Festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents is excited to announce a major festival site expansion and extensive enhancements to elevate the experience for fans at Highland Festival Grounds at Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky for the upcoming Bourbon & Beyond (September 11-14) and Louder Than Life (September 18-21) festivals.
These incredible upgrades to the 2025 festival site are possible as part of DWP’s recently announced 10-year lease agreement with Kentucky Venues to host Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life at the Highland Festival Grounds. The 10-year commitment runs from 2026-2035 and showcases both DWP’s and the city’s commitment to Louisville’s cultural and economic future.
The newly expanded festival footprint for Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life makes greater use of the Kentucky Exposition Center’s infrastructure, creating a more comfortable and resilient experience for fans. More space will improve the crowd flow and there will be more room for all to relax and enjoy the onsite festival experiences. In addition, all festival passes will include FREE access to amusement rides inside Kentucky Kingdom (which will be part of the festival footprint and open exclusively to festival attendees), including the Giant Wheel (ferris wheel, with extended hours), Lightning Run roller coaster, and more fan-favorites. In addition, a 7th stage has been added to Louder Than Life inside the park featuring a dozen new music artists – XweaponX, Haywire 617, Silly Goose, Unearth, War of Ages, Convictions, Upon A Burning Body, The Browning, Fight From Within, Orthodox, Fox Lake, and 156/Silence.
“This move has been years in the making, and we’re thrilled to finally bring it to life. With Bourbon & Beyond, and Louder Than Life both growing year over year, we knew it was time for more space, more comfort, and more ways to elevate the fan experience beyond just the music,” says Danny Wimmer of DWP. “The new layout delivers so much to be excited about: expanded shade, indoor experiences, air-conditioned areas, and—thanks to our collaboration with Kentucky Kingdom—an amusement park inside the festival. It’s a truly unique addition that brings incredible value to fans, along with more food options, more ways to cool off, and so much more to explore. I’m ecstatic because this is just the beginning of something truly special for our festivals in Louisville.”
Check out virtual videos of the reimagined festival sites here:
Bourbon & Beyond: https://youtu.be/JqyUx_iv4ks
Louder Than Life: https://youtu.be/–5VlliI9lU
Here are some of the key updates and enhancements to the festival grounds:
- More Comfort & More Space
- DWP is rolling out sitewide enhancements to make festivalgoers’ weekends smoother, more comfortable, and easier to keep cool.
- An immersive merch experience inside the climate-controlled Kentucky Expo Center, featuring festival gear, additional activations, and lounge seating.
- More tree-shaded areas throughout the grounds to beat the heat
- Expanded turf zones at the main stages and GA areas
- A more spacious layout designed to let fans stretch out, sway easy, and savor every moment between sets
- An added main entrance to help ease the flow and get fans in the gates quicker
- Bourbon & Beyond will be more than doubling its GA Lawn Chair Pass capacity and releasing more for purchase. Current passholders will have first access starting tomorrow (August 7) at 12:00 PM ET before any remaining are released to the public Friday, August 8 at 12:00 PM ET.
All festival passes now include:
- FREE access to amusement rides inside Kentucky Kingdom from 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM daily (closed to the public during the festivals)
- Attractions include the Giant Wheel (ferris wheel, with extended hours), Lightning Run roller coaster, Scream Extreme and Skycatcher, for a total of 18 fan-favorites
- Extra shaded areas, picnic spots & restrooms
- Select concessions, shopping & air-conditioned indoor dining
VIP Just Got An Upgrade
MINT VIP is now 35% larger than ever before, with an expanded layout designed for extra comfort Brand-new 3-story shaded viewing platform offering an elevated view of both main stages (replacing former outdoor patio)
Added large shade structure for additional coverage throughout VIP area
Transportation & Festival Entry Improvements:
- Festival site will be able to better utilize the infrastructure in place on the festival grounds, including roadways and parking as they were originally designed
- A second festival entrance will be added this year
- Dedicated rideshare/taxi area
- Shuttles will be vastly improved
For more information, visit:
Bourbon & Beyond: https://bourbonandbeyond.com
Louder Than Life: https://louderthanlifefestival.com
