Kentucky’s Hometown Rising Festival Canceled Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

Three Kentucky music festivals slated for September have been canceled because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and uncertainty about the return of large gatherings.

The Hometown Rising country music festival, the hard-rock Louder Than Life fest, and the rock, roots music, and whiskey weekend Bourbon & Beyond have all been nixed for 2020. The three Louisville events, all set for the Highland Festival Grounds at Kentucky Exposition Center, were to begin with Hometown Rising. Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, and Old Dominion were among the artists on the bill.

In a statement, festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents said the logistics of planning three consecutive multi-day festivals denied them the opportunity to wait and see. “Even though the festivals are not until September, the advanced planning realities of producing three back-to-back-to-back events have necessitated that a decision be made sooner than later. Our decision also conforms with the advice of health officials,” they said. “We are working really hard to bring as much of our 2020 lineups back to 2021.”

Full refunds for the events, known as the Louisville Trifesta, will be available.

Bourbon & Beyond was the latest scheduled of the three Kentucky festivals, originally to be held September 25th through 27th — the same weekend as the rescheduled Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.

Featured via: Rollingstone