A new multi-venue and genre-spanning music and arts festival will debut in Covington this weekend.
The Arcade Music Fest will feature 80 artists spanning multiple genres across eight stages, with more than 30 local vendors and a showcase of visual art. The festival takes place on Friday, Aug. 8 and Saturday, Aug. 9.
The festival is co-founded by Emma Ranney, the general manager of Revival Vintage Bottle Shop, and musician Jared Metz, who both hope to use the festival to put a spotlight on the local music scene.
“Cincinnati’s music scene is thriving in a city that lost its two biggest festivals, Bunbury and MidPoint Music Fest. As musicians, we wanted to curate a large-scale music festival to showcase our wildly eclectic music scene, but in a new way,” Ranney said in a press release.
The historic Arcade Tunnel becomes the star of the show during the Arcade Music Fest, transformed into a glowing, immersive main stage.
The rest of the festival will take place on stages located in and around Covington’s Central Business District, with each stage dedicated to showcasing a different music genre. These stages include: Folk/Americana stage (Revival Bottle Shop), R&B Stage (Madison Live), EDM Stage (Galaxie), and a combination of Rock/Pop/Indie genres at Second Story, Olde Town Tavern and an outdoor stage on Pike Street.
Headliners Coastal Club, Departure Lounge, Devin Burgess, Audley and Patterns of Chaos will be performing on the Arcade Tunnel and Madison Live stages.
Just like its musical lineup, the Arcade Music Fest’s roster of vendors is meant to champion independent businesses, artists and creative entrepreneurs. Festivalgoers can expect locally sourced food, handmade goods, vintage finds and craft beverages, along with food and beer from local vendors Braxton Brewery, Fabled Brew Works, Maki Mono, S.E.A. Cuisine, Reka’s Butchery & Delicatessen and Ghost Kitchen Pizza. You can also find some stronger drinks at the Pixelated Pours specialty bar.
Live performances will take place from 6-11 p.m. each night, with an after party at Madison Live on Friday and at a secret location on Saturday.
Entry to the music festival is free, but VIP tickets will give you access to an exclusive bar, professional photo booth, BLINK-grade activations by Dan Shields and Kemper Studios and Madison Live’s Pizza Boiz “Super Local” hipâhop showcase. One-day VIP passes are $25 and two-day VIP passes are $45; VIP tickets can be purchased here.
For more information about the Arcade Music Fest and to see the entire lineup, visit arcademusicfest.com.
This article appears in Jul 23 – Aug 5, 2025.