Nabil
Lil Wayne
Back in December, Memphis in May announced a few of the headliners for this year’s Beale Street Music Festival. Today, we know the rest of the story.
In addition to previously announced acts such as The Lumineers, Lil Wayne, The Avett Brothers, and Memphis’ own Three 6 Mafia, the lineup is now even more sure to have something for everyone: Weezer, The Smashing Pumpkins, The 1975, DaBaby, 311, Deftones, Leon Bridges, Lindsey Buckingham, Louis the Child, Nelly, Portugal. The Man, Brittany Howard, Liam Gallagher, and rappers Moneybagg Yo, Young Dolph and Al Kapone.
The Lumineers
Those last three are not the only performers with deep Memphis connections. “Of course, Beale Street Music Festival always prominently features Memphis artists,” says James L. Holt, President and CEO of Memphis in May, “and this year is no exception, with Mavis Staples, Project Pat, Lil Wyte, Amy LaVere, and many more.”
Myriam Santos
Mavis Staples
Other acts familiar to many music fans include: Of Monsters and Men, AJR, Rival Sons, Billy Strings, Manchester Orchestra, Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Glorious Sons, Patty Griffin (winner of the 2020 Grammy for Best Folk Album), Waka Flocka Flame, Dirty Honey, Duke Deuce, Reignwolf, Toosii, Beabadoobee, Crobot, and Lil Migo.
The festival’s international exposure is especially pronounced, with the lineup also featuring two mega-stars from Ghana, the country to be honored during this year’s Memphis in May celebrations. The rapper Sarkodie has been recognized twice as Africa’s Artist of the Year and named to MTV’s and BET’s lists of top African rap artists, while Stonebwoy was named 2019’s Best Male Artist at the African Entertainment Awards.
Sarkodie
Meanwhile, the Beale Street Music Festival once again lives up to its namesake, the home of the blues, with appearances by Keb Mo (winner of the 2020 Grammy for Best Americana Album), Bobby Rush, and Taj Mahal, along with Janiva Magness, Don Bryant & the Bo-Keys, Trigger Hippy, Kenny Brown, Lisa Mills, The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Sue Foley, Blind Mississippi Morris, Hurricane Ruth, Kelly Hunt, Richard Johnston, Earl “the Pearl” Banks, Memphissippi Sound, and Australia’s Blues Music Award winners, Kings and Associates.
The Beale Street Music Festival opens to the public at 5 pm on Friday, May 1st and runs through Sunday, May 3rd. Tickets can be purchased through eventbrite.com and are sold now through April 19th as three-day passes for $145 or single-day tickets for $55 (limited quantities). A limited number of VIP passes are also available at eventbrite.com for $699.
The 2020 Beale Street Music Festival is sponsored by Bud Light, Terminix, and Monster Energy.
