Louder Than Life secures Kentucky home for the next decade

Kentucky Venues and award-winning festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP) have reached a long-term agreement for the Highland Festival Grounds to stage the Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life music festivals. From 2026 to 2035, the 10-year pledge demonstrates DWP’s and the city’s dedication to Louisville’s cultural and economic future. The Kentucky General Assembly recently passed legislation in 2025 to provide tax refunds for music events that attract 60,000 people and last at least two consecutive days in Louisville and Lexington. The host venue and these larger attractions are entitled to earn half of the Kentucky sales taxes collected from the sale of concessions and festival tickets. In order to strengthen a 10-year cooperation with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Louisville Metro Government, Kentucky Venues, and important tourism and hospitality partners, the proposal offers a comprehensive incentive package. The following are important components of the suggested package:

• For multi-day festivals with more than 60,000 participants, a new tax incentive has been created that permits 50% of the state tax income from ticket sales, food and beverage concessions, souvenirs, camping, and parking to be given back to the event organizer and the host site.
• The Louisville Metro Government provided in-kind assistance with public safety, event planning, and citywide participation programs.
• Access to important festival facilities and infrastructure is guaranteed by a 10-year lease with Kentucky Venues, which also includes opportunities for future expansions and upgrades.
• Marketing initiatives to promote the events, increase out-of-town attendance, and increase local hotel occupancy will receive yearly financial support from tourism and hospitality partners.
• Corporate and community outreach initiatives such as organizing hotels, creating sponsorships, and forming alliances with nearby companies.
• The establishment of a Festival Host Committee to promote economic growth, enhance community involvement, and honor Louisville’s distinctive culture.
• The possible extension of activities in Louisville, which would result in more jobs, festivals, trade exhibitions, and investment in the area, is included in the DWP Business Growth Plan.

This plan demonstrates DWP’s dedication to establishing Louisville as the permanent location of two of the largest music festivals in the United States while generating substantial economic benefits, boosting tourism, and opening up new avenues for regional collaborations. According to Louisville Tourism, the combined economic effect of the two festivals in 2024 exceeded $33 million. This had a significant effect on restaurants, lodging facilities, short-term rentals, and transit companies. The DWP festivals have grown significantly from their inaugural Louisville event in 2014, growing from 36,000 participants over two days to almost 400,000 guests over eight days. More than 70% of attendees from outside Louisville, representing all 50 states and 27 countries, made the 2024 edition a record-breaking year. Additionally, over the past ten years, DWP has spent over $173 million to stage the festivals. They spend $16 million a year directly in Louisville and throughout the state, which includes taxes, charity donations, local staffing, and local merchants. In addition to giving tickets to be used for non-profit auctions or students in underserved areas, the DWP Foundation has donated more than $2 million in cash to organizations like Dare To Care, AMPED, Louisville Visual Arts, Preston Area Business Alliance, Muhammad Ali Center, Fund for the Arts, Louisville Pride Foundation, and more. Additionally, earlier this year, DWP announced a multi-year commitment to offer an expanded roster of concerts to Louisville’s renowned Iroquois Amphitheater each year.

Louisville, Kentucky has become an integral part of who we are, and we are excited to strengthen our connection by partnering with the city of Louisville and Commonwealth of Kentucky for the next 10 years. Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life have truly found their home here, representing the incredible collaboration and spirit we’ve fostered over the past decade. This partnership is about more than just festivals; it’s about investing in a community that has welcomed us with open arms.

Danny Wimmer

This 10-year commitment with Danny Wimmer Presents is a major win for Kentucky. It brings long-term economic impact to Louisville, drives growth for Kentucky Venues, and gives us a powerful platform to showcase the very best our state has to offer — from our music and culture to our hospitality and local businesses. We’re excited to see this partnership continue to grow and elevate Kentucky on the national stage. Jonathan Shell

Cheers to 10 more years of music festivals known throughout the country, and the world. Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life celebrate Kentucky’s culture and bring people together through music. Thanks to Danny Wimmer for making Louisville his new Kentucky Home for another decade. Kentucky governor Andy Beshear

Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life have quickly become two of the largest and favorite annual events in our city, so it was incredibly important to build on that momentum, keep them here, and help them grow. We are eager to continue hosting these festivals and showcase our city to people from all over the world. Congratulations to our friends at Kentucky Venues and Danny Wimmer Presents on this great partnership.

Louisville mayor Craig Greenberg

Securing this monumental commitment with Danny Wimmer Presents for the next decade is a crowning achievement for Louisville. Both festivals bring substantial annual economic benefits to our city and elevate Louisville as a premier destination for music and bourbon enthusiasts worldwide. Their commitment goes beyond the festivals, leaving a legacy of over $2 million in charitable donations across Kentucky. We are grateful to Danny Wimmer Presents for their remarkable vision and outstanding lineup of festivals and events, reinforcing Louisville’s reputation as a premier destination for world-class entertainment. Cleo Battle, Louisville Tourism president and CEO

This legislation is exactly what Kentucky needs to turn up the volume on tourism and tap into the electric energy of music lovers everywhere. This fits into everything we’ve done using bourbon, the tax code and tourism incentives to monetize the industry and draw out-of-state visitors to our hotels, restaurants, and shops — boosting local businesses in a big way. The numbers don’t lie — this has the potential to create a whole new season for Kentucky, on par with Derby season, driving our economy like never before. Senate president Robert Stivers

Over the past six years, our partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents has helped solidify Kentucky’s reputation as a premier destination for world-class entertainment. As the largest event facility in the Commonwealth, the Kentucky Exposition Center shares the same vision with Danny Wimmer Presents for the growth of the festivals, and we look forward to hosting hundreds of thousands each year and being the central hub for those who get to experience all this great city has to offer. David S. Beck, president and CEO of Kentucky Venues