The Forecastle Festival

Incredible line up this year! Every band killed this year, Houndmouth jammed out! Arcade Fire brought the house down

I had the time of my life. At 62 I realize even more that I love live music and Forecastle has for the third time for me delivered rock folk country once again. Even the hot weather couldn t wilt my enthusiasm. Barnett was great. Isbell great. Jimmy great. I m With Her amazing. All so cool.

forecastle 2018,despite the heat, was truly fantastic. great lineup. arcade fire ended it in such a mind blowing inspirational way that my mind is still reeling.

Waterfront Park is an amazing place to watch a show. Add in many great bands over a three day period and I bet this event will be hard to beat.

Loved it !!! Louisville out did themselves will most definitely go again

Forecastle is one of the best music festivals in this region. Great bands on 4 stages in a beautiful venue. The range of music is awesome and the ticket prices aren't bad for how many quality acts you see. The only downside is that instead of getting local vendors and restaurants to do the concessions, you get a couple local places mixed in with a lot of wildly expensive fair food and drinks. The Camelbak water stations were nice though.

Forecastle was AMAZING!!! I would definitely recommend thus event to others.

I'm a huge Black Keys fan, so I was so pumped to see that they were playing 2 hours away from me along with other awesome bands like the Alabama Shakes, Flaming Lips, etc. I pretty much liked all the bands I saw, and the vibe was very chill and easy going. Lots of tents with food, beer, bourbon, and crafts. The Alabama Shakes were AWESOME. Electrifying live show. The Black Keys were the headliners and just flat out incredible. Dan Auerbach is so talented, and Pat Carney is so dynamic on drums. I will definitely head out to Forecastle next year!! The only two, very small, cons of this event were all the weed smoke (if you don't partake) and the festival organizers delaying the concerts an hour due to the threat of rain which never came. This is supposed to be a rain or shine festival soooo......yeah that sucked.

An AMAZING time, not sure if i saw anyone who was not having fun!!!

This was a great venue, right on the waterfront. All the bands from Dawes, Alabama Shakes, Jim James and the Black Keys were amazing live shows. The lead singer from Alabama Shakes was unbelievable. I hope Forecastle can keep up that great of a line-up.

This was the best line-up of all time for Forecastle! The venue was amazing! The weather caused a brief evacuation and trying to get back in was a bit of a mess because they threw my ticket away when I first arrived. However, because I had my beer bracelet on, they allowed me back in to the concert.

unreal festival. recommended to anyone and everyone!

Years ago I was attracted to Forecastle to see the Black Keys preform. This year I was excited to have the opportunity to see the Black Keys again, along with some other awesome bands. I bought a one day pass for Saturday. I'm disappointed to say that Forecastle has grown too big and too far away from its original roots. The performers were excellent but the space was limiting and overwhelmed with people. Social activism and grass roots live music was the original focus of Forecastle and unfortunately that is no longer the focus. Commercialism and crowds is all you'll find now.

Forecastle has become a corporate bore castle. Red Bull Tents ablaze and none of the down home feel from last year where the poster art was front and center--as was the activism. The VIP tents had none of the boutique feel from last year where visitors rested on distressed furniture with a sweet under the sea motif. Food & Drink Vendors were out of stock early on the Saturday with another day to go. The decision to evacuate the entire event for 90 minutes may have been a good idea, but I think it was the only one. Some of the bands were fantastic (Flaming Lips and of course, the sweet-voiced songbirds of Freakwater) but significant time was not allotted to Louisville area bands. Alabama Shakes--great--Black Keys--good grief you guys take yourselves seriouslyThe free spirited performances artists were not in abundance the way they were last year, and the Squallis Puppeteers did not seem to have the freedom to undulate among crowds as they did last year. I'm from Louisville originally, and I'm just disappointed at the direction this festival has taken. While it draws a lot of visitors and certainly is good economically, I just think they have taken it to a generic place. Boo! Am giving this a No Castle for next year's travel plans and festivals to attend. Just not enough attention to the little details or maintaining a Louisville flavor.

