When you first walked into Bourbon & Beyond this year, you couldn’t help but marvel at the grand scale of what this beloved festival has become. What began in 2017 as a two-day event in Champions Park that saw just over 25 bands/artists perform and 50,000 fans in attendance has truly grown into the world-class festival it was always meant to be.
Each year, festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents ups their game for both Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life, and this year was on a level no one expected! Bourbon & Beyond boasted more than 120 musical acts on five stages and more than 25 culinary and bourbon demonstrations, while Louder Than Life is bringing in an unimaginable 175 bands/artists spread out over seven stages. That’s 295 musical acts in eight days! Who the hell in the wildest dreams would have ever imagined anything like this happening anywhere in the world, let alone in Louisville, KY?
Yet here we are; Louisville is the epicenter of the music world for two straight weeks once again with two of the largest music festivals in North America! All because a festival promotor based out of Los Angeles saw something in our city that we didn’t even see ourselves. Now Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life are two of the three top income-generating events for the city of Louisville according to Louisville Tourism, (following only the Kentucky Derby). Not only that, but DWP has made more than $1M in charitable donations across Kentucky over the past 11 years. I said this last year and I’m saying it again: it’s a shame Danny Wimmer Presents isn’t eligible for a Hometown Heroes banner, because they certainly deserve one!
There is a palpable feeling in the air around DWP festival season here in Louisville. It began this year in February when the lineups for both Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life were announced, followed by months of anticipation and planning. Like a kid waiting on Christmas, you kind of know what to expect, but you’re never quite sure. But this year, festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents decided to shake things up on us at the last minute.
Barely a month before Bourbon & Beyond and seemingly out of nowhere on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, DWP dropped a bombshell on the entire Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life communities, sending shockwaves that are literally still rippling today through those waiting to attend Louder Than Life this week. The festivals were moving again for the third time. Although the move was measurable in feet – switching from the Highlands Festival Grounds field to the adjacent asphalt jungle that is the KY Expo Center and Kentucky Kingdom parking lots – this was still going to be a massive change, and one that concerned damn near all of us.
Although we had all read about the upgrades and seen the map of the new layout, many questions still persisted that could not be answered until actually inside the new festival setup. So it was with equal parts anticipation and anxiety that I, and I suspect most other festival goers, approached the entrance gates. A fear, really. Did they screw this up? Is it too big? Is getting around going to take too long? And most of all, did I just spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on what is about to be a miserable experience? Once inside, all of these questions would be answered within minutes with a resounding “No” as far as I was concerned.
The KY State Fair had just wrapped up barely two weeks before Bourbon & Beyond’s opening day. A mere 18 days is all the time they had to take down the midway rides, tents, and booths from the fair, then build out whole festival in its place using a completely different layout than had ever been done before. So when you got past the festival gates and were able to finally see what they had accomplished in such little time, it was nothing short of astounding. This no longer looked like the KY Expo Center. Sure the landmarks were still there: the large water fountain, Freedom Hall, the South Wing, but it looked as if they had been picked up and moved to a new location. I have been to the Expo Center hundreds of times, yet I was now disoriented in the best way possible. This was a whole new world waiting for all of us to explore!
From the new Oak and Barrel main stages layout with a giant monitor between them and two flanking the sides of each stage, the massive amount of turf, the far-improved ADA seating, shade structures and misting fans, to the incredibly nice three-story Mint VIP viewing area, and improved Angel’s Envy Beyond VIP viewing area, the difference was impressive, to say the least. Walking around, the food and beverage choices seemed far more plentiful and varied than in the past. The smaller 100 Proof and Revival stages offered more room for the crowds as well. Tucked into a corner near the West Wing, almost as if it were hiding, was the Fork & Flask stage. Next to it, indoor air conditioning and a whole new merch setup in the West Wing.
Although the festival is fairly massive now, (for future reference; comfortable shoes are a must, as you can expect to be getting in 15-to-20k steps a day mostly on concrete), the way it was laid out allowed for excellent crowd flow and left more than enough room pretty much everywhere to take a break and spread out without having to be on top of other people. What I had estimated to be a 5-7 minute walk between the main and rear stages was, in actuality, only about 3 minutes. And the addition of Kentucky Kingdom into the festival is the icing on the cake! In all honestly, I was still noticing booths, vendors, and experiences I had overlooked even on the last day of the festival due to there being just so much to take in. Seriously, if you didn’t think Bourbon & Beyond was a world-class festival before, the new site and layout absolutely proved it!
And given that DWP is barely using any of the Expo Center’s 1.3 million square feet of indoor space and only a fraction of the 500 acres of outdoor space, the mind boggles at the possibilities of just how big these two festivals could grow. Potentially, these could become the two largest music festivals in the world. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. Let’s talk music!
