Bourbon & Beyond Announces Largest Lineup In History For Festival’s 8th Year
Featuring 100+ Music Artists On 5 Stages, Along With Premium Spirits And Culinary Experiences September 24-27 At Kentucky Exposition Center In Louisville, Kentucky
(Feb. 18, 2026): Festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents has announced the largest lineup in history for the 8th year of Bourbon & Beyond -- the World’s Largest Bourbon, Food & Music Festival -- set for September 24-27, 2026 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
Named Pollstar’s Global 2025 Festival of the Year, Bourbon & Beyond 2026 will feature 100+ artists on 5 stages, headlined by superstars including:
- Thursday, Sept. 24: Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Goose
- Friday, Sept. 25: Mumford & Sons, Kacey Musgraves, Foster the People
- Saturday, Sept. 26: Chris Stapleton, The Red Clay Strays, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
- Sunday, Sept. 27: Dave Matthews Band, Hootie & the Blowfish, Counting Crows
Some of the highlights and special appearances at Bourbon & Beyond 2026 include:
- Performance from Foo Fighters, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and 15x Grammy Award winners
- Mumford & Sons’ first show in Louisville in nearly a decade
- Performance from Chris Stapleton, 2026 Grammy Award winner for Best Country Solo Performance
- Dave Matthews Band celebrates 30 Years of their most popular album, Crash
- Hootie & The Blowfish performs their first show in the state of Kentucky in 20+ years
- Performances from "Kentucky's Own” include Chris Stapleton (Lexington/Staffordsville), Joan Osborne (Anchorage), SG Goodman (Hickman), Vickie Vaughn Band (Symsonia/Paducah), and The Creekers (Leslie County/Appalachia)
In 2026, Bourbon & Beyond will roll out a revitalized Fork & Flask experience curated by Kroger, bringing fresh momentum to the festival’s spirits and culinary programming. This year’s edition will highlight bold spirit and food pairings, unexpected flavor combinations, and a dynamic mix of talent and taste that reflects the pulse of Louisville’s ever-evolving food and drink scene. Fork & Flask curated by Kroger will showcase a diverse lineup of beloved local restaurants, innovative speakeasies, and standout bars, blending iconic favorites with rising talent.
In addition, the Kroger Big Bourbon Bar is home to The Bluegrass Situation Stage and features the best bluegrass bands as well as line dancing, paying tribute to the genre while in the Bluegrass state.
Bourbon & Beyond attendees can enhance their festival experience further with FREE access to amusement rides inside Kentucky Kingdom, which became part of the festival footprint in 2025. Kentucky Kingdom will be open exclusively to festival attendees during Bourbon & Beyond.
“Bourbon & Beyond is built to be the best weekend of your year. Plain and simple. From the second you arrive, everything is designed so you can fully experience what a music festival should be,” says Danny Wimmer of Danny Wimmer Presents. “It’s an escape with soul — a place where you can unplug from real life, let loose, be a kid again, and really live in the moment. You can ride roller coasters at Kentucky Kingdom, discover new artists and see your favorites, sip great spirits, and eat incredible food — and it all just works. At its core, it’s about creating memories. It’s a vacation inside a vacation. This lineup reflects everything Bourbon & Beyond stands for. And I say this with humility and confidence — there is nothing else quite like it in this space. It truly is the best weekend you can have at a festival of this scale.”
For a complete line-up of the 100+ acts, description of festival experiences and passes, visit bourbonandbeyond.com.
In 2025, Bourbon & Beyond welcomed fans from over 50 states and around the world to Louisville. Bourbon & Beyond and DWP’s Louisville companion festival Louder Than Life, which take place back-to-back weeks, generated over $43 million in local economic impact in 2025 and drew more than 450,000 attendees booking over 60,000 hotel room nights and creating a visitor boom at local restaurants and other businesses, including bourbon distilleries along the Bourbon Trail.
While planning a trip to Louisville, guests can download a copy of Louisville Tourism’s annual Visitor Guide to see the city's top attractions and bourbon distilleries. Visitors also can get additional city attraction, lodging and dining assistance at gotolouisville.com.
