LOUISVILLE, Ky -- A pair of major music festivals each fall in Louisville will be around for years to come. The city and Danny Wimmer Productions enter into a ten year lease for Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life to be staged at Champions Park. With the long-term agreement DWP says it will expand both festivals to three days, add a country festival in 2019, and create a "Spirits Conference" in Louisville.
Total attendance for the two festivals last year was 110,000 with more than 80-percent of the attendees coming from outside of Louisville. An economic study found the two festivals had a $43.7 million impact on Louisville last year and over the life of the ten year lease that is expected to reach a total of $1 billion.
As part of the plan, DWP will also give $500,000 for improvements to Champions Park that include a multi-use path through the park, water fountains connected to Louisville Water Company lines, as well as permanent fencing. Plans also call for DWP to open an office in Louisville as well as a warehouse and purchase land.