Bourbon & Beyond Topped By Zach Bryan, Dave Matthews Band, Tyler Childers, Neil Young

Danny Wimmer Presents has unveiled a massive lineup for the 2024 iteration of its multi-genre music, food and bourbon festival Bourbon & Beyond, which takes place Sept. 19-22 at its usual site in Louisville, Kentucky.

Gracing the stage at Highland Festival Grounds Kentucky Exposition Center will be Zach Bryan, Dave Matthews Band, Tyler Childers, Neil Young, Beck, Matchbox Twenty, My Morning Jacket, The War on Drugs, and many others. 

“To have one of the most influential artists of all time, Neil Young, headline Bourbon & Beyond this year is so incredibly special,” Danny Wimmer said in the announcement. “Not only do I love his music, but I think there is a real authenticity in his craft that has inspired generations of artists to find their true voice, To have such a timeless artist share the stage with some of today’s best storytellers and craftsmen is something truly exceptional. Plus, being able to celebrate hometown heroes, My Morning Jacket and Kentucky’s own, Tyler Childers, this year’s Bourbon & Beyond lineup is truly a career highlight for me. We can’t wait to see everyone this September to celebrate the pure magic of this festival and the great city of Louisville.” 

Tickets are on sale now.

The event, now in its sixth year and billed as a love letter to Louisville and a celebration of Kentucky bourbon and cuisine, will also feature culinary experiences from Chris Santos, Ed Lee, Chris Blandford and Amanda Freitag. 

DWP Global Head of Talent Del Williams described the 100-plus lineup as “epic,” adding he is particularly proud of the strength of the undercard, which includes artists with strong followings such as Dinosaur Jr., Koe Wetzel, Mt. Joy, Fleet Foxes, JJ Grey & Mofro, Larkin Poe, Arlo Parks,  and up and comers like Breland and Sierra Ferrell and hip under-the-radar talents like California folk duo Mapache.

“The plan was to curate it so that it all blends together, incorporating the different genres that make Bourbon & Beyond special,” said Williams, noting Americana, classic rock, blues, soul and alt-country as core genres. He takes pride in the event’s multi-genre nature, unique among the company’s rock-leaning festival properties and its mainstream-country Golden Sky event in Sacramento. “We want it to be the most distinctive festival out there so it has its niche, so to speak.” As of Thursday night, Williams said 70,000 cumulative tickets had been sold, which he said was the most for a DWP event in that time frame.

With the addition of 40 artists over last year’s lineup, two stages have been added for 2024 as well, making five total. The event shares a site with its popular rock/metal festival Louder Than Life, taking place over four days the following weekend.

The decision to add so much music was a direct response to fan feedback, Williams said. He noted the passionate fanbases of headliners Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers and Dave Matthews Band, while crediting Neil Young as the type of artist that demonstrates crossover appeal between genres and fanbases.

“He paved the way and was such an influential artist in establishing an independent spirit that those acts have been able to take advantage of,” Williams said. “That’s why he fits so well, not just because he’s a legend, but because of his legacy, trailblazing the way so we have these independent artists thriving. It’s because of artists like Neil Young.”

While a music festival is nothing without music, and headliners are a large factor in selling tickets, Williams says it’s important to produce a strong undercard and give a platform for developing artists to continue building fan bases, which helps make for a stronger overall music market.

“Even promoters and the (whole) entertainment business are so caught up in headliners, but there are a lot of acts out there that people love and are selling tickets and evoke that passion,” he said. “The drivers are important, don’t get me wrong, but we have to invest in the next generation to really evolve and continue to prosper in this business.”

Last year’s Bourbon & Beyond, topped by Bruno Mars, The Black Keys, The Killers and Brandi Carlile, saw 120,000 fans over its four days. The event is nominated for a Pollstar Award for Music Festival of the Year (Over 30,000 attendance).

“It’s really a celebration of bourbon and culinary and music and the city of Louisville and the state of Kentucky,” said Chamie McCurry, chief marketing officer at Danny Wimmer Presents. The company now even has an office in the city. “Because it’s rooted in that, it feels a little bit different for us than our other events.” 

The company has long been known for establishing rock and metal events across the U.S. including Aftershock in Sacramento and Welcome To Rockville in Florida, but continues to expand Bourbon & Beyond as well as the Golden Sky country festival in Sacramento, set to take place for its third year in October and expanding to a third day. 

Welcome To Rockville’s lineup is already out, topped by Foo Fighters, Motley Crue,  Limp Bizkit and Slipknot, while Golden Sky in December announced Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett and Luke Bryan. Meanwhile, Iron Maiden was announced to be headlining one of the days for Aftershock.

Williams says to not be surprised if 2024 sees record numbers for those festivals, which have continued to grow post-COVID.

“It’ll be stacked,” he said. I think it’ll even be bigger than last year.”