Covering all of the artists/bands, talks, demonstrations, bourbons, food, vendors, and experiences I saw and partook of over all four days would take me another full day to write and end up making this review at least an hour read, so I’m jumping to the highlights of each day.
Thursday, September 11th:
If you’re worried about the future of rock ‘n’ roll, I assure you it’s in good hands. The Band Feel proved beyond a shadow of a doubt they are future arena headliners. The band, who’s sound is equal parts Led Zeppelin and Black Crows and is chock full of enough kick-ass riffs to hang with either of those bands, absolutely commanded the stage during their set and won over the crowd of a few hundred that continued to grow during their set as if drawn in by the hooks and magnetism of the sound they were hearing.
Guitar legend and Bourbon & Beyond 2024 headliner Derek Trucks of the Tedeschi Trucks Band was back again this year, but not to play music. Trucks, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing last year, took to the Fork & Flask stage to talk about his latest Ass Pocket Whiskey release, APW 4, (a collaboration with Danny Wimmer himself). The guitarist’s genuine, easy-going, down-to-earth nature came shining through, making the crowd feel as though you’d known this guy your whole life.
NFL Hall of Famer, football analysis, and occasional actor Terry Bradshaw proved to be every bit as funny in person as he is on TV in his two appearances on the Fork & Flask stage Thursday. The first of which was “Family Cookin’” with his son-in-law, Chef Noah Hester. The second appearance happening a little over an hour later with “4th and Pour” as he talked about his Bourbon brand: Bradshaw Bourbon, and his favorite subject, himself.
As always, decisions have to be made. In this case, ditching out on most of Terry Bradshaw’s second talk in favor of Blind Melon on the Revival Stage, who showed that even after 30 years, they still have the swagger with an all-to-short set that focused mainly on their smash hit debut album. Obviously “No Rain” was played. Sadly there was no rain during their set to offset the oppressive heat. And yes, there was at least one person, (a guy), dressed like a bee in the crowd during their set.
Bowling Green’s Cage The Elephant brought the fire to Bourbon & Beyond, figuratively and literally, as pyros went off along with vocalist Matt Shultz, who was highly energetic during their set, running all over the stage and, at one point, coming off the stage to sing with those up front on the rail.
Whether you’re a fan or not, there was no ignoring Benson Boone’s set. The charismatic singer performed almost as many backflips as hits and crowd favorites.
Alabama Shakes, ah, so damn great! Brittany Howard’s voice sounding as strong and powerful as ever as they worked their way through a set focused on their two full-length albums.
Another choice to be made: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo or The Lumineers? The 80’s kid on me decided that one. Neither Pat Benatar nor husband/co-song writer Neil Giraldo have lost a step in the 40+ years since they dominated the pop charts, with Benatar’s voice still sounding every bit as perfect as it did back then as they played through hit after hit in a set that shockingly excluded their biggest, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.”
The night ended with catching the last half of The Lumineers set, who proved that they were the headliners for a reason. Derek Trucks even came out to help them perform the Bob Dylan classic “Subterranean Homesick Blues.”
Friday, September 12th:
I was not ready for waking up Friday morning. Aching feet and stiff, sore muscles brought about the dreaded question, “Am I getting too old for this?” I still had three more days to go! Since standing for a long period of time was not an option, I opted to skip Trampled By Turtles, Miles Miller, Jett Holden, and Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter, and Trombone Shorty on the smaller stages, (all of whom I had planned on catching), in favor of shade and the main stages.
Obviously a lot of great music to be heard (and missed), but highlights really start with blues legend Joe Bonamassa and his set, which seemed to go by way too quickly.
Khruangbin, whose band name I still cannot pronounce correctly, brought the funk and had the crowd moving to every song, delivering a headlining-worthy performance.
Phish. Ok, these are some super talented musicians and I do dig some jams, but when songs are running for over 20 minutes, I’m ready to pull my hair out. But I’m already bald, so it just makes it that much more frustrating. But Phish’s first show in Louisville in 30 years had a little something for everyone. Their first set, lasting around an hour, was surprisingly mostly jam-free and pleasing to those who don’t necessarily follow the band. They even threw in a cover of The Beatles “A Day in the Life.” However, Phish certainly kicked in to full Phish mode for the 2nd act, delivering a set that, although contained roughly the same number of songs as the first, ran almost twice the length and was most certainly not jam-free, sending the dedicated fans, (Phans, as they are known as, and sadly not as Phishheads), into the ethereal heavens.
Saturday, September 13th:
Other commitments involving my children meant getting a rather late start on the day. All the more time to rest weary bones though. But unfortunately this meant missing a whole bunch of more-than-likely great sets earlier in the day.
