Forecastle

This is a fun weekend festival for any music lover. Nestled on the waterfront, downtown Louisville, this festival is full of music, food, beer, people, and much more.
Each year the line up is different and that is part of what makes this festival so much fun. The atmosphere is always pretty chill which adds to the enjoyment for me.
Some tips if you attend Forescastle:
–bring a water bottle (to fill up for free at the festival)
–bring/​wear sunscreen
–have cash
–wear comfy clothes that you can tolerate for 10 hours
–eat as many King of Pops popsicles as you can, all the flavors as sooo good!
–über or bike it there and home each day
–make your own customized schedule/​lineup on the forecastle app

First of all the Bourbon Lounge was a BIG waste of time and money. The pours were very very pricey $ 5 – 9 for ½ oz — $ 10 – 14 for 1 oz. Boycott this so Forecastle comes up with a different way to rip off their customers :)
The stage setup was great and there were plenty of beer and food booths to keep the lines calm. Their beer selection is not very good. Surprised Pabst and Sierra Nevada were the only 2 options essentially.
The lineup was great.
It was a hot one to definitely bring in your own water bottle. They search by pat down method as well so make sure you hide any contraband well if you plan to bring it in. There were policy walking through the middle of large crowds at times. Be careful!
Great fest and will be back!

Yes!!! This year was great but very sweaty!!! They had a great line up of bands each day. The bands that were so good that even if you had never heard of them they were still fun to watch.
It was about 100* with a feel of 108* they combated this by having water stations and they actually allowed you to bring in an empty bottle of water to fill. The ems team also did a pretty good job of spraying the crowd with water too.
They had pretty good food and beer booths to keep you full and hydrated. Overall o was pretty happy.

Two years in a row I’ve been to Forecastle. Two years in a row I’ve left 100% satisfied with every part of the weekend.
Of course I wouldn’t be spending money to see bands I don’t like, so I’ll start with the fact that I’m always impressed by the bands this festival gets. For 2014 I was STOKED to get to see Outkast, Twenty One Pilots, Jack White, Beck, and many others all in one weekend. Then in 2015 to have Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, Cold War Kids, Tallest Man, etc. all together? Just incredible.
Now aside from the choice in headliners, I think Forecastle has a great setup going at Waterfront Park. The main stage is backing up to the Ohio River which makes for great scenery behind the shows, especially once the sun begins to set. One of the smaller stages is set up under an overpass and I love that. It’s always a nice place to catch a show if it’s extremely hot like this year.
I always love the vendors they bring in for the weekend as well– food, art, drinks, etc. Local food trucks are brought in as well as a few local breweries and of course some other wonderful festival food and drinks.
This year I bought a pass for the Bourbon Lodge. I highly suggest doing that in the future. For $ 25, I got a little souvenir mug to use throughout the weekend, 15 drink tickets to use inside the lodge, air conditioning (!!!) inside the lodge, AND bathrooms much nicer than port-​a-​potties. This year the air conditioning itself seemed worth the price. We also had a chance to meet a few members from Houndmouth, My Morning Jakcets, and Twin Peaks. They also had a booth from a local BBQ joint (Feast) inside that was only for the Bourbon Lodge.
The friendly faces throughout the festival weekend really showcase the city of Louisville in a great way. The workers, volunteers, performers, and concert-​goers are always happy to see everyone around them and it makes the festival that much more enjoyable.
Forecastle does a great job every year and I look forward to continuing to go this festival!

After attending several Forecastles over the years, I have to say that I love what it has grown into. It’s a great festival right in Louisville’s backyard or wait… it’s practically our front yard. Also, compared to other festivals it’s very affordable!
Each stage is really cool.
The Mast stage being the main stage that backs up to the river on the great lawn.
The Port stage… the stage from WFPK. Acts on this stage are also broadcast on the radio (91.9 for the uninformed).
The Boom stage! This stage should really be called «Mast stage 2». There are a lot of huge acts that play this stage.
The Ocean Stage! You can’t go wrong with this stage. Most of the dance/​EDM/​DJ/​Electronic/​etc etc acts are on this stage. Another plus is that it’s under I-​64 so you’re out of the sun!
It’s always awesome when there are many bands in the lineup that you want to see. When there are only a few bands you want to see, it can seem like a waste of money. The days where the lineup is light you should wander around. You’re guaranteed to find something that catches your ear.
The Bourbon Lodge! Buy a membership even if you don’t buy the overpriced pours. The nice restrooms & break from the heat with the AC make it worth it! I’m hoping they make this a larger space in the future. My only complaint is the price of the pours. We’re KY! We have plenty of bourbon! They know people will pay a marked up price at a festival, but how about we treat our hometown attendees & tourists alike to 3 – 5 dollar pours!
Forecastle being downtown is one thing, but this festival does a really great job of highlighting the music as well as Kentucky! The art, extra shady areas, local food trucks, & overall quirk of the entire festival elevates the experience to another level.
Be sure to bring a water bottle. There are «watering hole» stations in the festival! Free water whenever you need it! Although the lines move quickly to refill, I think they’d benefit from having 4 – 6 stations instead of just 2.