Attended Forecastle Festival on Friday mainly to see Young the Giant. The setting on the river was nice, lots of booths with food, drink etc. but the band related merchandise was lacking. Would have liked to see CD's for each of the bands etc. The pamphlet containing the schedule SUCKED as did the schedule itself. Too many bands overlapped times, even bands in the same genre. Would have liked to see basic info on each band like genre and where they're from so that it would make it easier to decide which stage to go to at which time and evaluate which to miss due to the overlaps. Speaking of scheduling...why would you schedule this event the same weekend as Bunbury in Cincinnati????

The bands were great, but my VIP experience was not. I did The VIP last year at The Beale Street Music Fest an it was sooo Much better. VIP should include: Covered seating (with seats) Bathrooms at every stage! Light food Water, sodas (in memphis we had wine & beer, too) Actual seats...I had to stand the entire time. If I come back, I'll only buy GA tickets.

As always, Forecastle was great. I just wish I could have gone all three days. One thing I will mention is that they made us leave due to impending weather, but didn't do a very good job of explaining, etc. Might have some cranky ppl bc of that.

This festival was really well put together and of course the music was awesome!

This was my first trip to Forecastle Festival and it will likely not be my last. Located conveniently in downtown Louisville, Forecastle was a very well run event that had a stellar line up and great infrastructure and food and drink prices. The Black Keys were absolutely unreal and the Alabama Shakes were definitely the surprise show stealer of the day. Hopefully the line up has me wanting to return next year.

Great event, well run and with amazing bands. Loved the crowd, it was a great place to be. Only thing keeping the 5th star was the completely unnecessary 30 minute evacuation due to weather that never even came.

Black Keys played an amazing show, which was only outdone by the Flaming Lips before them. Great setlist by both

Not only was the music amazing but the entire event was so well run! Lots to do and see and the best musical line up! Won't ever miss again. Louisville Rocks!

What I enjoyed most about Forecastle Fest was the festival grounds setup. Each stage was unique and easy to navigate too. Location was great near the downtown and right along the water. Each show wasn't too crowded, just the right amount of people. Last but not least, great variety in music.

This was an amazing concert - I can not wait til this years!

Best festival I ve been to! Only attended Sunday but the set up was great, amazing performances, great food and drink variety.

Chris Stapleton was the draw for me but got to listen to a few other great artists. The food lines were manageble and cost reasonable. Love the idea of bring empty water bottles to reduce trash but need more water lines. Those lines were crazy long.

I decided to purchase VIP tickets and had a great time at the fest this year. My only suggestions would be that I would love to have a water filling option in VIP and a food option. The would make the experience absolutely PERFECT. I loved the viewing areas at the 2 stages, all the amazing tents like the glitter and the braids, etc. Those small touches really made the fest more fun! I was also super happy with the lineup. One of the better lineups I saw for the festivals this year. Arcade Fire was 0_0 <3 <3!!! Looking forward to next year!

Outstanding. Great variety and quality. Will definitely plan to attend next year.

Forecastle was so well laid out and Arcade Fire rocked like no other

The festival is well-organized, and books great bands. It's always a fun time

Nice riverfront festival. 3 large music stages and 1 small tent. Some shade. Large grassy areas in the sun, great for those artistic individuals to flaunt their talents, juggling, twirling, hula hooping, dancing, or just to stand or sit on a blanket. Loud music, lots of beer booths. A fun festival, but the music was geared for a young crowd. The tent was set up for 'local' talent. It would be nice if the tent could have more acoustic groups.

Forecastle is one of the best festivals going . Priced right . Good lineup . Good food . Great venue !

Great time at Forecastle 2018! One of the absolute best mid-size city fests going. During my 3 days of fun, I saw Arlie, Devon Gilfillian, I'm With Her, AJR, Berhana, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Wax Fang, Father John Misty, Vance Joy, Modest Mouse, The Josephines, Spencer Lee Band, Daphne Willis. Pvris, Elliot Root, Jimmy Eat World, Jenny Lewis, Houndmouth, T-Pain, Matt Maeson, Colony House, Saint Jhn, White Reaper, Khruangbin, Trampled By Turtles, Punch Brothers, Jason Isbell, Vic Mensa and Arcade Fire!!! That's some bang for your buck, right there. If you haven't gone yet, you should.

