What will coronavirus mean for Raleigh’s biggest festival? Here’s the latest from IBMA.
The annual World of Bluegrass festival has grown into downtown Raleigh’s largest event, bringing hundreds of thousands of people into the city every fall.
On Tuesday, festival organizers with the International Bluegrass Music Association offered a look into holding World of Bluegrass in the year of coronavirus and announced an early lineup.
For now, the show will go on.
This will be the eighth year for the World of Bluegrass in downtown Raleigh, after IBMA moved the festival from Nashville in 2013. In the past few years, the late September event has brought scores of concert goers to Raleigh, along with some of the largest acts in bluegrass such as Alison Krauss, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Rhiannon Giddens and others.
This year ‘more important for our industry than ever’
In practically every way, 2020 is a different kind of year. As North Carolina and the rest of the country begin to reopen parts of society, it’s unclear when we’ll see the return of live music. Festival organizers said they plan to move forward with World of Bluegrass, but suggested it’s too early to tell what life will be like by September.
“We believe this year’s IBMA World of Bluegrass will be more important for our industry than ever, and the IBMA team is working hard (from home, of course) to produce an event that will be a key part of our industry’s recovery effort,” said IBMA president Paul Schiminger, in a news release. “The events remain as scheduled as we build plans for live and/or virtual formats, depending on what is allowed and prudent for the health of our community.”
Currently, North Carolina is in Phase One of its reopening plans, meaning state and local parks are accessible and some businesses are able to open their doors. Phases Two and Three allow more businesses to open, including restaurants, and mean larger groups of people can gather together. But so far, it’s hard to say when tens of thousands of people can fill in on downtown Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street for a weekend of music.
Schiminger said the IBMA will rely on government officials and medical experts as it plans the bluegrass festival.
“The event remains scheduled for Sept. 29-Oct. 1,” Schiminger said in a release. “However, we are aware that a return to normal operations remains uncertain, and we are monitoring measures and recommendations issued by government and health officials.”
Acts for 2020 festival announced
The World of Bluegrass festival includes dozens of bluegrass and Americana acts, divided between ticketed main stage artists and free performances on a half dozen street stages in downtown Raleigh.
The IBMA announced more than a dozen acts currently slated to play the festival’s Bluegrass Ramble, including North Carolina acts Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves and Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa.
Other performers include Ali Shumate, Amanda Cook Band, The Arcadian Wild, Becky Buller Band, Colebrook Road, Jussi Syren & The Groundbreakers, The Kody Norris Show, Kristy Cox, Ralph Stanley II & The Clinch Mountain Boys, Serene Green, Special Consensus, Stillhouse Junkies and the Williamson Branch.
A second round of Ramble artists will be announced in June.
No main stage acts have been announced yet, but last year’s ticketed artists weren’t announced until June.
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 2:43 PM.
