The Music Will Continue in Bourbon City

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 13, 2021) – Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Louisville was gaining a national reputation as a premier destination for large-scale festivals, concerts, and events. The city’s annual Forecastle Festival was recently named one of Esquire’s “10 Can’t Miss Music Festivals” and annual rock music festival Louder Than Life was named the “Biggest Rock Festival in America” by Loudwire in 2019.

While 19-year-old Forecastle has recently announced they would not have a 2021 event, the popular outdoor music festival will return in 2022 with new May dates. Fan favorite, Louder than Life is currently scheduled to run September 23-26, 2021, adding a Thursday lineup for the first time to make it a 4-day event. Tickets are on sale online now.

Below are events that have announced plans (pending any new covid restrictions) to host upcoming, socially distanced, music performances.

Live on The Lawn at Waterfront Park
Louisville welcomes this new concert series from the events producer of Bourbon & Beyond, Louder Than Life and Hometown Rising. Nine of 15 potential dates have been announced headlining various artists including ZZ Top, Nelly, Styx and Collective Soul, Greensky Bluegrass, Shinedown and two sold-out Billy Strings shows. All shows will take place on the Great Lawn at Louisville’s award-winning Waterfront Park.

Louisville Orchestra
Louisville’s Orchestra will kick off its 2021-2022 season by performing two free outdoor concerts themed ‘American Soul,’ which will be a collection of popular tunes led by Louisville Orchestra conductor Teddy Abrams. Each performance will offer six-person seating ‘pods’ and will take place May 22 overlooking the Ohio River at the Belvedere and May 26 at Shawnee Park. The Louisville Orchestra’s upcoming season, titled “New Beginnings,” will specifically aim to highlight composers from diverse backgrounds.

Headliners Music Hall
One of Louisville’s local music venues is offering six nights of concerts spanning several weekends in May. The parking lot concert series will kick off May 14 with local indie rockers Quiet Hollers with Heather Summers and two Fleetwood Mac Tribute band Back2Mac shows May 15 and 16. Additional shows from Nick Dittmeier & The Sawdusters with Wolfpen Branch, Keller Williams and Carly Johnson will be featured. Attendees can purchase fully seated four-person pods with reduced capacity spanning two parking lots.

Kentuckiana Pride Festival
Rescheduling their 2021 festival from its typical June timeframe to October, this two-day event will take place October 8 and 9 on the Big Four Lawn, at the base of Waterfront Park’s Big Four Bridge. More details, including live music line-up, will be released soon, but past performers have included Cece Peniston, Big Freedia, and Mykki Blanco.

Penny Lane at the Park
The epic Beatles cover band weekend will make its inaugural appearance in Southern Indiana May 29 & 30 at Big Four Station Park in Jeffersonville, IN. The event will feature non-stop music on two stages from 10-12 bands including The Newbees, Hard Day’s Night, The Rigby’s and Louisville’s School of Rock.

Abbey Road on the River
The long-time Beatles Festival tribute has been moved from its original May 2021 dates to September 2-6, 2021 and will also take place at Big Four Station Park in Jeffersonville, IN featuring the best Beatles cover bands nonstop for the long weekend.

Plan your visit to Louisville with help from Louisville Tourism’s annual Visitor Guide. Download a copy of the guide to help plan your itinerary around Louisville’s top experiences. Travelers also can get attraction, lodging and dining assistance at www.gotolouisville.com along with information on the state’s current covid-mitigation guidelines.