This has been my favorite festival I have attended. I prefer it over bonnaroo and pilgrimage due to the atmosphere. We heard a great lineup and the stages weren t too far apart to skip back and forth if we wanted to. The VIP ticket is definitely worth the price for the air conditioned bathrooms and lounge, not to mention close proximity to the stage. Overall we had a great experience!

This was my first major festival that I drove eight hours to attend. Music and artists was great, on time for their time slots. Never wait long in concession lines or anything else.

From discovering random new bands to listening to ones I love this festival was fantastic. Hippie Sabotage was especially insane.

The bands this year were much more famous and much better performers than years past. The food was also really good, but a little too expensive, so I mostly brought my own snacks. The venue was fun, and the bands were good for all ages.

Ok folks I attend a lot of Festivals, Coachella, Shaky Knees, Sasquatch, ACL, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, RiotFest, etc.. so my review is based on comparing Forecastle to these other festivals. Obviously, Forecastle is much smaller than these other festivals so for that reason it is easier to get around the festival grounds and get near the front of the two larger stages. That is one positive of Forecastle. The lineup was a bit lighter than most festivals so you didn't have as much variety and volume of bands. Part of the festival experience to me is the location because you are there for 3 days. By the third day you are immersed in the music and the location which makes festivals memorable. I had a problem with the Forecastle location. While it is downtown and easy access to hotels, etc the fact that there is a freeway overpass in the middle of the festival grounds is ridiculous. The artists view from both the larger stages is of a freeway overpass. Are you kidding me? Food vendors, bars and merch vendors were UNDER the freeway overpass. Not my idea of a unique festival setting. So if you don't care about location and want to go see good headliners, Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire and Chris Stapleton were all excellent, then the festival won't disappoint. But if you want a full festival experience with a unique location and diversity of lineup then Forecastl isn't for you.

Jason isbell was absolutely mind blowing! He was definitely the best concert there. My only issue with forecastle was it was too family friendly. There were wayyy too many younger kids running around.

Well organized and run festival. Music started on time at each stage. Sound was great for all but one or two acts. Porta potties were enough and clean. The water distribution sights were fairly smooth and lines not too long( Saturday afternoon the lines got long).Grounds were kept clean. I liked being able to bike there. My only wish was that there were a few more areas of shade closer to the stages( temporary tarps?).

Forecastle was an unforgettable experience, and definitely a great idea if you are trying to pop your festival cherry! It's very organized, laid back, and affordable. I'll definitely be going again next year!

If you have one of the inflatable lounges (Fatboy, Wekapo) it would be nice if Forecastle had a wind/air station like the Reverb water stations so you can fill them bad boys up with air instead of running like wild men through crowds. PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!!

Warren stations well placed, there was shade and plenty of port o pots that were clean. Cool decorations and plenty of food and beer/bourbon.

Best festival lineup that I have ever seen, top to bottom. Great amenities, good service from everybody I encountered. Only improvement I could suggest (and I would strongly suggest it0 is letting people bring chairs. At least on the Mast Stage. Maybe even have no chairs in front half of lawn, but allow chairs in the back half. Some of us don't find it easy to sit on the ground.

Forecastle exceeded my expectations! The venue was one of my favorite parts. It's located at Waterfront Park right along the Ohio River making for absolutely gorgeous views. There were multiple sections of the festival and plenty of spots to hang out depending on your mood, interests or age. The park was super clean at all times and the staff/ volunteers were so friendly. The lineup was amazing! Getting to see Father John Misty, War on Drugs and Arcade Fire in one weekend was unreal. Forecastle seems to have a little bit of every genre each year, which I appreciate. The crowd was very laid back which is not always how it goes at festivals. I 100% recommend this festival to anyone that lives a handful of hours from Louisville, KY! (I am from Chicago and drove 5 hours.) Can't wait to see the lineup for 2019!

So well run, and so much fun! Will be back for sure

The setup, the music, the atmosphere, they were all incredible

Great facilities Great music lineup Small enough that it is easy to move from one stage to the next Great closeby hotel accommodations excellent staff Great drink, food options Forecastle is such a great festival. I have been to Lollapalooza, Coachella. Those are massive festivals. This one is smaller but the music is as good as the biggies. Keep it up Forecastle team!

