forbes as “one of America’s most unique festival offerings,”Bourbon & Beyond returned in a big way this past weekend, bringing in over 140,000 attendees, breaking an attendance record for the festival.
Held over four days for the first time – September 15-18 – at the Highland Festival Grounds At The Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, the World’s Largest Bourbon & Music Festival offered something for everyone. The one-of-a-kind entertainment offerings included some of the best and brightest music stars in Americana, roots, blues, country and rock n roll, as well as a range of culinary programming from some of the country’s top chefs and a wide palette of bourbon tastings and workshops celebrating the rich culture of Louisville.
Audience is your connection to the performing arts and entertainment in Louisville. We are excited to continue to provide show previews, reviews, recommendations and more on Audience502.com, in our monthly magazine (Audience Magazine) and more.
As we jump into the fall season here in Louisville, we are excited to present some of our top picks for everything from plays and operas to concerts and festivals. We hope you get a chance to check out some, or all, of our suggestions. Also be sure to check out our preferred event calendar at Audience502.com/audience-events for our latest recommendations. Enjoy!
Violinist Tessa Lark, who plays a violin that’s as old as any you’ll ever see, and is about as up-to-date a musical star as any you’ll find, appears with the Louisville Orchestra in the symphony’s season-opening concerts, September 16 and 17 in Whitney Hall.
Music director Teddy Abrams has the baton, with the orchestra also performing Igor Stravinsky’s “Symphony in Three Movements.” Abrams will also introduce three composers selected for the symphony’s new Creators Corps (read more about that below).
Lark is a vibrant young talent, with a raft of classical credits and an ambitious concert tour schedule. She studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and Juilliard, but also grew up in Richmond, Ky., playing with her dad in a gospel-bluegrass group called Narrow Road. So, she was just a hike away from Appalachian mountain music in Eastern Kentucky, and a few miles from formal classical violin study in Cincinnati.
Kentucky Opera is thrilled to stage five performances of La bohème at The Brown Theatre this Fall to open its 70th Anniversary Season 22/23. One of the most romantic stories of all time, Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème will be performed Friday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 25 at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 29 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m.
Single tickets for La bohème start at $45.25, with discounts for students and groups, and are available now for purchase by visitingkyopera.orgor by calling (502) 584-4500. Discount season subscriptions are also available to purchase starting at $110 and include La bohème as well as 22/23 main stage performances of the tango opera María de Buenos Aires and Rossini’s Cinderella.
Bourbon & Beyond and Louder than Life are two of the regions biggest music festivals, and both are returning to Louisville in September for back to back weekends and for what will surely be a great time for any music connoisseur.
In this month’s Audience Interview, we are excited to to catch up with two of the team members from Danny Wimmer Presents that make it all happen, Chamie McCurry who handles marketing and communications and Del Williams who is the head of talent. They are ready for another year and can’t wait to be back in Louisville.
Enjoy the interview!
Listen to the interview in it’s entirety below or keep reading for the transcript.
With two of the biggest music festivals in the country being held on back to back weekends here in Louisville with Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life, it is hard to imagine how much really goes into the production and logistics of moving over 140,000 music fans in and out of the festivals grounds for two consecutive weekends. In the end, the team at Danny Wimmer Presents produces a seamless experience year in and year out. There might be some that find it an inconvenience to their daily routines with additional traffic, noise at night or other things that may not fit into their day to day liking. But, rest assured that the overall benefit of these festivals to a city like Louisville is something we should embrace and welcome for years to come, or as long as Danny Wimmer will bring it back.
