With large-scale events like Bourbon & Beyond and Forecastle, it would seem as if Louisville has exclusively cornered the market on huge music festivals in Kentucky.
But today a new summertime fest called Railbird was announced for Lexington and it features a strong Americana-leaning lineup that includes Brandi Carlile, Gary Clark Jr., Old Crow Medicine Show, The Raconteurs, Hozier and Kentucky’s own Tyler Childers (who is in the midst of a three-night stand at Covington’s Madison Theater) as top-of-the-poster performers.
The event — which features the very Kentucky tagline “Music. Bourbon. Equine.” — takes place Aug. 10-11 at Lexington’s renowned Keeneland horse-racing track. Tickets for the Railbird Festival — which is being presented by AC Entertainment, the agency behind the Bonnaroo, Forecastle and Big Ears festivals (as well as last year’s Homecoming event in Cincinnati) — go on sale Thursday, March 28 at 10 a.m. here.
Check the full lineup below, as well as the non-musical attractions of Railbird (from the fest’s official press release). Visit railbirdfest.com for full details.
Saturday, Aug. 10
The Raconteurs
Brandi Carlile
Old Crow Medicine Show
Mandolin Orange
Mavis Staples
Robert Earl Keen
Grace VanderWaal
Ruston Kelly
Billy Strings
Low Cut Connie
The Dip
Devon Gilfillian
Lillie Mae
Lucie Silvas
Justin Wells
Ian Noe
Joslyn & The Sweet Compression
Sunday, Aug. 11
Hozier
Tyler Childers
Gary Clark Jr.
St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Lucinda Williams
I’m With Her
Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors
Jade Bird
Blackfoot Gypsies
The Wooks
Susto
Futurebirds
Fruit Bats
Yola
Johnny Conqueroo
Kelsey Walden
Ona
In addition to world-class musical acts across three stages, Railbird will offer a wide variety of premium experiences, from horse racing, to the culinary world, and beyond. Renowned chefs including James Beard nominee Ouita Michael (Holly Hill Inn & more), Top Chef season 16 runner up Sara Bradley (freight house), Master Chef alumnus Dan Wu (Atomic Ramen), Cole Arimes (Cole 735 Main), Toa Green (Crank and Boom) and others come together to create up-close-and-personal culinary experiences during the festival weekend. Details on these intimate engagements will be available soon.
Separate, ticketed, adventures available Thursday at 10 a.m. EST will include a luxurious morning brunch from Chef Therrien trackside on the Clubhouse Lawn while fans enjoy morning thoroughbred workouts followed by a tour of Keeneland’s grounds. Chef Therrien will also curate a Friday night opening celebration held in the Saddling Paddock at Keeneland featuring a full dinner menu, bourbon tastings from The Rickhouse, craft cocktails for purchase and more. Additional equine excursions include visits to neighboring horse farms WinStar Farm and Godolphin. Convenient transportation to and from the Keeneland grounds is included in the package. Details, including menus for the Friday night dinner and Saturday and Sunday brunches, along with tour times and all ticket prices can be found at RailbirdFest.com.
All festival-goers will enjoy wagering, lounging and a taste of horse culture at the Lucky Day Plaza. Fans can get in on the action and wager on off-track betting, with coast-to-coast simulcast from Del Mar to Saratoga on the festival grounds. Keeneland’s own BETologists will be on-site with tips for winning big. All of this will be available inside a comfortable, air-conditioned lounge.
Railbird just wouldn’t be a Kentucky festival without Bourbon. The Rickhouse will be home to a highly-curated Bourbon experience, with hand-selected barrels from Kentucky’s finest distilleries and immersive whiskey experiences. Bourbon Barrel selections will be chosen in collaboration with Academy Award Nominee and Lexington-based filmmaker, AJ Hochhalter, well-known for producing the 2018 documentary NEAT: The Story of Bourbon.
This article appears in Mar 20-27, 2019.