Arcade fire was the best performance and show- the lights- the fact the walked from the crowd- was awesome. Two hours of pure bliss

Great time! Cool bands, easy to navigate but the teenagers were a little aggravating in some areas

Louisville is great city to visit. It's easy to get around by bike. Hotels are inexpensive. There's plenty to do in and around the city. The festival is under the highways in downtown Louisville. At first I was surprised, then thankful when the highway was welcomed shade from the sun and coverage from some slight rain. The food was surprisingly great, too! At least $10 per person for food like burgers, tacos, etc. There were also local food trucks. The bands were fantastic and the festival set up was simple to navigate and close enough together to make it to a few sets around the same time. Highly recommend this festival!

Band Stage lineup could have been better managed. Similar style bands on same stage would be nice, seemed we were constantly moving from stage to stage.& the sound was bad several tiimes with the music colliding between stages due to the overlap.We wanted to enjoy a full set, but couldnt, also due to the 1/2 hour overlap and having to get to a different stage. It was hot and you could not bring any ice & had to pay $2.00 for a small cup of ice as there was only tap water available. Not cold, but wet. :)

BEST WEEKEND OF MY LIFE THUS FAR! WOULD NOT CHANGE ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE FACT IT WASNT ALL WEEK!!!!!!!!

This is a great festival overall... good setup, friendly people, well run. However, if I'm completely honest, this festival has become overrun with kids of high school age and younger. I likely will not go back, due to this fact

I ve never really been into music and pop culture so I go to Forecastle for the experience and the good time with friends. It s fun every year and I ll be going for as long as the festival lasts. A camp ground would be cool to have as well.

Food, friends, fun and music...what else could you ask for! I initially made the 5 hour drive from Chicago just to see Anderson East but stayed to enjoy the other music acts as well and the laid back atmosphere. Even though it was oppressively hot and humid there were hundreds of peopl relaxing on blanket enjoying the people watching and river front. Anderson East and his band put on an amazing, high energy show that had the crowd singing along. I attend quite a few concerts and festivals throughout the summer, all over the country and have to say that Forecastle has become my favorite. Convenient parking, reasonable price, great accommodations and a killer line up will make this a "must attend" every year!

The Bourbon Lodge was awesome, worth every penny. The organizers thought of everything. It was a great experience until the severe thunderstorm warning required evacuation. Definitely on my calendar for next year.

There was a fun, nautical theme and it was as clean as music festival could be. I rode my bike each day, so I loved the "bicycle valet." The layout was nice because the stages were spread out enough to avoid a cacophony of concerts, yet I didn't feel like I was traveling far to the next performance. Although I didn't attend any, it was neat that "after shows" were announced to festival attendees. This was my first year to Forecastle and I will definitely return one day.

Great People, Great Music, Great Food/Drink! The setting is beautiful and the vibe is very laid back. We met many cool people that love their city of Louisville and wanted to tell us Pennsylvanians about it. I can't wait until next year!

This was one of the best produced and organized festivals I have been to, and I've attended a lot!

Fantastic lineup, great job repositioning the Port stage to the riverfront. Saint Paul & the broken bones were brilliant! Replacements,hurray for riffraff,jack white ,dap kings, the district, all excellent. Staff was great. Suggest that for VIP please have them explain @ gate that you have to get another ticket for swag bag. Didn't find out until in line at merch. Excellent host city, only complaint -no Willet :-) The 'tell us about your seats' section won't let me list more than a word so here is my opinion: it is very good the only suggestions are: wider Mast stage to view if sitting on the cement seat area, it would cool if VIP for boom stage on the right side so we could go from one VIP section to another, vocals took few songs to get clear @ Mast

I had never been to the festival before and after going I wouldn't trade it for anything! It was so amazing hearing new bands and then getting to hear big shot bands at the end of each night! You meet some great people and have such a bond! I got VIP weekend pass and I would totally go that way again! So worth it!

This was a great event. It was well organized and there was diversity among the musical acts. I saw the 3 Headliners in addition to many of the smaller acts and I felt that Beck put on the best show, but they were all amazing. Gary Clark, Jr. and Dwight Yoakum really performed well and were also memorable.

