Buckle Up Music Festival
The Buckle Up Music Festival was a three-day country and roots music festival held in Cincinnati, Ohio, at Sawyer Point Park and Yeatman's Cove on the bank of the Ohio River. The festival began on July 18, 2014, and featured over 80 performances on six stages. It was founded by Bill Donabedian, co-founder of MidPoint Music Festival and former managing director of Fountain Square.
Headliners for the inaugural year included Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Emmylou Harris, and Alabama.
Despite its inaugural 2014 event being a financial success, it took a hiatus in 2015 and its 2016 showing was canceled only ten days before it was scheduled to begin. While no official reason was given at the time beyond "unforeseen circumstances", Donabedian alleged in a 2023 interview that it was due to disagreements with the city over a since repealed law concerning taxing of live events. A lawsuit was originally filed in 2015, which was ultimately settled in Donabedian's favor with the city being ordered to pay him $56,000 in restitution
Festival dates
- July 18–20, 2014
- August 5–6, 2016
2014 line-up
River StageFriday: Amanda Shires, The Railers, Ashley Monroe, Jamey Johnson
Saturday: Lisa Lynn, Joe Pug, The Lone Bellow, Drive-By Truckers, Old Crow Medicine Show
Sunday: Logan Brill, Blackjack Billy, Dylan Scott, Thompson Square
Bud Light Stage
Friday: Joshua Scott Jones, Jamie Lynn Spears, David Fanning, Chris Janson, Marty Stuart
Saturday: Sundy Best, Natalie Stovall and the Drive, Spirit Family Reunion, A Thousand Horses, Kristain Bush of Sugarland
Sunday: Abigail Rose, Lyndsey Highlander, Dallas Smith, Corey Smith
Amphitheater Stage
Friday: The Dan Varner Band, Tyler Childers and the Foodstamps, Phillip Fox Band, Jeremy Pinnell and the 55s, Pistol Holler
Saturday: Coraless and the Townees, Kentucky Timbre, Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle, The 23 String Band, The Tillers
Sunday: Kentucky Struts, Straw Boss, Bobby Mackey, Noah Smith
Main Stage
Friday: Old Dominion, Sturgill Simpson, Eric Paslay, Eli Young Band, Alabama
Saturday: Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, Houndmouth, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Willie Nelson
Sunday: Chase Bryant, JT Hodges, Sam Hunt, David Nail, The Band Perry
Acoustic Stage
Friday: Andrew Hibbard, Jamison Road, Messerly and Ewing, Sara Haze
Saturday: Wild Carrot, Dean Fields, The Carolines, Caitlyn Smith
Sunday: Max Fender, Zach Dubois, Michaelis, Ruth Collins
Lawn Stage
Friday: Lonesome Jared and the Heartattacks, Alexis Gomez, Sam Lewis, Ashley Martin
Saturday: Shiny and the Spoon, Al Scorch, Arlo McKinley and the Lonesome Sound, Tall Heights
Sunday: Honey and Houston, Jetset Getset, Mark Utley and Bulletville, Ty Bates
VIP Stage Tent
Friday: Eric Paslay, Phillip Fox Band, Old Dominion, Jamison Road, Jeremy Pinnell and the 55s
Saturday: Arlo McKinley and the Lonesome Sound, The Tillers, Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle, Tall Heights
Sunday: Sam Hunt, Noah Smith, Corey Smith, Bobby Mackey