Laid back with the emphasis on the music, although the many food options and Bourbon Lodge are also great. Never had to wait long for food or drink. The GA ticket is a bargain. Easy to maneuver close to the front of the main stages. No need to get a VIP ticket. Easy to get around the grounds. People all friendly. I parked in a garage by the Ali museum, about a 10-​minute walk away, which made it easy to avoid traffic at the end of each night.

It’s hard to say anything negative about music festivals; in general, I’m gonna be a really happy camper to be outdoors listening to music.

I love music festivals. You get a lot of music for the money. This venue was awesome not just for the different genre of music that was represented. I liked that there was something for everyone. The vendors were plenty and the food was good! I think I went back to a couple even though I wasn’t hungry. There was also a local beer tasting selling by the ounce. So all these things a good but being a girl what made this a Great venue is plenty of restrooms! I didn’t have to cross my legs while waiting. Everyone was very friendly. This was my first time and I will be back!

Who dare gives this festival less than 5 stars?
I’m a «festhead» as some might call and go to about 12 music festivals a summer. Forecastle’s always #1 for me! It’s the best parts of the friendly, nice Bonnaroo hippy crowd with a mix of Lollapalooza’s city vibe without the a-​holeness. Plus it’s on the waterfront!
Their lineup never disappoints. I’ve been here when I was 16 and I’ve been here when I was 22. Let me warn you that if you’re young and looking to be more rambunctious, go to Warped Tour. Go to EDC NYC, LV, whatever. This is a mature crowd where there’s a TON of Bourbon sipping (or chugging) and occasional weed smoking. The medical tents are empty here and people plan on keeping it that way. Don’t come here expecting to «find yourself” – know what festival is appropriate for that (ahem, any camping festival… Bonnaroo isn’t far from here).