The whole show was awesome, great place for a fest, good food & beer, but The Replacements absolutely blew the roof off the place!

Everyone who played forecastle was very good! I've waited a long time to see Jack White and he did not disappoint one bit. He put on one truly unforgettable show!

I consider myself lucky that such an amazing music festival takes place in my backyard every year. The lineup this year was stellar -- Robert Plant, Avett Brothers, Dawes, Jim James, and so many other favorites. If you're looking for a more affordable music festival with the same level of talent as ACL and Lollapalooza, this is it.

The Forecastle Festival did it again this year. I attended just the Saturday lineup for Forecastle and enjoyed every minute. What a great venue, nice selection and variety of bands. The outdoor performance really makes it a special event, despite the few brief thunderstorms. The Black Keys were stellar! Can't wait for next year!

I only attended Saturday, but it was fun with great music, food, and suds, except for the brief weather scare and evacuation announcement.

Forecastle was the most organized music festival I have ever attended. The different music genres were fantastic! Everything ran on a timely manner . All of the vendors were so great! Wonderful food and drink options . I loved all of the local options!!! This will be a festival to attend year after year!!!

I am dead serious about what I say in the title. I had never been to Forecastle prior to this year since I am not from Louisville, but the lineup was too amazing to pass up. I typically go to Lollapalooza or Summerfest if I go to a festival, soI found Forecastle to be quite refreshing. The grounds are a lot smaller than either of the above which makes it easier to jump from stage to stage and make it to the bands you want to see. The people were all nice, the food was delicious, and it was well-organized. I suspect that in the future this festival will become much more popular due to the amazing lineup they had this year.

Every artist there was extremely talented and put on a great show! The Belle of Louisville show was just great too! I am already ready for next year!

Robert Plant classic.but reinvented! fantastic! Old Crow Medicine Show awesome! Black Keys rocked it! awesome! String Cheese Incident with bluegrass was fantastic also! too many other bands to list it must see! the food was great and reasonably priced what some bathrooms it was on the beautiful Ohio River there were fireworks lots of great vendors unique artists ! and Jeni's ice cream is to die for!

The entire weekend was incredible. The bands were on fire and the crowd was inspiring. We didn't have any problems with waiting for drinks and the food was good (NY PIZZA and TACOS). I loved the MOONSHINE setup and drinks, super rad. The social media contests were a great way to get the audience to interact (hammock/hat giveaways etc). The only issue we has was with the line on Fri night. We came in from Philly and arrived in time but missed 2 sets waiting to get our wristbands. Overall, great experience. Great people. Great city. ROCK ON.

The Forecastle event was fantastic. The whole weekend went above and beyond my expectations. The music could have been awful and I still would have enjoyed myself, but luckily they scored a WORLD-CLASS line up. The whole event was well organized, and I could tell a lot of hard work went in to it. I will, with out question, be returning next year!

I wish it wasn't over! I had a blast. Thank you Louisville!!!!

Forecastle gets better and better every year. The lineup this year was spectacular with terrific performances from the Avett Brothers, the Black Keys, Grace Potter, and the Old Crow Medicine Show. However, the standout band of the festival was Matt & Kim hands down. It wasn't even a close call. They were hyper-energized for their show, and they quickly infused their energy into the crowd. In fact, while Matt & Kim played at the same time as the Flaming Lips, Flaming Lips fans started streaming over to Matt & Kim mid-show. At the end of Matt & Kim's show, the crowd was pumped up and completely satisfied and convinced that they had seen the best show of the festival. A couple of minor side notes, the food at Forecastle was excellent. From pizza, Greek, Cajun, Mexican, ice cream, etc. it was all very good, especially for festival food. The beer on the other hand was terrible. The fans had a choice of Sierra Nevada, Heiniken, or PBR a/k/a bad, worse, and worst. By the second day, people were sneaking drinks in because the selection was so awful. Also, the "evacuation" of the festival when it wasn't even raining was a comical over-reaction. Hopefully, they've learned their lesson and will never do that again. However, none of this should take away from the show that the people running Forecastle put on last weekend. Well done Forecastle; it was a great show!

