NEWS
Churchill to stage music festival in July
Posted: Monday, November 30, 2009 10:45 AM
Churchill Downs Entertainment Group, the ten-month-old subsidiary of Churchill Downs Inc., launched its first major endeavor on Monday, unveiling plans for a three-day music festival at the Louisville racetrack in late July.
Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, and Dave Matthews Band will headline the inaugural HullabaLOU Music Festival on July 23-25, offering a wide range of classic rock, country, adult contemporary, and bluegrass acts on five stages.
“[Churchill Downs Entertainment] plans to introduce a variety of live entertainment concepts that provide exciting and innovative entertainment options for our customers and that fit with our management team’s core competencies, including the operation and monetization of large-scale, live events,” said Steve Sexton, the former president of Churchill Downs racetrack who switched over to the entertainment division in the same capacity. “With Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, and Dave Matthews Band as headliners, we have an extraordinary lineup of musical artists who will be performing against the backdrop of the iconic Twin Spires at Churchill Downs. We believe that fantastic combination will offer a one-of-a-kind experience for music fans, and we anticipate that the HullabaLOU Music Festival will become the premier music festival in this region, and an important summer destination for music lovers for years to come.”
Other acts confirmed for the festival include Zac Brown Band, Steve Miller Band, Gladys Knight, Jason Aldean, The Doobie Brothers, Al Green, Dwight Yoakam, Michael McDonald, Loretta Lynn, Colbie Caillat, Steppenwolf, The Black Crowes, Kansas, B52s, Gloriana, 38 Special, The O’Jays, War, Richard Marx, Gov’t Mule, Joan Osborne, Musiq Soulchild, Taj Mahal, Sam Bush, Chrisette Michele and many more. A complete list of performers is available online at the event Website www.hullabaloufest.com.
Ticket packages range from $60 for a one-day general admission pass to $975 for a three-day VIP package and will go on sale Friday at noon.
Quint Davis, producer/director of the annual Jazz Fest at another Churchill property, Fair Grounds in New Orleans, is a consulting producer of HullabaLOU.
Churchill created the entertainment arm after hosting concerts from the Rolling Stones in 2006 and The Police in ’07.
Jim Gates also moved over to the entertainment division after previously serving as general manager of the Louisville racetrack.
