Bourbon & Beyond 2026 在路易斯维尔落幕，DWP 与 Kentucky Venues 签署十年续约

8 Min Read

The Foo Fighters headlined night one of Bourbon & Beyond.Photo: Jordan Pantoja Photography

LOUISVILLE, KY.—Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP) welcomed 175,000 fans to the expanded festival grounds at Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky., for Bourbon & Beyond Sept. 24-27.

The four-day event followed another festival, Louder Than Life, which took place Sept. 17-20. Both fests included free access to select amusement rides inside the adjacent Kentucky Kingdom amusement park. Altogether, the two events generated nearly $40 million in economic impact for Kentucky.

The Bourbon & Beyond lineup included more than 100 artists on five stages, along with premium spirits and culinary experiences. Music performances included the Foo Fighters, Mumford & Sons, Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews Band, Queens of the Stone Age, Kacey Musgraves, The Red Clay Strays, Hootie & the Blowfish, Counting Crows, Foster The People, Goose, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, and more.

The Fork & Flask Stage curated by Kroger hosted culinary and spirits demonstrations by chef Chris Santos and bourbon, wine, and spirits expert Chris Blandford. They were joined by acclaimed chefs including Sara Bradley, Claudette Zepeda, Sean Brock, Amanda Freitag, Mei Lin, and more.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear took the stage during the festival. Photo: Nathan Zucker

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear joined state officials and music industry leaders including Danny Wimmer onstage at Bourbon & Beyond on Sept. 25 to announce the Governor’s Office of Music, a new department dedicated to highlighting Kentucky’s storied music legacy and to supporting Kentucky artists, venues, festivals, and music businesses.

The festival’s overall footprint remained largely consistent with 2025, “with the focus this year being on building upon what worked well last year and making thoughtful adjustments to improve the fan experience and overall flow of the site,” said Vinson Lee, senior vice president of brand partnerships for Danny Wimmer Presents.

“We made slight tweaks to stage locations and positioning, relocated areas including Fork & Flask and the Impact Stage, and continued to refine art, signage, and wayfinding throughout the festival. We also made adjustments to festival necessities such as water stations, restrooms, and other guest services based on what we learned from the previous year,” he added.

“Our approach is always to look at the site through the eyes of the fan and continue evolving it year over year. Sometimes that means a larger change, but often it’s a series of smaller adjustments that collectively make the festival easier to navigate, more comfortable, and a better overall experience,” Lee said.

New for 2026, the Bourbon & Beyond Group Reward Offer allowed big groups to save. After purchasing a pass, fans were able to create a group and share a unique link to track purchases. Groups that reached 10 or more passes received a $10 refund per pass, and the largest group (with a minimum of 50 passes) earned the Ultimate Bourbon & Beyond Experience.

Derek Trucks shared the inspiration behind the new release of Ass Pocket Whiskey, the creative journey that brought it to life, and the parallels between crafting whiskey and creating music on the Fork & Flask Stage. Photo: Jordan Pantoja Photography

In addition to the musical artists, a number of first-year partners including Sargento, Turtlebox, Dan-O’s Seasoning, Desnuda Tequila, and Sazerac made appearances across both Louder Than Life and Bourbon & Beyond.

Returning partners included Angel's Envy, Bud Light, Cutwater, Ford Bronco, Jack Daniel's, Kroger, Monster Energy, Old Forester, Tito's Handmade Vodka, and White Claw.

“Our overall sponsorship strategy remained largely consistent in 2026, but as we look toward 2027, we’ll be placing a greater emphasis on new business across traditional consumer categories such as telecom, banking and financial services, insurance, and automotive,” Lee explained about DWP’s festival partnership strategy. “We’re also focused on identifying partners that want to activate in creative, meaningful ways that are additive to the fan experience and authentically align with each festival’s brand and audience.”

He added that there’s roughly a 60%–70% overlap between partners at Louder Than Life (the lineup of which focuses on rock and heavy metal music) and Bourbon & Beyond. “Much of that crossover is among our alcohol partners—bourbon in particular, for obvious reasons—and we expect that to continue in 2027.”

Queens of the Stone Age performed on Sept. 24. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

“Having two major festivals back-to-back on the same site creates a unique opportunity for our partners. While the lineups and audiences differ from one weekend to the next, brands participating in both festivals have the ability to reach more than 410,000 fans across the two weekends,” Lee said.

