LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Lexington's Railbird music festival is hitting pause for 2022.
Festival organizers took to social media on Tuesday to announce that the two-day festival would be taking a break for the year and return in 2023, but with a new venue.
Since its inaugural festival in 2019, Railbird has been held on the grounds at Keeneland in Lexington. In 2023, it'll be held in the infield at Red Mile Racing and Gaming in downtown Lexington.
The festival is also returning in a new month. It's now scheduled for June 3-4, when it was previously held in August. It will be the third edition of the Railbird festival, since 2020's was canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Hello from Railbird! Thanks to all of you who joined us for Railbird Festival in 2021. We have listened and taken your feedback to heart and are working hard behind the scenes to create an exceptional experience for the next edition of the festival. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/e8ZkG0aGQJ
— Railbird Festival (@RailbirdFest) May 17, 2022
Last year's festival was met with some complaints from attendees about long lines and lack of water. Some festival-goers also complained about food and drink booths running out of beer, transportation issues and problems with a payment system, LEX18 reported at the time.
The long lines even prompted the creation of a Twitter account called "railbirdlines" by a festival attendee while he was waiting in line for water for over an hour. Some were upset that the festival's organizers didn't address the problems earlier on the first day, but organizers said they had made changes for the second day.
Those changes included patrons being allowed to bring their own water and the addition of more water refill stations. Attendees reported that the second day of the festival went a lot smoother than the previous day.
It's unclear if those issues played a role in the decision to push the festival to 2023 at a new location. In Tuesday's social media posts announcing the changes, organizers said "We have listened and taken your feedback to heart and are working hard behind the scenes to create an exceptional experience for the next edition of the festival."
Previous headliners include Louisville's own My Morning Jacket, Dave Matthews Band, The Raconteurs, Hozier and more.
Railbird is billed as a festival that brings together horse racing and bourbon, with a mix of rock, folk, bluegrass and Americana music.
For updates and more information about Railbird, click here.
Related Stories:
- Railbird Festival ends after hiccups, complaints from attendees
- Dave Matthews Band and My Morning Jacket headline Railbird Festival 2021
- The Raconteurs and Hozier to headline Railbird Festival Aug. 10-11
- Railbird Festival featuring music, bourbon planned for Keeneland on Aug. 10-11
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