Riverbend Festival facts for kids
The Riverbend Festival, also known as Riverbend, is a big music festival held every year in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It started in June 1982 and was first a five-night event. Over time, it became a three-night festival, which is how it runs today. Riverbend is now one of the top music festivals in America. It has even won many national awards from groups like the International Festivals and Events Association. In 2007, it won 8 awards!
Many people come to Riverbend each year. Over 650,000 visitors attend the festival from all over Tennessee, the Southeast, the United States, and even other countries. On some nights, as many as 80,000 people can be there. The festival got its name because Chattanooga is built on a bend in the Tennessee River.
More than a hundred different music acts perform at Riverbend every year. These include both famous artists and new ones. You can hear many types of music, like classic rock, country, urban, and bluegrass. There are also jam bands. The music plays on three stages right next to the Tennessee River.
The main performers play on the Coca-Cola Stage. This stage is actually a barge (a flat boat) that has been turned into a full concert stage. It floats just off the riverbank. People sit in a large amphitheater area built into a hillside by the water. Other stages around the riverfront are supported by big local and national companies.
To get into the festival, you need a special wristband that can be scanned. You can buy these wristbands in southeast Tennessee and north Georgia before the festival for a cheaper price. You can also buy them at the gate when you arrive. In the past, people used to get in with special Riverbend Pins. A wristband lets you in for one night or for every night of the festival, except for a special event called the Bessie Smith Strut. When you want to buy food or souvenirs from the many street vendors, you use a token system.
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Famous Performers at Riverbend
Many popular artists have played at the Riverbend Festival over the years.
2024
Riverbend will not happen in 2024. This is a "temporary pause" to help the festival plan for the future.
2023
- Maren Morris
- Nathaniel Rateliff
- Trombone Shorty
2022
- Brothers Osborne
- Cage The Elephant
- Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
2020 & 2021
The festival did not take place in 2020 or 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2019
2018
- Hank Williams Jr.
- The Wallflowers
- Luke Combs
- Switchfoot
- Dustin Lynch
- Flo Rida
- Third Eye Blind
- Brett Michaels
Other Past Performers
Many other famous musicians have performed at Riverbend. These include Toby Keith, Heart, REO Speedwagon, 3 Doors Down, Hunter Hayes, Martina McBride, Widespread Panic, Buddy Guy, Boston, Joan Jett, Dierks Bentley, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Church, Foreigner, The Beach Boys, Alan Jackson, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, ZZ Top, Earth, Wind & Fire, Steve Miller Band, Kenny Rogers, Kid Rock, LL Cool J, Styx, Joe Cocker, The Temptations, and Blues Traveler.
Official Website
- Riverbend Festival Official Website: http://www.riverbendfestival.com/
