Bourbon & Beyond returned to Louisville earlier this month with a record-setting edition of what organizers call the “world’s largest bourbon, food and music festival,” drawing fans from all 50 states and beyond for four days of performances, collaborations, and culinary experiences.
Held September 11–14 at the Kentucky Exposition Center, the festival doubled its footprint compared to prior years, offering expanded staging and infrastructure while also giving attendees free access to amusement rides inside Kentucky Kingdom.
More than 120 artists performed across five stages. 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 lineup also featured Cage The Elephant, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Collective Soul, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, Foreigner, Pixies, Dashboard Confessional, Lake Street Dive, and many others.
Several performances proved to be standouts: Alabama Shakes made their first Louisville appearance in a decade as part of their reunion tour, while Simpson delivered a 150-minute home-state headlining set. Phish drew one of the weekend’s most passionate crowds with a three-hour, two-set performance. And on Saturday, Jack White joined Ringo Starr for a historic rendition of “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
Sunday marked another milestone when Foreigner gave their final festival appearance with singer Kelly Hansen, joined by the Jefferson County Public Schools Alumni Choir for “I Want To Know What Love Is.” Noah Kahan also debuted a new song, “The Great Divide,” before teaming up with Nathaniel Rateliff for “Northern Attitude.”
Beyond the music, the Fork & Flask Stage hosted celebrity chefs including Chris Santos, Edward Lee, Esther Choi, and Louisville’s Anthony Lamas, along with bourbon tastings from Old Rip Van Winkle, Angel’s Envy, Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace, and others. Programming highlights included appearances from actress Elizabeth Banks, comedian Jim Gaffigan, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
The festival also featured the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® World Bourbon Toast™, streamed worldwide and culminating in what organizers dubbed the “World’s Largest Bourbon Toast” on Sunday with Foreigner joining from the main stage. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg presented festival founder Danny Wimmer with a ceremonial key to the city during the weekend.
Bourbon & Beyond, produced by Los Angeles-based Danny Wimmer Presents, recently won Pollstar’s Global 2025 Festival of the Year and was named one of Garden & Gun’s “Ten Standout Southern Bourbon Festivals.”
Louisville’s festival season continues with Louder Than Life, set for September 18–21 at the same venue, featuring headliners Foo Fighters, Green Day, Slipknot, and Pearl Jam.
