Danny Wimmer Presents Announces New North Carolina Festival Epicenter

– Epicenter

Danny Wimmer Presents began this week with the lineup announcement for Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival, the rechristened iteration of Columbus, Ohio, hard-rock fest Rock on the Range, and they’re wrapping the week with more big news.

Epicenter Festival will replace North Carolina festival Carolina Rebellion and will take place at Rockingham Festival Grounds in North Carolina’s Richmond County from May 10-12, 2019.

“The creation of the ‘Epicenter of rock n’ roll’ in the heart of North Carolina gives us the ability to expand on the festival experience with enhanced camping amenities, nighttime entertainment with no curfew and expanded food and beverage offerings, all highlighted by a massive music lineup covering the spectrum of rock, metal and alternative rock music,” DWP founder Danny Wimmer said in a press release. “There’s always a next level to strive for – and after 8 great years of Carolina Rebellion, Epicenter is that next level.”

Wimmer also touched on the decision to replace Carolina Rebellion, which was staged from 2011 to 2018. “We are very proud of what Carolina Rebellion represented, so we understand that our decision to replace it was confusing to people,” he said. “It took much more time than we had hoped to make the final decision and then work out all the details.”

Epicenter’s venue, Rockingham Festival Grounds, is also new. “In a project being led by the new owners of the Rockingham Speedway (the Rock), together with Richmond County, Rockingham Dragway and the other local land owners, we are working to develop a first class destination festival site,” DWP CEO Danny Hayes said in the release, adding, “Trust me, it’s worth the wait.”

Epicenter will announce its lineup and additional details on Dec. 10 at 9 a.m. ET with tickets and camping packages going on sale Dec. 14 at noon ET. Rockingham Festival Grounds are less than two hours from major North Carolina cities including Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, and Greensboro.

The announcement of Epicenter is the latest piece of Wimmer’s fresh strategy for DWP, which the firm has teased repeatedly. Wimmer said that “over the next two years, we will be making a series of major steps that are designed to push the U.S. rock festival market forward” and promised that “we are about to embark on the next generation of rock festivals this spring.”  Hayes was similarly ambitious, telling Pollstar in September that because DWP was “never gonna compete with Coachella,” the firm is looking into making new investments and taking new risks.