Highlights are obviously Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band, which is truly an all-star band featuring Steve Lukather and Warren Ham from Toto, Colin Hay from Men At Work, and Hamish Stuart from Average White Band, among others. Covers were played, but surprisingly only three of them were Beatles; “Yellow Submarine,” “Octopus’ Garden,” and the closer “With a Little Help from My Friends,” in which Jack White came out to join the band on. The set also featured two Toto covers, a couple Men At Work covers, a couple Ringo Starr originals, as well as a few other covers.
Jack White put on an absolutely stellar set, running through a great mix of mostly newer solo tracks from his most recent record No Name, as well as the hits of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs, while omitting any tracks from The Dead Weather.
Sorry Johnny Blue Skies, but I wasn’t missing the Pixies, who closed out the 100 Proof stage in style by delivering an hour-long set which dove heavily into their fan-favorite late 80’s material like “Debaser,” “Wave of Mutilation,” “Bone Machine,” “Where is My Mind?” and “Caribou,” but sadly left “Monkey Gone To Heaven” off the setlist.
Thankfully, Jackson, KY’s own Sturgill Simpson was only about halfway through his set once Pixies ended, getting there in time to catch his cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain,” followed by Simpson and Johnny Blue Skies originals, and a healthy dose of unexpected but very cool covers of The Doors “L.A. Woman,” The Allman Brothers Band “Midnight Rider,” and oddly enough, Eddie Murphy’s 80’s pop hit “Party All the Time,” before closing out the night with “Best Clockmaker on Mars.”
Sunday, September 14th:
I started the day by ordering a pair of gel insoles for my shoes. If I’m going to make it through Louder Than Life, I’m gonna need a lot of help from Dr. Scholl.
Highlights from Sunday: The Baseball Project’s surprisingly early and not-nearly crowded enough set for a supergroup made up of Peter Buck and Mike Mills (both original members of R.E.M.), Scott McCaughey (R.E.M., The Fresh Young Fellows, The Minus 5), Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate) and Linda Pitmon (Psycher, Golden Smog, Filthy Friends). I’m completely unfamiliar with their music, in which all songs revolve around baseball, but couldn’t pass up a chance to catch these legends live.
Dashboard Confessional, another band I’m only vaguely familiar with, put on an excellent set that had the early 2000’s kids singing along.
Foreigner, who are currently on their farewell tour, put on an all-too-short greatest hits set that had everyone singing along. Sad that one of the best-selling bands of all time would get saddled with an early afternoon, 45-minute set. And was I the only one somewhat disappointed to not see Louisvillian and former Foreigner vocalist Johnny Edwards make an appearance? It was, however, quite special to see the Ballard High School Choir backing up the band on “I Want To Know What Love Is.”
Comedian Jim Gaffigan brought some great laughs to the Fork & Flask stage during his “Bourbon Parenting” interview and tasting session. Gaffigan, along with filmmaker and Louisville native Stu Pollard, created Fathertime Bourbon, and the comedian has since dove head first into the world of bourbon, which he discussed in great, hilarious detail.
The 90’s were in full display Sunday with Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms, Goo Goo Dolls, and Blues Traveler all making appearances. Spin Doctors, not surprisingly, delivering a set comprised almost solely of tracks from their 1991 runaway hit album Pocket Full of Kryptonite.
Gin Blossoms, who promoted Ear X-Tacy by having a band member cover his mouth with the classic black logo bumper sticker in their highly successful breakthrough album New Miserable Experience, also stuck close to their early hits, foregoing anything they released after 1996.
I opted to skip The Goo Goo Dolls in favor of Blues Traveler, who played a rather interesting set consisting of several unexpected covers such as Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down To Georgia,” Sublime’s “What I Got,” Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” and a teaser of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” with the band’s biggest hit “Run-Around” coming very early in the set.
I’ll be honest, I’m largely unfamiliar with headliner and festival closer Noah Kahan. But I was definitely in the minority Sunday night as the massive crowd gathered to watch the singer/songwriter seemed to know the words to every song he and his band played, which consisted of a good number of tracks from his latest full-length album, 2022’s Stick Season. I, however, only made it a few songs in before the aches and pains of my feet and back sent me heading towards home.
Official numbers are not out as of this writing, but this year’s attendance certainly seemed to me to eclipse 2024’s record of 210,000. Danny Wimmer Presents’ gamble with a new site and layout paid off in spades! Every year, DWP comes up with new ways to make Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life better than the year before. Just when you think they can’t top the previous year, they do. I’m not sure what they have planned for next year, but I can’t wait to find out!
For LEO Weekly’s photo wrap-up of Bourbon & Beyond 2025, check out: “Here Is What We Saw At Bourbon And Beyond 2025”
This article appears in Sep 1-30, 2025.