The seventh Bourbon & Beyond welcomed fans from all 50 states and around the globe with more than 120 music artists across five stages in Louisville, Kentucky. The World’s Largest Bourbon, Food & Music Festival took place September 11–14 at the Kentucky Exposition Center and featured an incredible lineup of music legends and rising stars.
This year’s headliners included The Lumineers, Benson Boone, and Alabama Shakes on Thursday; Phish, Khruangbin, and Joe Bonamassa on Friday; Sturgill “Johnny Blue Skies” Simpson, Jack White, and Vance Joy on Saturday; and Noah Kahan, Goo Goo Dolls, and Megan Moroney on Sunday. The diverse lineup also featured Cage The Elephant, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Collective Soul, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Iron & Wine, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Switchfoot, Third Eye Blind, Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band, Pixies, Lake Street Dive, Dashboard Confessional, Foreigner, Blues Traveler, and many others.
Expanded Festival Grounds
Bourbon & Beyond’s newly expanded footprint doubled the square footage of past layouts, making greater use of the Kentucky Exposition Center’s infrastructure and creating a more comfortable and resilient experience for fans. All festival passes included free access to amusement rides inside Kentucky Kingdom.
Highlights by Day
Thursday
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Cage The Elephant electrified their hometown crowd.
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Benson Boone made his highly anticipated Bourbon & Beyond debut.
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Alabama Shakes returned for the first time in a decade, celebrating their 2025 reunion tour.
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Derek Trucks joined The Lumineers for a special on-stage collaboration.
Friday
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Guster surprised fans with guest appearances by Phish’s Mike Gordon and Iron & Wine.
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Phish delivered an epic three-hour, two-set performance that became one of the weekend’s defining highlights.
Saturday
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Sturgill “Johnny Blue Skies” Simpson performed a powerful 150-minute home-state headlining set.
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Jack White returned to the Bourbon & Beyond stage with a fan-favorite, high-energy performance.
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Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band created a magical celebration of classic rock, capped by Jack White joining for a historic version of “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
Sunday
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Foreigner played their final festival performance with Kelly Hansen, joined by the Jefferson County Public Schools Alumni Choir for “I Want To Know What Love Is.”
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Lake Street Dive welcomed Lawrence for a collaborative performance.
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Noah Kahan debuted an unreleased song, “The Great Divide,” before teaming with Nathaniel Rateliff for a stirring version of “Northern Attitude.”
Culinary & Spirits Programming
The Fork & Flask curated by Kroger Stage featured celebrity chefs Chris Santos, Edward Lee, Claudette Zepeda, Esther Choi, Anthony Lamas, and Lawrence Weeks. Bourbon expert Chris Blandford and Chef Amanda Freitag joined for tastings from top brands including Old Rip Van Winkle, Angel’s Envy, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Buffalo Trace, and more.
Programming highlights included:
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A live taping of the Firkin Podcast with Redferrin.
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Family Cookin’ with Terry Bradshaw and Chef Noah Hester.
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Unscripted & Uncorked with Elizabeth Banks (Archer Roose Wines).
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Appearances by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and comedian Jim Gaffigan.
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Special guest cameos from 49 Winchester, Trombone Shorty, Kelly Hansen, Salt Hank, Katie Crutchfield, and more.
The World’s Largest Bourbon Toast
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail® World Bourbon Toast™ was livestreamed worldwide, culminating on Sunday with The World’s Largest Bourbon Toast from the main stage. Foreigner raised a glass of Angel’s Envy Triple Oak with Angel’s Envy Master Distiller Owen Martin. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg also presented Danny Wimmer with a Key to the City.
Additional Festival Features
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The Kroger Big Bourbon Bar brought the bourbon trail directly to the festival with curated cocktails by Chris Blandford and top Louisville mixologists.
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The Bourbon & Beyond 5k took place September 21 on the festival grounds and quickly sold out.
Bourbon & Beyond recently won Pollstar’s Global 2025 Festival of the Year and was named one of Garden & Gun’s Ten Standout Southern Bourbon Festivals. The event is produced by Los Angeles-based Danny Wimmer Presents, one of America’s largest independent producers of destination music festivals.
For more information:
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Website: BourbonAndBeyond.com
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Facebook: @bourbonandbeyond
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Instagram: @bourbonandbeyond
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Twitter: @bourbonNbeyond
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Hashtag: #BourbonAndBeyond
