Music festivals are part of a growing industry, which originated many years ago. From an early age, people love music and arts, and because of this love, they celebrate festivals whether musical, cultural, or arts.
In recent times, music festivals become popular. They play an essential role in the financial establishment, cultural belonging, and local communities. Besides these benefits, government and concert organizers earn millions of dollars by arranging this kind of festival.
Festivals are some of the main events attracting visitors. A large number of music brands sponsor music concerts with celebrity partnerships and get other benefits such as growing business, promoting community gatherings, and social economy.
The Infield at Red Mile, Lexington, Kentucky, will play host to the Railbird Festival 2023 on June 3–4, 2023. The lineup includes Charles Wesley Godwin, Tyler Childers, Charley Crockett, Sierra Ferrell, Whisky Myers, and more.
There are more than 800 music festivals held in the US every year. Railbird Festival is one of them.
Railbird Festival
Railbird is an interesting name for a music festival, but traditionally it also includes a horse race. Thus, the festival mingles music and horses in one spot.
The festival is organized by AC Entertainment, a famous brand that is also responsible to organize Bonnaroo and Stagecoach.
Railbird Festival is held on 3-4 June 2023; it is usually held on the mid-weekend of June at The Red Mile Lexington where the second oldest race track in the world is placed. The festival was held at Keene land in previous years, but in 2023 the venue has been changed and shifted to Lexington.
The sunny summer days, when the temperature is getting about 88 degrees, but it does not affect music lovers to enjoy the whole weekend at the festival spot.
Now let’s read about the festival in brief.
History of the Railbird Festival
The history of the origin of the Railbird festival is complicated. The festival first started in 2019, and it is to be staged only three times in the past years. Previous festivals were held in 2019, 2021, and 2022 respectively.
Before the Festival
Festivals mean fun for the young generation specifically, and they are usually held in summer. Before going to the festival, keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water, wearing short jeans with a loose shirt, and don’t forget to bring sunglasses and caps along with you. Taking a filled water bottle with you is also a good option.
What to Expect in the Festival?
Ashley Capps, who is the president of AC Entertainment said in an interview, “That for us, it is the heart of any truly great festival experience.” The specialty of the event is that people enjoy not only music, but the horse race, splash of bourbon, and bluegrass music at the same time.
The railbird takes place between the hills, surrounded by Keene land where a variety of music genres, folks, stage performances, and off-track wagering are to be held.
Besides the musical concerts and horse races, bourbon distillers provide exclusive discount offers and other kinds of food items specifically at the Railbird.
Highlights of the Festival in the Past Years
The festival is held only two times in the past years. The first successful year of the event included Band of Horses, Billy Strings, Khruangbin, Leon Bridges, and others. As 2019 was the first year of the event, about 15,000 attendees attended the event.
But as the years passed, the festival gained popularity; and now, it is one of the most attractive festivals for the festival goers. In 2021, almost 35,000 people attended the festival which was really a huge crowd.
It was held in May 2021, when the temperature rose to 90 degrees, and because of the high temperature a huge queue around water stations, and crowd disturbance had been reported.
After some mishaps in 2021, the Railbird 2022 has been canceled to make sure to provide enough water stations and other changes should also be done.
In 2023, the Railbird announced the new location with all the changes, much space, enough water booths, a race course, and bourbon stations to make people comfortable and organized.
Railbird 2023
After a long break, now the wait is over; in the hot summer, the festival is coming back with all of its appeal and allurement.
As we read above, the festival is held in Lexington, Kentucky for the first time in 2023. In 2020, the festival was canceled due to the pandemic, and it was back in 2021.
Railbird 2021 was not as organized as it should be, attendees complained about long queues, a disorganized event area, parking problems, and fewer water booths. And due to these complaints, the event organizers announced to take a year gap and the festival held in 2023.
Headliners, Acts, and Lineups
The event consisted of 30 music acts, with headliners Marcus Mumford, Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, The Night Sweats, and Sheryl Crow.
Saturday night, the night full of its charm and counted as the first night of the festival, the attendees were waiting for their favorite artist’s performances.
Lineups are set as follows:
- Zach Bryan
- Weezer
- Town Mountain
- Sierra Ferrell
- Tylers Childers
- Nickel Creek
- Molly Tuttle
- Rickey Skaggs
- Amos Lee
- Goose
- Lucius
- Nathaniel Ratliff
- Charley Crockett
- Marcus Mumford
- Sheryl Crow
- The Head and the Heart
- Valerie June
- Russian Circles
Saturday was set with a jam-packed schedule of different performances. The Kentucky natives, Wayne Graham Bell, and Charley Crocket also performed on Saturday. On Sunday, another and last day of entertainment, horse racing, a gaming zone, a Zoo area, and bourbon drink stations were set apart.
Various performances also took place on Sunday. Three stages were set in the festival to show gratitude, and the railbird is shown at the two main stages.
Entry passes and tickets are available on the festival website the months after the festival. You can get verified resale entry passes from the Ticketmaster. Tickets are available at different prices with different offers.
General admission one-day ticket is available for $99 to $175. Similarly, a single-day VIP ticket which is nearby to the stage is available for $350. If you want to take part in two days, the prices may differ. Two days’ general admission is available for $575, and VIP is available for $1300.
You can get information about the festival, event details, and tickets from the festival website, www.railbirdfest.com.
A Quick Review of the Festival
| Name | Marcus Mumford, Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, and others. |
| Date | 3-4 June 2023 |
| Location | The Red Mile Lexington, Kentucky |
| Website | www.railbirdfest.com |
| Tickets/ Entry passes | Starting from $99 to $1300 |
| Headliners | Marcus Mumford, Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, and others. |
| Performances | Stage performances, live concerts. |
| Other activities | Horse race, Bourbon stations, Water booths. |
| Music genre | Bluegrass, folk, traditional. |
Conclusion
- Festivals show a positive impact on the social economy as well as individual ones.
- Means of music festivals, the young generation can show their interest and love to the artists during live concerts.
- RailBird is a newly originated festival that started in 2019. It is held for the third time in 2023. More than 40,000 attendees attended the Railbird in 2023.
- The key features include a horse race, bourbon drink availability, lots of water stations, and live musical concerts.
- Besides all the benefits of the music festival, they have some negative impacts on the young generation such as the spreading of viral diseases, overcrowding, parking issues, excessive use of alcohol or substance, and so on.
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