“At the same time, they can realize meaningful efficiencies by maintaining an activation across consecutive weekends rather than building and breaking twice. For many of our partners, that combination of reach, audience diversity, and operational efficiency makes participating in both festivals particularly compelling,” he added.

Unique to Bourbon & Beyond, Lonnie Ali, co-founder, interim president, and CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center, received the inaugural DWP Local Changemakers Award. Presented by Danny Wimmer on behalf of the DWP Foundation and Be The People, the award recognized Ali’s decades of work carrying Muhammad Ali’s legacy of compassion and service into the Louisville community.

And through a partnership with EqualizeHer and Inherit the Music, the DWP Foundation also hosted AMPED Music Academy students for a behind-the-scenes festival tour. The Music Experience, presented by American Musical Supply, donated instruments and equipment to help AMPED students create, learn, and make music. Bourbon & Beyond pass purchases included a charity fee for the DWP Foundation, which gives back to local and national charities throughout the year.

DWP signed a 10-year agreement with Kentucky Venues to keep Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life at the Kentucky Exposition Center through 2035. The 2027 dates of the festivals have yet to be announced.

Keep scrolling to see more from this year’s Bourbon & Beyond festival...

The Bourbon & Beyond art pillars turned the grounds into a living canvas. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

Over 100 artists performed across five stages, including the Oak, Barrel, 100 Proof, Revival, and The Bluegrass Situation. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

Bourbon & Beyond celebrated its eighth year in Louisville. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

Bulleit Frontier Whiskey

The Bulleit Rider, the brand’s custom mobile bar in the brand’s iconic orange hue, was on site during the festival. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

Festivalgoers could enjoy a Bulleit Bourbon Old Fashioned and Bulleit ’87 Gold Rush cocktails (both made with Mike’s Hot Honey) or the Bulleit Rye Tai, a whiskey twist on a Mai Tai. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

Blade and Bow

The Blade and Bow Horse Trailer brought a taste of the historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery to the festival grounds, with the brand’s Tropical Old Fashioned and Limoncello Collins available for purchase. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

Sazerac

Some spirits and brands from Sazerac’s portfolio including W.L. Weller, Traveller, Sazerac Rye, and Buffalo Trace Distillery were on offer at the company’s activation. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

Festivalgoers posed with the Buffalo Trace icon. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

The Sargento Cheese Wheeler

Sargento rolled into town with complimentary grilled cheese sandwich samples made with melty Sargento 100% Natural American Cheese. Attendees could snap some “cheesy” photos, score limited-edition giveaways, and enter for a chance to win a year’s supply of cheese. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

Brothers Wright Distilling Co.

Brothers Wright Distilling Co. showcased its signature Coal Mine Aged Bourbon expressions (including Reserve, Wheated, High Rye, and Barrel Proof) at the festival. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

The Desnuda Outpost

Desnuda was on site, serving up tequila cocktails and custom mechanic-style shirts with patches. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

Jefferson’s Bourbon

The spirits brand offered attendees personalized, monogrammed handkerchiefs as a souvenir. The entrance to the activation was designed to look like a whiskey barrel made of staves. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

Rabbit Hole

At the Rabbit Hole activation, attendees could get whiskey oracle readings. The reading analyzed their card draw to match them with a Rabbit Hole whiskey expression or custom cocktail. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

Four Roses Pourch

At the Four Roses booth, festivalgoers could grab a bourbon slushie or cocktail like the Lawrenceburg Lemonade, Roses on the Rocks, Salted Caramel Sour, or Pineapple Bourbon Iced Tea. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

Attendees could also reserve a spot to relax between sets, play Jenga, and cool off with a cooling towel. A message board helped friends coordinate a meetup spot. Fans could also scan to enter a giveaway for a Four Roses cooler. Photo: Courtesy of Four Roses

Jack Daniel’s

Jack Daniel’s had several footprints throughout the festival grounds, including a trailer turned bar. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

Brixton

Lifestyle and apparel brand Brixton hosted a designated retail experience on the festival grounds, helping fit festivalgoers with custom hats. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

1 Million Strong

Presented by Stand Together in partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents, 1 Million Strong returned to Bourbon & Beyond for a fifth year, with its signature wellness experience. The immersive, tattoo parlor–inspired activation invited fans to share a craft mocktail and participate in a “community wall” and photo booth. Photo: Andrew Sturgill/BizBash

About the Author

Senior Contributing Editor

Michele Laufik is an editor, producer, and writer with expertise in lifestyle and event content, marketing copy, and headline writing.