I’m still reeling from a raucous Forecastle weekend! Three days jam-​packed with concerts and enough activities to fill in those times when you need a break from the tunes can’t really be beat.
Having attended several Forecastles over the years, I’ve seen this event morph in different ways, and I love what it is becoming.
So for this review, I’m going to give my opinion on the pros and cons and then some tips if you decide to make a weekend out of Forecastle as well.
First, the pros:
* Always a great line-​up. I’ve seen some of my favorite all-​time concerts here, including MMJ, Beck and Jack White. The Flaming Lips left a little to be desired last year, but there’s no doubt that Forecastle brings in the big names.
* So much to do! From the Bourbon Lodge to the pop-​up marching bands and oversize Squallis Puppeteers puppets to the pARTy boat (a live art installation in which artists painted a house boat) to the poster show, there is just so much to see and do, along with the music.
* The stages are far enough apart to where the music from one doesn’t disrupt the other stages too much, but they are still close enough to easily walk between them.
* While Forecastle seems to bring out the masses, you don’t really have to fight wall-​to-​wall people. You can easily find a spot not to far from the stages to lay down blankets. And if you want to stand in front of the stage, you can usually find a good spot as late as 20 minutes before the concert.
* Being next to an overpass — a bit weird, I know — provides some respite from the glaring sun.
* the Bourbon Lodge. I will definitely make use of this more next year, but for the $ 20 or so entry fee, you get a/​c and nice bathrooms.
* except for right before or after the fest, the traffic around it isn’t too bad, which means you can easily pop out if you want to get lunch outside Forecastle or go to hour house or hotel for a bit. Parking also has never been a problem.
* the people. I’ve really enjoyed meeting so many neat people at this fest.
A couple of cons:
* More local is always better. I feel like Forecastle is getting better each year in terms of bringing local biz and groups into the fest, but this could always be improved.
* And along the same lines, more local beer is always better. I know that the big beer companies shell out the big bucks for sponsorship rights, but I wish I could get Against the Grain and Apocalypse brews, for example, closer to the stages.
And now some tips:
* Make sure to pack an empty water bottle (to be filled at the free water stations), sunscreen, hand sanitizer and a blanket. No lawn chairs are allowed.
* When navigating the area in front of the stages, be careful not to step on the blankets. Don’t be that guy or gal.
* BUT, don’t set up your blanket right in front of the stage and expect to have a five-​square-​foot area all to yourself while the rest of us are shoulder-​to-​shoulder. That’s just rude. And in that case, I hope your blanket gets stomped to bits.
* Buy entry into the Bourbon Lodge. Especially if the weekend is a scorcher, some a/​c and bourbon will definitely hit the spot, along with nice bathrooms.
* And if you are of the female sex, try to use the port-​o-​potties before the sun goes down. The pots are set up under the overpass with no additional lighting. Maybe you’d rather not see what you are stepping on and squatting over, but I think having all of that info is better than not, don’t you?
* Look for volunteer opportunities if you’d like to get in for free. Several local organizations man the beer booths at the fest and look for residents to work a few hours in return for free passes.
* Want a discount on Forecastle swag? Find the booth that will give you a bag to pick up trash in return for a hefty discount.
* You can find cheap parking not too far from the fest. My favorite spot was the $ 4 parking garage on Main Street near First Street, which was only two or three blocks from Forecastle.
* Download the Forecastle app to get all the info about concerts, activities and delays. And be sure to listen to the Forecastle playlist that the organizers set up on Spotify to bone up on the bands.
I’m already looking forward to next year’s fest!

This was awesome! I went Sunday and I had the most amazing time I have ever had at a music fest!

I’ve been to a LOT of concerts and festivals and this is a great one. The music may not necessarily be my absolute favorite, but this had the best food choices, cleanest and I felt the most comfortable at this one out of any other.
I loved the challenge in the phone app where you could visit eight different places within the festival and scan the QR code to receive 25% off any official merchandise. I took advantage of that and it also gave me something to do because I was alone at the festival.
I also loved that they took the recycling and composting very seriously. I don’t know how they did it, but even the port a pots were super clean each time I went in one.
Bravo, Louisville and Forecastle Foundation.

Let’s see…
Five stars for …
a damn fine line-​up
giving back to local charities
good space design that makes the 3 stages feel connected but acoustically separate
tasty food stuffs
poster art showcase
giant Gonzo puppet
being an all-​around great Louisville institution.
Three stars for …
the evacuation. I’m all for safety, but the slow meander of about half the attendees ot of Waterfront Park was less than ideal. Probably needed a few more bullhorns to keep people informed and moving. Probably should also tell them where to go (the steps outside Waterfront Park was the equally unsafe but most popular option)
Two stars for …
ticket prices. Pretty spendy — you may want to sign up for a volunteer shift to get in for free.

A lot of fun!
I volunteered at a beer booth each day of the festival to gain free entry each day, so I can’t say whether it is worth the money.
They got some pretty great acts this year!
I’ve been in the Ville for 6 years, but this is only the second year I had heard of the festival.
I’m having a hard time *not* comparing it to Bonnaroo, which I also attended for the first time this year. In comparison, it felt smaller, not as populated, and cramped. The stages are awfully close to each other. Which is not an issue as long as only one of them has a performer on them at the time. But it was a struggle to hear Grace Potter over El-​P and Killer Mike… unless you forced your way to the front of the spectators. I heard (unsubstantiated) that the grounds used to go further along the waterfront toward Tumbleweed. If that is true, I wish that set up would come back so stages could be a little more spread out.
What Forecastle has over Bonnaroo is the plethora of shaded area provided by the highway overpasses. But that’s really only helpful if you want to stay at the hip hop/​dance/​electronic/​dj stage. Still… more shade!
I appreciate that garage and lot parking prices for the weekend didn’t skyrocket! We found it for $ 5 in a garage and one day my shift started early enough that I got free street parking.
The event staff that I encountered were super friendly with great attitudes, that at least made working with them super enjoyable.