This is a large multi-stage fest in downtown Louisville on the river. So the scenery is nice with the river behind the stage. The performers were excellent specifically flaming lips, Jim James, Alabama Shakes, and The Black Keys...String Cheese played the night before I arrived. But....THIS IS NOT A 'HEADY FEST'. First festival ever without any glass vendors if that tells you anything...but you can buy wannabe moonshine. Lots of drunk young people, people walking into your stuff and crowding into stage area. It was a good fest and if you like the performers then go. but don't expect any kind ness

Simply phenomenal. It's a must-see summer festival!!

Not too hot and enjoyed the overcast! However when they TRIED to make us evacuate due to some harmless clouds I was blown! But we stuck around and the shows started back in like an hour . Loved Shovels and Rope and of course the Alabama Shakes were amaaaaazing and Rhe Black Keys murdered the last performance! It was awesome! Can't wait to go again! Plus who doesnt like being on the river??

I've been to Forecastle several times now and it's been steadily slipping every year. Less than attention-grabbing line-ups. Paid extra for the Bourbon Lodge again..only to see it was oversold this year and we were held at the door twice for exceeding capacity. One of the Bourbon vendors said it was the worst she had ever seen. I still think the use of the space is great. They need more beer choices as the "craft beer" area is actually a tent with 4 oz. pours. Overall, not too great considering Bourbon and Beyond is right around the corner with major headliners, solid second-tier talent, celebrity chef experiences, a bourbon bar area and many other things that Forecastle offers. Why not spend the extra cash for an elevated festival.

Excellent festival especially for the price. Great location.

Lots of different bands and genres. A bit crowded for the hot weather.

Totally a festival I will be attending again, not overhyped and no crazy people; everyone is there to enjoy the music and vibe with each other.

Never experienced anything like forecastle, planning on going again next year. Loved it!

My husband and I loved the festival. As always, Arcade Fire blows away the crowd. My only complaint was the scheduling overlap with several of the bands I wanted to see.

Bands were great. Good talent and variety. Seems like Forecastle themselves dropped the ball big time. Constant technical difficulties that ruined several performances on Mast Stage, caused Chris Stapleton to be 40 min late, VIP was a major disappointment. Will never purchase VIP again, falls far short of being worth the investment.

Great music, great venue, fabulous time!!! Would definitely recommend!

I had so much fun! Would definitely recommend to someone else! Good music, food, and drinks!

Great name performers. It seemed like they had a lot of sound or technical issues. The lines for free water had about 100 people.

Not as good as previous years. The festival has really gone downhill.

This was my first time attending Forecastle and I was blown away by how amazing it was! I loved how inclusive, inviting and eclectic the festival was. I will definitely be in attendance next year and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is thinking about going! Just make sure you dress for comfort and stay hydrated!

We have gone to festivals all over the southeast and Midwest and Forecastle is consistently one of the best. Great venue (although the highway noise can be annoying at the ocean stage). Highly recommend this festival.

I feel like the water stations were smaller this year and therefore you had to wait a very long time for water fill ups which was unacceptable considering it was 96 degrees! Do better

Speechless.. amazing festival! Great food! Great location!

Great shows, glad there is some shade at the waterfront.

Margo Price & Hiss Golden Messsenger have a new fan!

Went for Chris Stapleton. Sound techs were having difficulties. 30 min late to play. Sound was so muffled you could barely hear it.

Over rated only maybe two bands out of it all that were known bands... otherwise the rest were no name pub bands

the only reason I bought a ticket was to see Chris Stapleton, and the fact he came on late and his show was cut short was very much a let down, I will not buy tickets next year

Too many teens. Not enough space given to local music. The WFPK Port stage got the shaft so that Forecastle could expand this "Party Cove." Totally disappointed!!!! Kurt Vile was incredible as was Father John Misty, but man.....you got to give more love to the local music scene. Wax Fang is too good to be shoved in a corner. And from what I hear, things were a bit out of control in Party Cove. You had a teens hammered and passed out with no medical or police? Come on Forecastle!!! This isn't your first rodeo. You got to do better if you are going to keep this going. I feel like there's been a definite decline over the past couple of years. And as far as I can tell...the decline continues.