Bourbon & Beyond Announces Extraordinary Music Lineup

For World’s Largest Bourbon Festival

Sting, John Mayer, Robert Plant And The Sensational Space Shifters,

Lenny Kravitz, Counting Crows, And David Byrne

Top The Bill For Second Annual Bourbon, Food & Music Festival

At Champions Park In Louisville, KY

Saturday, September 22 And Sunday, September 23

Festival Offers Bourbon And Culinary Experiences

Featuring Master Distillers And Celebrity Chefs During

Bourbon Heritage Month

Tickets Go On Sale Friday, April 20 At 12:00 PM EDT

The second annual Bourbon & Beyond festival makes its much-anticipated return to Champions Park in Louisville, KY, Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23 with the perfect blend of bourbon, food & music not found anywhere else in the world. Festival producers Danny Wimmer Presents, culinary curator Edward Lee (The Mind of A Chef) and bourbon curator Fred Minnick have put together another incredible bourbon, music, and culinary lineup for the weekend. World-renowned musicians including Sting and Robert Plant And The Sensational Space Shifters, as well as superstars John Mayer, Lenny Kravitz, Counting Crows and David Byrne, lead the music lineup of more than 30 artists. Tom Colicchio, Stephanie Izard, Aarón Sánchez and Ray Garcia lead the culinary lineup of more than 20 chefs.

See the official bourbon announcement video here: http://bit.ly/BBBVideo18

The world’s largest bourbon festival, Bourbon & Beyond is an annual celebration of the craftsmanship behind award-winning bourbons, master distillers, legendary musicians, world-class chefs, and an unforgettable showcase of the soul and spirit of Louisville, held during Bourbon Heritage Month. In its inaugural year in 2017, the festival attracted 50,000 people from all over the country, offering a series of onsite experiences, including bourbon and culinary workshops.

The festival’s centerpiece, the Big Bourbon Bar presented by Louisville Courier Journal, will feature more than two dozen bourbons selected by best-selling author and renowned bourbon authority Fred Minnick, Bourbon & Beyond’s official bourbon curator. Acclaimed Louisville whiskey bar The Silver Dollar will operate The Hunter’s Club, where attendees can find vintage bourbons dating as far back as the 1930s, as well as contemporary collectibles — which last year included more than 50 rarities. The festival also announces the return of Fred Minnick’s Mini Bar presented by The Bourbon Women Association, which will showcase this year’s craft bourbon selections: Hartfield & Co., MB Roland, Old Pogue, Wadelyn Ranch and Wilderness Trail.

Bourbon & Beyond exclusive VIP packages, General Admission tickets, camping and hotel packages, as well as special event tickets go on sale Friday, April 20 at 12:00 PM EDT. Visit www.BourbonandBeyond.com for more details.

The current music lineup includes: Sting, John Mayer, Robert Plant And The Sensational Space Shifters, Lenny Kravitz, Counting Crows, David Byrne, Sheryl Crow, Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot!, Kaleo, Gov’t Mule, Keb’ Mo’, Blackberry Smoke, JJ Grey & Mofro, Don Felder, The Record Company, Del McCoury Band, Joseph, Magpie Salute, Mindi Abair And The Boneshakers, Larkin Poe, The Last Bandoleros and Swimming With Bears.

Along with world-class musical performances happening throughout the weekend on the two main music stages, The Big Bourbon Bar will feature a bluegrass stage curated by the genre’s leading authority, The Bluegrass Situation, all weekend long. Artists performing include: The Travelin’ McCourys, Billy Strings, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Ben Sollee, River Whyless, and Lindsay Lou.

Louisville has a thriving food scene as recognized by Top Chef, which will be filming their upcoming 16th season in the city. Bourbon & Beyond’s culinary celebration will highlight top talent including:

● Tom Colicchio (Top Chef head judge; Crafted Hospitality founder)

● Edward Lee (Executive Chef for 610 Magnolia, MilkWood, and Whiskey Dry in Louisville, KY; Culinary Director for Succotash in National Harbor, MD and Washington, DC)

● Stephanie Izard (Chef/Partner at Girl & the Goat, Little Goat Diner, and Duck Duck Goat in Chicago, IL; Iron Chef Gauntlet winner)

● Aarón Sánchez (Chef/Owner at Johnny Sánchez in New Orleans, LA; MasterChef judge)

● Ray Garcia (Chef/Owner at Broken Spanish and BS Taqueria in Los Angeles, CA)

● Damaris Phillips (Louisville, KY native, Food Network host, cookbook author)

● Akhtar Nawab (Louisville, KY native, Chef/Owner at Alta Calidad in New York City, Fero in Birmingham, AL and Prather’s on the Alley in Washington, DC)

● Alex Thomopoulos (Chef, blogger, Bravo.com’s Going Off The Menu)

● Jose Salazar (Chef/Owner at Mita and Salazar in Cincinnati, OH; 2018 James Beard Foundation nominee)

● Anthony Lamas (Chef/Owner at Seviche, a Latin Restaurant in Louisville, KY)

● Annie Pettry (Chef/Owner at Decca in Louisville, KY)

● Ryan Rogers (Owner of Feast BBQ, Royals Hot Chicken and bar Vetti in Louisville, KY)

Look for more food experience details to be announced soon.

Bourbon & Beyond has also announced its first official pre-show activities on Friday, September 21, including a Supper Club hosted by Tom Colicchio and Edward Lee, events at the Muhammad Ali Center, an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at local distilleries from Mint Julep Experiences, and bourbon educational sessions from Stave & Thief. Adds Wimmer, “Our plan is to continue to involve more and more of the community, in both Louisville and greater Kentucky. This state has so many treasures and my goal is to showcase them all. This year’s Friday night lineup is just a hint of what is to come.”