Category Archives: Event

Down by the river: BSMF cranks up the energy in Tom Lee Park

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Beale Street Music Festival returned to Tom Lee Park Friday, May 5 at 5 p.m., with multiple acres of garden patches and trees greeting attendees along with a new pavilion and pathways.

But despite updates to the notorious park which have stirred a fervor among many Memphians, some festivalgoers didn’t feel much of a difference once they got back on the river.

As a crowd gathered in front of Zyn stage around 6 p.m., waiting for Marcy Playground to begin its set, sunshine emerged from the dusky clouds over the Mississippi River and took the moderately cool temperatures up to nearly hot within moments.

5 Star Story: Peabody rooftop parties

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There’s an event that’s been happening for so long, it’s become a tradition for many Memphians and a legacy for the Peabody Hotel, where it happens every spring and summer.

The South’s Grandest Hotel Rooftop Parties are into their eighth decade, bringing music, fun and sometimes lifelong relationships to those who attend.

High atop the Peabody Hotel in the heart of downtown Memphis is where Memphians and hotel guests alike party their Thursday nights away at rooftop soirees that have a long history.

“(For) 84 years we have been having parties on the rooftop of the Peabody Hotel,” Kelly Brock, Director of Marketing and Communications at the hotel, said.

‘Blues Stage on Beale’: The story behind Memphis in May’s big change and what to expect

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On May 5, the Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival will launch a new stage in its history.

Literally.

The “Memphis Tourism Blues Stage on Beale” relocates the festival’s popular Blues Tent theme from Tom Lee Park to the gently sloped lawn and built-in outdoor performance space at Handy Park, in the center of the Beale Street Entertainment District, about three blocks east of the Mississippi River park where the other three music festival stages will operate, as usual.

The new blues stage is free, making it an open-to-all complement to the music festival as well as a component of the paid-admission main event.

Africa in April wraps up four days of celebration

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A beloved cultural festival in downtown Memphis is wrapping up after four days of celebration and education.

The 36th annual Africa in April Cultural Awareness Festival at Robert Church Park was a salute to the Republic of Rwanda. Vendors, many of them from Africa, were in Memphis selling their authentic goods.

“It’s a platform where you get authentic African products. Most of these products are from Africa,” said Mutarr Jallow, a vendor at the festival.

Your survival guide to Memphis in May’s return to the river

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Hey there, festie friends! Are you ready to return to the river? After two canceled pandemic years and a weird year at Liberty Park, Memphis in May International Festival is heading back Downtown to its longtime home at Tom Lee Park.

The park has a fresh new look (complete with a giant otter!), and MIM attendees will be among the first to officially break in the new space. And we don’t mean literally “break in,” though any natural wear and tear should hopefully be covered by the festival’s damage deposit.

Memphis in May: Moon Taxi, Eric Benét added to Beale Street Music Festival lineup

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Moon Taxi and Eric Benét are joining this year’s Beale Street Music Festival lineup, Memphis in May announced Wednesday.

Indie rockers Moon Taxi are making their second Beale Street Music Festival appearance, while Grammy-nominated neo-soul sensation Benét is making his festival debut. Both are set to perform May 7.

Also announced Wednesday, Azmyl & the Truly Asia will perform May 5-6 on the Blues Stage on Beale. The band will represent the blues stylings of Malaysia, Memphis in May’s honored country this year.

Music Fest CEO says ‘surprise additions’ to lineup coming soon

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Earth, Wind, & Fire, The Roots, The Lumineers and GloRilla are among acts scheduled to perform at the 2023 Beale Street Music Festival.

Memphis in May International Festival released the lineup for the 45th edition of the festival Monday, Feb. 27.

Other scheduled performers include Greta Van Fleet; Robert Plant and Alison Krauss; Hardy; Jazmine Sullivan; AJR; 311; Gary Clark Jr.; Ziggy Marley; Young the Giant; Haelstorm; Live; PJ Morton; The Struts; Gov’t Mule; Dru Hill; Mike.; Andy Grammer; Yola; Toadies; Lucinda Williams; Living Colour; Finesse2Tymes; Big Boogie; Cameo; The Bar-Kays; White Reaper; Shovels & Rope; Phony Ppl; Low Cut Connie; Marcy Playground; Beach Weather; Jason D. Williams; Myron Elkins; Dirty Streets; Mac Saturn; Tyke T; Sleep Theory; Millie Manny; and The Sensational Barnes Brothers.

Part of Barbecue Fest moves to Beale Street

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A longstanding portion of the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is moving to Beale Street.

The “Patio Porkers on Beale” competition that had been part of the Memphis in May event will be a 30-team, one-day, ribs-only “smoke-off” Saturday, May 20, with free admission.

The Beale Street competition is on the last day of the May 17-20 barbecue contest.